Airing the Differences: An Approach to the Role of Women in the Spanish Free Radio Movement (1976–2014)

Abstract

The free radio movement appeared in Spain in the late 1970s, right after Franco’s death, claiming for a new model of doing and understanding communica- tion. Taking advantage of the new sociopolitical situation and with clear references in both French and Italian movements, hundreds of small, alternative, free radio stations appeared all over the country, making the 1980s their golden decade. This article explores the ways this movement established a series of relationships with feminism and women attending to its two main representations: women-related pro- grammes and women’s groups. The article deploys, mainly, a diachronic perspec- tive, analyzing the development of this relationship from the late 1970s until today (as the movement is still alive and struggling), although it also attends to address its transnational features, as free radios have been an international phenomenon since their inception and these women’s groups have very often established international networks