Atresmedia collected four prizes at the 73rd Premios Ondas, whose winners were announced on Wednesday, according to Atresmedia Publicidad. Carlos Alsina, co-director and co-presenter of "Más de uno" on Onda Cero, received the award for career achievement or best professional work, while "Lo contó la radio," directed and presented by Diego Fortea, won for best radio idea.
The broadcaster's television side was also recognized: "Sidosa," a laSexta and Atresplayer production, and "El Intermedio," also on laSexta, were both honored for a special on the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal. Atresmedia Publicidad described the four winners as very different proposals united by their ability to tell stories with rigor, sensitivity, creativity and closeness to the people at their center.
Why it matters
The Ondas are among Spain's most closely watched broadcasting awards, and this year's edition drew a record number of entries, according to EL PAÍS. The results put a spotlight on two distinct kinds of radio work: a career built on interviews and live current affairs, and a program devoted to the medium's own past.
For Alsina, the prize is the fourth Ondas of his career, following wins in 2015, 2021 and 2024, Atresmedia Publicidad reports. The jury cited more than three decades on air and a style it described as rigorous, versatile and ironic, which it said had made him a reference voice with enormous credibility.
A career across nearly every radio role
Alsina's path through the medium has covered almost every job the industry offers: reporter, deputy editor, news director, program host, interviewer and format creator, according to Atresmedia Publicidad. He began in print, at ABC and Cambio 16, before joining Onda Cero in 1990 as part of the network's first newsroom.
His résumé includes a stint as deputy director of "Hora cero" at Antena 3 Radio and work at Radio Voz, before returning to Onda Cero to lead "Al día," the news segment of "Protagonistas," and the magazines "Hoy empieza todo" and "Esta boca es mía." In 2002 he took charge of "Noticias mediodía" and the network's news output.
In September 2005 he was named to head "La brújula," which he directed for a decade and shaped into a distinct space for news, analysis, opinion and interviews — work that earned him the 2015 Ondas for best presenter. That same year he took over "Más de uno" alongside Juan Ramón Lucas. Since August 31 he has shared the program with Rafa Latorre and leads it from 10:00.
Atresmedia Publicidad describes his interviews as defined by careful preparation, close listening and a willingness to follow up, pressing public figures on their decisions, contradictions and responsibilities. It also notes that his contribution extends beyond news: in 2023 he directed and starred in "El asesinato de Kennedy… 60 años después," a live recreation with around thirty voices and detailed sound design that won him the 2024 Ondas. On "Más de uno" he has also championed "Radioficción," staging live theater from the fictional Gran Teatro Luis del Olmo.
His other honors include the Antena de Oro, the Micrófono de Oro, the Raúl del Pozo opinion journalism prize, the APM award for journalist of the year in 2020, and, in 2025, the Luca de Tena prize and the Francisco Cerecedo journalism award, according to Atresmedia Publicidad.
Digging through the archives of Spanish radio
"Lo contó la radio" aired during the past two summer seasons on Onda Cero and treats the recovery, preservation and dissemination of Spanish radio's sound memory as a format in its own right. The jury praised it for championing the history of the medium alongside its protagonists from every network, according to Atresmedia Publicidad, giving value to sounds that form part of collective memory.
Each episode revives historical recordings and reconstructs, with the people who made them, the events, programs and voices that shaped the medium. Across its two seasons the show has brought roughly 500 audio archives back to the airwaves, drawn from different eras, stations and documentary collections, Atresmedia Publicidad reports.
The work amounts to sonic archaeology, combining research, historical documentation, interviews and narration. The program does not simply play old tapes; it explains the context in which they were made, who was behind the microphones and why the material still matters.
Its defining trait is a cross-network outlook. Although it airs on Onda Cero, it draws on the history of stations including SER, COPE, RNE and Onda Cero itself, bringing professionals who compete for audiences together to rebuild a shared story. Matías Prats Luque opened the program with a tribute to his father, Matías Prats Cañete, and guests have included Andreu Buenafuente, Julia Otero, Carlos Alsina, Pepa Fernández, Josep Cuní, Cristina López Schlichting, Raquel Martos, Arturo González-Campos, Carles Mesa, Andrea Quintero and Valeria Vega.
Coverage of the awards also highlighted other winners. EL PAÍS reported that "A vivir que son dos días," "La Pija y la Quinqui" and Rosalía were among the honorees, and Cadena SER reported that Radio Sevilla won an Ondas, with a staff member saying the work had helped bring to light what women with cancer were experiencing.
The next thing to watch is how the four Atresmedia winners are celebrated on air and at the awards ceremony, and whether the recognition for "Lo contó la radio" leads to a wider run for a format built on the medium's archives.
