English Language Broadcast

A week ago, the CEO of instant messaging service Telegram, Pavel Durov, was arrested in France for reportedly failing to prevent criminal activity on the app. And this past weekend, Brazil suspended access to the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, after Elon Musk refused to comply with the Brazilian's Government's requests. Events like these spark discussions about censorship and freedom of speech, and figures such as Telegram's Pavel Durov and X's Elon Musk have positioned themselves at the forefront of such discussions. But how much power do these CEOs have over what is shared on their sites? And how much responsibility? On today's broadcast we are joined by computer scientist Enrique Puertas of the European University in Madrid to discuss recent events and seek answers to these questions.... Escuchar audio

Ilse was only 11 years old when her family packed their bags and left from Germany to Chile, where they settled in a colony that looked idyllic from the outside, but in reality it was nothing of the sorts. Ilse is a fictional character, but her memoirs are based on real stories that happened in Colonia Dignidad, a religious cult under the leadership of Nazi preacher Paul Shäfer. Emma Sepúlveda, the author of this novel, describes this place as a "concentration camp", she joined us in this broadcast to tell us about "Cuando mi cuerpo dejó de ser tu casa" (When my body stopped being your home). Escuchar audio

A decade after the Second World War, the pessimism and hopelessness gave way to a new era in which young people became immersed in the new found phenomenon of "teenage life" and dove head first into the new cultural movements that developed during the 60s. Mods and Rockers peacefully coexisted together in the UK, sharing the streets and the roads. That is, until 1964, when a massive fight broke out between the two groups. Chaos and wreckage filled the streets of the coastal city of Brigton and media were quick to dub these movements as "dangerous" and "decadent". And precisely because of that, their popularity increased exponentially among young people in the UK and all over the world. Now, an exhibition here in Spain takes us back to the 60s to relive this battle and follow these movements throughout the years. To learn more about "Mods and rockers", we visited the National Anthropology Museum and spoke with director, Fernando Sáez Lara and curators, María Molinero and Susana Álvarez. Escuchar audio

If any of you are trying to learn Spanish or any other language you might have encountered some words or some expressions that cannot be translated, And no matter how hard you try, the only way to convey these concepts is by offering a rough explanation. Spanish is no exception and we have a few words that are particularly difficult to translate to English. Now, the British Council has compiled some of these, to help both, Spanish speakers trying to learn English and English speakers trying to learn Spanish. We learnt about them with Elsa O'Brian, teacher and coordinator of Education Inclusion at the British council. Escuchar audio

On the 19th of August we celebrated World Photography Day. A day dedicated to "the art, craft, science and history of photography". This year's theme was "An entire day", a project in which thousands of people shared photographs of what happens around the world in a single day. Well to celebrate World Photography Day and get into the spirit of this year's theme, we visited a very special store in the center of Madrid, which is basically all about bringing forward the value of anonymous, mundane photographs: Churchill fotos e imágenes. We had the chance to speak with its owner, Churchill Wheeler. Escuchar audio

The island of El Hierro in the Canary Islands is the smallest out of the seven islands that make up the archipielago, but being the smallest does not mean it's lacking in ecological treasures. El Mar de las Calmas, located in the south of the island, is about to become the first marine national park in Spain due to the exceptionality of its biodiversity and its natural richness. To tell us more about this enclave, we spoke with Luis Suarez, convervation manager of WWF. Also on this broadcast, we'll learn about "Les Amis", a social platform that connects women through shared interests. They operate in Barcelona, Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, Madrid and they recently launched Milan. We spoke with co-founders Ana Bilych and Oleg Pashinin. Escuchar audio

Making a murderer, Dahmer, The Disappearance of Madeleine McCannor, in Spain, The Asunta case, The Alcàsser murders or The Sancho case... If you are a fan of "true crimes" you might have heard about some of these. Documentary or fiction series based on real crimes have become extremely popular on streaming services. But, recently, here in Spain, a case has made headlines as the mother of a murdered child openly campaigned against the development of a "true crime" series on the murder of her son. Her intervention in Senate led to some debate about the legitimacy and the ethics of these series. To tell us more about the legal aspect behind these productions, we spoke with Samuel Alonso Cervera, audiovisual lawyer. Also on this broadcast, we learn about the preservation of the Iberian wolf, after a regional law, which allowed for their hunting, was vetoed by the European Union. We spoke with Julia Robles, from the association for the study and preservation of the Iberian wolf. Escuchar audio

Summertime is usually considered a time to relax, to pause and reflect. To do what we enjoy without the pressure of routine. And one of the preferred activities during this time is, of course, reading. On this broadcast we learn about "El reflejo de Medusa" (Medusa's reflection), a book about contemporary representations of women in media. From the music of Rosalia and reggaeton, to the characters of Tokio or Nairobi in Money Heist , we discuss the role of women in media in the last years with editor Esther Alarcón. Escuchar audio

The nice weather, the proximity of the people, the beautiful landscapes and the gastronomy are just some of the reasons why Spain is one of the main holiday destinations for many. But for some people, it is not only a holiday country, but a home. This is the case of Steve Conroy, who arrived to Spain from Liverpool 11 years ago and settled in the small town of Partaloa, where around 60% of its residents come from foreign countries. Steve is now a councilman in the town hall, and told us about what makes Partaloa special Escuchar audio

9 years ago, the aftermath of the economic crisis led to a period of unrest in our country. Protests against cutbacks, inequality and corruption spread in all regions, asking for a democratic renovation. In this context, the government at the time, tried to put an end to the protests with a set of reforms, which were quickly dubbed the "gag law", as they had the potential to restrict freedom of expression and assembly. Now, the current government is debating on whether to eliminate or reform this law. To learn more about the "gag law" and its effects during these 9 years, we speak with Daniel Canales, researcher from Amnesty International. Escuchar audio

As our country leaves behind the fourth heat wave of this summer, concerns about the consequences of unusually warm temperatures continue to rise. One of these consequences is the increase of mosquito population, especially in humid areas of our country. In Andalusia, the West Nile Virus worries citizens as several cases have been detected in the last few weeks. Neighbours of the affected regions have organized protests to ask for more measures to protect them and experts agree that prevention is key. To learn more about this virus we speak with Jordi Figuerola, researcher from the Doñana Biological Reserve. And we also hear from Juan José Sánchez Silva, founder of the platform "Lucha contra el virus del Nilo" (Fight against the Nile virus) Escuchar audio

The monotony and endless heat of summer has been broken up this 2024 by the Paris Olympics, an event that brings people together from all over the world, and glues even the most disinterested of sports fans to their screens. Of course, one of the things we find fascinating about the Olympics is... How is the human body capable of such fantastic feats? And what makes one person better at a sport than others? We speak with Kennedy McNeilly Anta is the running coach at Duke Kunshan University located outside of Shanghai, and is conducting research into the success of endurance sports in Spain. Escuchar audio

The Eisner Spirit Award used to be a lifetime title, awarded to a comic book store from anywhere in the world for "doing an outstanding job of supporting the comic art medium, both in the industry at large, and in their local community." Madrid's Akira Comics store achieved the award back in 2012, and this year, thanks to a change in the rules, the store was once again in the finals to win the Eisner Spirit Award for a second time. This year, it was the only store amongst the finalists that wasn't from the US. In today's broadcast, Jesús Marugán, one of the store's owners, takes us on a tour of the internationally renowned comic book store upon his return from San Diego Comic-Con. Escuchar audio

It is summer time here in Spain and, as the country experiences its warmest and sunniest weather of year, the risks associated to sun exposure increase. In this context, recent trends have surfaced in social media, trends that might be dangerous. One of this is what is called "callo solar" (solar callus), a practice that claims to build resitance to the sun, but which has prompted concern among healthcare professionals. To learn more about this dangerous trend and the correct way to protect ourselves in the summer, in this broadcast, we are joined by Doctor Inés Escandell, dermatologist at the GEDET (Spanish Group of Aesthetic and Therapeutic Dermatology) of the Spanish Academy of Dermatology. Escuchar audio

Marianna of Austria, Elisabeth of Bourbon, Christina of Sweden, all of them remarkable women who played very important roles in the history of their countries, and also in the history of art. "The female perspective" is an exhibition route which aims to shed some light on the role of women in the collection of the Prado Museum and particularly women art patrons. This year, on their second edition, they focus on artworks from the 17th century, from the times of Elizabeth of Bourbon to Maria Anna of Neuburg. The route is divided in four sections: Women patrons of art in the Museo del Prado, Marianna of Austria, Elisabeth of Bourbon and Christina of Sweden. Curator Noelia Garcia walked us around the exhibition and told us about the most important pieces they commissioned. Escuchar audio

The Roman Theatre in Mérida is the oldest functioning theatre in the world, thanks to the Festival Internacional de Teatro Clásico de Mérida, which brings classical theatre to life on a stage built around the year 16 BC. This festival is held annually in the city of Mérida, and this year its 70th edition will be taking place until the 25th of August. In today's broadcast, we'll be talking to Laura Gil of the festival, about its origins and its reportoire. After that... For the fifth year in a row, Spanish is the most popular language among secondary school students in the UK. We talk to Dr. Ian Collen, one of the authors of the Language Trends 2024 report about Spanish's growing popularity in UK schools. Escuchar audio

An artist who explored themes of memory, the subconscious and cultural phenomena, and renowned for her approach to art through mediums including video, installation and photography... The first in-depth exploration of Susan Hiller's art is currently showing in the Helga de Alvear Museum of Contemporary Art, in Cáceres, Spain, and is titled Susan Hiller: Dedicated to the Unknown. And here at the English Language Broadcast, we talk to the exhibition's curator, Andrew Price, to learn about the British-American artist, and what brings her works to Spain. Escuchar audio

"Novels, one would have thought, would have been devoted to influenza; epic poems to typhoid ; odes to pneumonia, lyrics to toothache. But no; with a few exceptions- literature does its best to maintain that its concern is with the mind." These are words written by Virginia Woolf in 1926, from her essay On Being Ill. In this essay, the American author ponders on the absence of the theme of illness in literature. But this is an absence that is slowly being filled, especially over the course of the past century. Dr. Isabel Durán of the Complutense University in Madrid is an expert in the representation of illness in literature and media, which is quite the recent phenomenon. We will be discussing about why there has been this shift in the arts, and in our way of thinking about illness. Escuchar audio

An era comes to an end in the city of Madrid as the last surviving video rental store will be closing its doors for the last time. 'Ficciones de cine' was once a place cherished by locals, but now only a few nostalgic or movie enthusiasts have been keeping the business barely alive. Before it's final goodbye on July 31st, we visited the store to learn more about its history and impact in the community, accompanied by its current owner, Marcia Ceburo. During our visit we also had the chance to speak with Dani Gascó, owner of the last video rental store in Valencia: Estromboli. Escuchar audio

Only twenty years ago, there were less than 100 Iberian Lynxes in Spain... Now the latest census shows that there are more than 2000 specimens of Iberian Lynx in the Peninsula. This extraordinary improvement means that the species is no longer considered "endangered" and is now categorized as "vulnerable". This was made possible thanks to the efforts of several organizations and projects that promote its recovery and conservation, one of which is LIFE Lynxconnect. To tell us more about what they have done throughout these past two decades and what is left to be done, we spoke with Guillermo Lopez. Also in this broadcast, we hear a report abuot the review of the Moroccan family code by Laura Valentina Cortés Sierra, from Radio 5. Escuchar audio