Have you ever wondered what that UFO building was on top of old town Salobreña? Well, a few weeks ago I found out!

As it happens, it’s the mothership of Radio Salobreña – my local radio station. Last month, I met with its Director and long-time presenter, Eduardo Cruz, so he could give me a behind-the-scenes look at how he’s still making waves in a social-media-mad era.

According to Eduardo, the station was born out of young students’ labour of love, in 1988. During its infancy, Radio Salobreña was housed in La Casa de Cultura. As the station professionalised, and around the time Eduardo took the reins, it moved into the library’s old digs – a circular building with 360° views of Salobreña.

To start off, I press Eduardo on how Radio Salobreña, and local radio in general, has faired during his twenty-year tenure. And, despite seismic changes in the media landscape, Radio Salobreña hasn’t been left behind.

When I ask him whether or not he considered social media a friend or a foe to local radio, he hesitates, “Well…” and then smiles, “sometimes you have to befriend your enemy.” Sure enough, if you type in Radio Salobreña on Twitter, Instagram, or your podcast provider, heaps of their content will jump back at you.
That content includes a jammed-packed program, full of funny phone-ins, in-house or on-the-street debates and a wide range of music (all of which is up to date).

Even though, says Eduardo, “When you sit down at the microphone, you can never be sure who’s going to listen,” the station’s hard work, keeping up the clickbait has clearly paid off.

He does admit that fewer people listen to the radio these days, but according to a recent survey, 56% of all people that listen to the radio in Salobreña, listen to Radio Salobreña. He ascribes that success to its embrace of new media and a stubborn focus on local angles, whilst most other stations are taking an increasingly national perspective.

It seems the biggest calamity that Radio Salobreña has had to weather, much to their Director’s dismay, is having their panoramic view interfered with by a layer of calima-induced sand (something that I am sure many readers of this Gazette can relate to!)

Looking out through those windows, I spot the well-groomed villas of Monte de Los Almendros. Many of those properties are owned by international families, like my own.

Thinking out loud, I ask what he thought the effect of so many non-Spaniards in Salobreña has had on the community. “Well, some just come and go, which is fine. But many want to integrate into local daily life and practice the language as well. Perhaps some of them may not know how to though?”

I suggest that a good way for them to do so is through his station. “Well, I have been told personally… this is anecdotal, of course… that I annunciate very well, and I am easy to understand for foreigners,” Eduardo says, pointing to an imaginary badge of honour on his lapel.

It’s true, Eduardo is easy on the untrained ear and a far cry from the thick Andalusian accent that many of us foreigners might equate to Chinese.

There may be no better way, then, to practice your Spanish and get an insider’s view on local goings-on than Radio Salobreña.

When I’ve tuned into the station in the past, I’ve listened in on lively chats about whether the traditional two-kiss greeting or shared-tapas lunch will be lost, post-pandemic; heard cheery phone-ins from locals, sharing their joy about a successful Semana Santa; and I’ve even whipped out my Shazam on the oc- casion to discover some new Spanish hits played on the station.

Radio Salobreña has even done its best to accommodate foreign tastes. Every Friday, for instance, their in-house, English DJ mixes between English and Spanish music.

As Eduardo puts it, “the station isn’t his, but the people of Salobreña’s – wherever they may come from.”
So next time you’re in your car or pottering around the house, turn the dial (or Instagram page) to Radio Salobreña. You might just be surprised at what you’ll find.

(Interview: Eduardo Cruz/Radio Salobreña/Rucker Report)