Abstract

In 2011, Spain’s public radio network, Radio Nacional de España, introduced a new content management system for its documentary archive, called ARCA. This new system allows those in charge of radio programs direct access to documentary content, and places documentalists at the center of the production process. In this article, the impact of the ARCA system on the professional routines of program production is analyzed. The article describes the typology of documentary archive content that can be used to improve programming quality, both in conventional broadcasting and in parallel broadcasting of added value on the radio web. Finally, the new system is analyzed, keeping in mind public radio’s role in maintaining the documentary and sound archive of the Spanish State and its autonomic territorial organization.