Joaquim Maria Puyal
Encyclopedia
Joaquim Maria Puyal i Ortiga (born March 24, 1949) is a Catalan journalist known for his work in television and radio.
. He studied romance
philology
at the Universitat de Barcelona and later obtained a degree in Communication Sciences (Ciències de la Comunicació) from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
Since 1976 he has developed his career exclusively in the Catalan language
, believing that the work of journalists could play a decisive role in the linguistic normalization of Catalan after forty years of repression under the Franco regime.
Since 1997 he has oriented his work toward the Universitat de Barcelona and research in the area of communications theory.
and Córdoba Club de Fútbol. Puyal went on to narrate more than 500 football matches in Spanish
between 1968 and 1976. During this period he also broadcast boxing matches from the Gran Price and the Palau dels Esports de Barcelona
. For two years he was the Barcelona correspondent for "Hora 25," led by José María García.
. Games had been broadcast in Catalan prior to the Spanish Civil War
, but when Puyal began presenting in Catalan he had to work with linguists to create the specialized vocabulary needed to analyze football. Puyal had made the proposal to broadcast games in Catalan to the general director of Cadena SER
, Manuel Terán, shortly after the death of Francisco Franco
, thinking that it would be possible in the new environment of the Spanish transition to democracy
, even though Spain was not yet a democracy
. Cadena SER approved the project to broadcast football in Catalan on FM radio and the new program "Futbol en català" was from the beginning supported by La Caixa
, which paid for all its expenses. The program quickly attracted a large audience.
In 1985 Puyal left Ràdio Barcelona and signed with Catalunya Ràdio
with his entire team, including Antoni Bassas and Eduard Boet. Since then, and for more than two decades, he has narrated every official match played by FC Barcelona
, for a total of more than 2,000 football matches during his career. All official FC Barcelona matches can be heard on "La transmissió d'en Puyal" on Catalunya Ràdio.
He began his relationship with the small screen in the Miramar studios, on the Catalan circuit of Televisión Española
. He started out in 1977 presenting the program "Vostè Pregunta" ("You Ask"), with a format then unprecedented in Spanish television. The program earned him the second Ondas Award
of his career in 1979.
In 1985 he signed with Televisió de Catalunya
to direct and present, on TV3, the program "Vostè Jutja" ("You Judge") which aired for two years. In 1989 he debuted the program "La Vida es un xip," which ran until 1992, and from 1993 to 1994 he presented "Un tomb per la vida," a program in which he invited well-known people to talk about their lives. During this same time he directed two programs for TV3 for which he was not the presenter, "Tres pics i repicó" and "El joc del segle."
He has been a mentor to notable Catalan journalists to whom he gave their first professional opportunity, including Antoni Bassas, Eduard Boet, Pilar Calvo, Xavier Bosch, Marcel Gorgori, Manel Fuentes, Ricard Torquemada and Mònica Terribas.
, awarded by Ràdio Barcelona of Cadena SER
In addition, in 1993 Puyal was honored with the Creu de Sant Jordi
and in 1997 with the Premi Nacional a la Projecció Social de la Llengua Catalana awarded by the Generalitat de Catalunya. In 2004 Puyal and his Futbol a Catalunya Ràdio team were awarded the Generalitat's Premi Nacional de Radiodifusió, Televisió, Internet i Telecomunicacions in the radio broadcasting category. In 2005 he received the second annual Manuel Vázquez Montalbán
Prize for sports journalism
.
He has also been honored with the 1983 Premi Ciutat de Barcelona and three awards given by Òmnium Cultural
(for "Vostè pregunta" in 1983, "Vostè jutge" in 1986 and "Futbol en català" in 1991). Puyal was recognized as the "best radio announcer" and "best television presenter" of the 20th century in a popular vote for the "Els números 1 de les Comunicacions del segle XX" conducted by the Ràdio 4 and Eutelsat program "L'Altra Radio."
Biography
He was born on March 24, 1949 in the city of BarcelonaBarcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. He studied romance
Romance languages
The Romance languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family, more precisely of the Italic languages subfamily, comprising all the languages that descend from Vulgar Latin, the language of ancient Rome...
philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
at the Universitat de Barcelona and later obtained a degree in Communication Sciences (Ciències de la Comunicació) from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
Since 1976 he has developed his career exclusively in the Catalan language
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
, believing that the work of journalists could play a decisive role in the linguistic normalization of Catalan after forty years of repression under the Franco regime.
Since 1997 he has oriented his work toward the Universitat de Barcelona and research in the area of communications theory.
Radio career
In 1967 he began to work with Ràdio Barcelona, where he would remain, in various roles, until 1985. He began his work taking turns on FM radio, then a frequency in its initial stages. The director of the station, Manuel Tarín Iglesias, proposed that Puyal broadcast a football match between FC BarcelonaFC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
and Córdoba Club de Fútbol. Puyal went on to narrate more than 500 football matches in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
between 1968 and 1976. During this period he also broadcast boxing matches from the Gran Price and the Palau dels Esports de Barcelona
Palau dels Esports de Barcelona
The Palau dels Esports de Barcelona is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is on Lleida Street on the slopes of Montjuïc, a hill to the south east of the city centre....
. For two years he was the Barcelona correspondent for "Hora 25," led by José María García.
Pioneer of Catalan-language radio
On September 5, 1976 Puyal narrated the first Catalan-language broadcast of a football match since the Second RepublicSecond Spanish Republic
The Second Spanish Republic was the government of Spain between April 14 1931, and its destruction by a military rebellion, led by General Francisco Franco....
. Games had been broadcast in Catalan prior to the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, but when Puyal began presenting in Catalan he had to work with linguists to create the specialized vocabulary needed to analyze football. Puyal had made the proposal to broadcast games in Catalan to the general director of Cadena SER
Cadena SER
La Cadena SER is Spain's premier radio network in terms of both seniority and audience share...
, Manuel Terán, shortly after the death of Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
, thinking that it would be possible in the new environment of the Spanish transition to democracy
Spanish transition to democracy
The Spanish transition to democracy was the era when Spain moved from the dictatorship of Francisco Franco to a liberal democratic state. The transition is usually said to have begun with Franco’s death on 20 November 1975, while its completion has been variously said to be marked by the Spanish...
, even though Spain was not yet a democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
. Cadena SER approved the project to broadcast football in Catalan on FM radio and the new program "Futbol en català" was from the beginning supported by La Caixa
La Caixa
La Caixa , formally Caixa d'Estalvis i Pensions de Barcelona , is currently Europe’s leading savings bank and Spain's third largest financial institution, with a network of over 5,500 branches, more than 8,100 ATMs, a workforce in excess of 27,000 and more than 10.7 million...
, which paid for all its expenses. The program quickly attracted a large audience.
In 1985 Puyal left Ràdio Barcelona and signed with Catalunya Ràdio
Catalunya Ràdio
Catalunya Ràdio is Catalonia's public radio network. It's part of Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals, owned by the Generalitat de Catalunya...
with his entire team, including Antoni Bassas and Eduard Boet. Since then, and for more than two decades, he has narrated every official match played by FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
, for a total of more than 2,000 football matches during his career. All official FC Barcelona matches can be heard on "La transmissió d'en Puyal" on Catalunya Ràdio.
Television career
Joaquim Maria Puyal's popularity and prestige is due as much to his radio career as to his work in television. He has directed, produced and presented various programs, all in the Catalan language.He began his relationship with the small screen in the Miramar studios, on the Catalan circuit of Televisión Española
Televisión Española
Televisión Española is the national state-owned public-service television broadcaster in Spain. TVE's activities were previously financed by a combination of advertising revenue and subsidies from the national government, but since it's been supported by subsidies only.TVE belongs to the RTVE...
. He started out in 1977 presenting the program "Vostè Pregunta" ("You Ask"), with a format then unprecedented in Spanish television. The program earned him the second Ondas Award
Premios Ondas
The Premios Ondas have been given since 1954 by Radio Barcelona, a subsidiary of Cadena SER, in recognition of professionals in the fields of radio and television broadcasting, the cinema, and the music industry.Past winners have included R.E.M., U2, The Corrs, Eric Clapton, the Red Hot Chili...
of his career in 1979.
In 1985 he signed with Televisió de Catalunya
Televisió de Catalunya
Televisió de Catalunya is Catalonia's public broadcasting network, officially composed by eight channels: TV3, 33, Super3, 3/24, 3XL, Esport 3, TV3 HD and TV3CAT. K3 was replaced by Super3 in 2009 and 300 was replaced by 3XL in 2010...
to direct and present, on TV3, the program "Vostè Jutja" ("You Judge") which aired for two years. In 1989 he debuted the program "La Vida es un xip," which ran until 1992, and from 1993 to 1994 he presented "Un tomb per la vida," a program in which he invited well-known people to talk about their lives. During this same time he directed two programs for TV3 for which he was not the presenter, "Tres pics i repicó" and "El joc del segle."
He has been a mentor to notable Catalan journalists to whom he gave their first professional opportunity, including Antoni Bassas, Eduard Boet, Pilar Calvo, Xavier Bosch, Marcel Gorgori, Manel Fuentes, Ricard Torquemada and Mònica Terribas.
Awards and distinctions
He has received four Ondas AwardsPremios Ondas
The Premios Ondas have been given since 1954 by Radio Barcelona, a subsidiary of Cadena SER, in recognition of professionals in the fields of radio and television broadcasting, the cinema, and the music industry.Past winners have included R.E.M., U2, The Corrs, Eric Clapton, the Red Hot Chili...
, awarded by Ràdio Barcelona of Cadena SER
Cadena SER
La Cadena SER is Spain's premier radio network in terms of both seniority and audience share...
- 1978: National Ondas Award for Radio
- 1979: National Ondas Award for Television for the TVETelevisión EspañolaTelevisión Española is the national state-owned public-service television broadcaster in Spain. TVE's activities were previously financed by a combination of advertising revenue and subsidies from the national government, but since it's been supported by subsidies only.TVE belongs to the RTVE...
program "Vostè Pregunta" - 1986: National Ondas Award for Television for the TV3Televisió de CatalunyaTelevisió de Catalunya is Catalonia's public broadcasting network, officially composed by eight channels: TV3, 33, Super3, 3/24, 3XL, Esport 3, TV3 HD and TV3CAT. K3 was replaced by Super3 in 2009 and 300 was replaced by 3XL in 2010...
program "Vostè Jutja" - 2004: National Ondas Award for Radio for Most Distinguished Career or Professional Work, "for his personal style of doing sports radio, which he initiated 28 years ago and currently uses with success on Catalunya Ràdio"
In addition, in 1993 Puyal was honored with the Creu de Sant Jordi
Creu de Sant Jordi
The Creu de Sant Jordi is the highest civil distinction awarded in Catalonia . It was established by the Generalitat de Catalunya autonomous government by virtue of the Decret 457/1981 de 18 de desembre in 1981.. The medal was designed by goldsmith Joaquim Capdevila.-Recipients:*List of...
and in 1997 with the Premi Nacional a la Projecció Social de la Llengua Catalana awarded by the Generalitat de Catalunya. In 2004 Puyal and his Futbol a Catalunya Ràdio team were awarded the Generalitat's Premi Nacional de Radiodifusió, Televisió, Internet i Telecomunicacions in the radio broadcasting category. In 2005 he received the second annual Manuel Vázquez Montalbán
Manuel Vázquez Montalbán
Manuel Vázquez Montalbán was a prolific Spanish writer: journalist, novelist, poet, essayist, anthologue, prologist, humourist, critic, as well as a gastronome and a FC Barcelona supporter....
Prize for sports journalism
Sports journalism
Sports journalism is a form of journalism that reports on sports topics and events.While the sports department within some newspapers has been mockingly called the toy department, because sports journalists do not concern themselves with the 'serious' topics covered by the news desk, sports...
.
He has also been honored with the 1983 Premi Ciutat de Barcelona and three awards given by Òmnium Cultural
Òmnium Cultural
Òmnium Cultural is a cultural association based in Barcelona . It was originally created to promote the Catalan language and spread Catalan culture....
(for "Vostè pregunta" in 1983, "Vostè jutge" in 1986 and "Futbol en català" in 1991). Puyal was recognized as the "best radio announcer" and "best television presenter" of the 20th century in a popular vote for the "Els números 1 de les Comunicacions del segle XX" conducted by the Ràdio 4 and Eutelsat program "L'Altra Radio."
External links
- Joaquim Maria Puyal at Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- La transmissió d'en Puyal . Puyal's current Catalunya Ràdio program, which broadcasts official F.C. Barcelona matches.