25 Years of Public Broadcasting in Andorra

A microphone and antenna encircled by several concentric lines. The inscription '25è ANIVERSARI DE RÀDIO I TELEVISIÓ D'ANDORRA', the year '2016' and the issuing state 'ANDORRA'. The coin marks the 25th anniversary of Andorra's public broadcaster and the launch of Andorran public radio and television.

Ràdio i Televisió d'Andorra (RTVA) is the sole public broadcaster of the Pyrenean principality and thus the central media institution of a state with around 77,000 inhabitants. Founded in the early 1990s, the company began operations during a phase of profound institutional change: in 1993, Andorra adopted its first constitution, transforming itself from a medieval co-principality into a modern democratic state governed by the rule of law. In this context, the right to independent information also gained a new foundation. RTVA became the only nationwide medium broadcasting in Catalan — Andorra's official language — thereby serving a dual function: providing information and preserving the linguistic and cultural identity of a small country surrounded by the much larger media markets of Spain and France.

The social significance of public-service structures is especially evident in Andorra, since its small population and geographic location make a commercially viable national broadcaster without state support almost inconceivable. RTVA operates both radio and television, making it one of the smallest fully integrated broadcasting organisations in Europe. In an environment dominated by foreign broadcasters, the Catalan-language programming carries a clear cultural-political mission: it secures an Andorran public sphere in which local issues, politics and culture remain visible. Andorra marked the 25th anniversary of this institution with its own commemorative issue in 2017.