3Cat - Frequently Asked Questions

3Cat is the umbrella brand under which all audiovisual, radio and digital content generated by Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals (CCMA) is grouped together and distributed through all of its outlets and channels. CCMA is a public body formally attached to the Catalan Government. However, it operates with full functional autonomy, carrying out its work with a public service commitment, in Catalan, to promote and normalise the use of the language in all areas.

Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals (CCMA) is a public-law corporation with its own legal personality and functional autonomy. It was set up by the Catalan Government in 1983 with the name Corporació Catalana de Ràdio i Televisió. Its name was changed to the current one by Act 11/2007. 3Cat is the umbrella brand that groups together all the audiovisual, radio and digital content produced by CCMA.

Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals (CCMA) is the public corporation that groups together Catalan public media that produce audiovisual, radio and digital content.

3Cat is the umbrella brand that brings together all the content produced by CCMA’s media outlets. In addition, the 3Cat platform is an audiovisual platform that was launched in 2023 to adapt its offering to new consumption habits in this field.

TV3, or Televisió de Catalunya, is 3Cat’s linear television channel. It was founded in 1983 and has been the leading channel in Catalonia for the last 15 years.

Catalunya Ràdio is 3Cat’s general-interest radio channel.

TV3 was created in 1983 and was the first TV channel entirely in Catalan. Its aim is to contribute to linguistic normalisation and promotion of the Catalan language.

Catalunya Ràdio was launched on 20 June 1983. Its primary objective is also to contribute to the country’s linguistic and cultural normalisation.

The 3Cat brand was launched in 2023 to become the new institutional name for Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals and bring all of its content together. This new brand adopted the values and stronger identity of TV3 (3) and Catalunya Ràdio (Cat). In a hyper-fragmented audiovisual consumption environment, where there is vast supply and fierce competition, the aim was to build a single, powerful brand to connect with the audience. A few months later, the 3Cat platform, a new OTT service, was launched under the same brand.

The name “3Cat” is a fusion of the identifying elements of the names TV3 (3) and Catalunya Ràdio (Cat). It has become the umbrella brand that unifies all of the television, radio and digital content produced.

3Cat is the umbrella brand, which includes TV3, Catalonia’s public television channel. It is an organisation formally attached to the Catalan Government.

3Cat is mainly publicly funded from the Catalan Government budget and the programme contract. It also receives some private funding from advertising. In 2026 and 2027, the public contribution under the programme contract will be €340.5 million.

3Cat creates content in Catalan, one of its main reasons for existing, as it was founded with the aim of contributing to linguistic normalisation. It also offers content in Aranese, as part of its commitment to the country’s indigenous languages. You can find them all here: https://www.3cat.cat/3cat/aran/

Yes. 3Cat offers some content in Aranese as part of its commitment to the country’s indigenous languages.

The first broadcast in Aranese on Catalunya Ràdio took place on 26 March 1988 with the launch of the “Meddia aranés”programme. Since then, 3Cat’s offering has evolved to contribute to the normalisation and everyday use of the Aranese variety of the Occitan language. 

3CatInfo (radio) currently broadcasts two hours of programming in Occitan every day as a local service for the Aran Valley through the “Eth maitin d’Aran” programme. Also, from Monday to Friday, 3CatInfo (television) provides a news bulletin in Aranese and, once a week, a special edition of the “TN Comarques” news bulletin called “TN Aran”.

In addition, the “Lara e Kali” children’s series is available in Aranese on the 3Cat platform, plus a hundred episodes of “Ua man de condes”, the cartoons “Lua e eth mon” and “Es tres bessoes”, as well as other content such as SuperCampus in Aranés and “Sons occitans”, a music and culture programme.

You can find them all here: https://www.3cat.cat/3cat/aran/

3Cat has five television channels: TV3, 3CatInfo, Esport3, Super3 and Canal 33.

TV3: 3Cat’s general-interest channel.

Channel 33: 3Cat’s culture channel.

Esport3: 3Cat’s sport channel.

Super3: 3Cat’s children’s channel.

3CatInfo: the 24-hour news channel.

They can be watched on digital terrestrial television (Super3 and Canal 33 share a channel, while the rest each have their own) and on the internet, all with free and universal access.

Catalunya Ràdio has four stations: Catalunya Ràdio, 3CatInfo (radio), iCat and Catalunya Música.

Catalunya Ràdio: the Catalunya Ràdio group’s general-interest channel.

3CatInfo (radio): the Catalunya Ràdio group’s 24-hour news channel.

iCat: the Catalunya Ràdio group’s music and culture channel.

Catalunya Música: the Catalunya Ràdio group’s classical and contemporary music channel.

3Cat’s 24-hour news channel is 3CatInfo with separate broadcasts on television and radio. They report on the main news 24 hours a day. They can be watched on digital terrestrial television (DTT) and listened to on FM, as well as on the 3Cat platform.

3Cat’s children’s channel is Super3 (SX3). It is aimed at children in two age ranges, mainly from 0 to 6 years and from 6 to 12 years. Its flagship content for the first group includes L’univers Titó (“Fa La La”, “A jugar!”, “D’excursió amb en Titó”, etc.), “Mic”, “Els Contes de la Pinya”, “Una mà de contes” and “El món del Pot Petit”.

Notable programmes in the second age bracket are“Beta”, “Fuet”, “Tik Tak Factory”, “Manduka”, “Fang” and “Influenx3r”.

EVA is 3Cat’s digital community, which offers entertainment content in Catalan on social media, YouTube and the 3Cat platform, aimed at a young audience. For example, “La turra”, with Alba Riera, and “Lo repte”, with Cèlia Espanya.

3Cat’s sport channel is Esport3. It shows Catalan competitions in sports such as football, basketball and MotoGP, as well as Spanish and international events. It also broadcasts general sport content. It is available free of charge on digital terrestrial television and also on the internet.

3Cat is a content factory covering all genres and formats. It has a wide range of news programmes, documentaries, fiction, entertainment, sport, culture, children’s programmes and podcasts, etc. Content is produced in-house and also through co-productions with the audiovisual sector that strengthen 3Cat’s position as a driving force for the industry. All content is universally available free of charge.

Some of 3Cat’s most outstanding in-house productions throughout its history are in the fiction, entertainment, documentary and news genres. They can all be rewatched on the 3Cat platform.

Outstanding daily soap operas include “Poble Nou”, “Nissaga de poder”, “El cor de la ciutat”, “La Riera” and the current “Com si fos ahir”, which have historically been leaders and position the corporation as the creator of this genre in Catalan. Other notable prime-time series include “Temps de silenci”, “Porca misèria”, “Ventdelplà”, “Polseres vermelles” and “Merlí”.

“Telenotícies” stands out in news, while “Sense ficció” and “30 minuts” have a long history in documentaries and reports.

In entertainment, the most outstanding in-house productions include “Polònia”, “Crackòvia” and “APM?”, as well as “El foraster” and “Joc de cartes”.

Yes. 3Cat sells some of its content abroad. Examples include the fiction series “Merlí” and “Polseres vermelles”, which have been sold around the world, among others.

Live broadcasts from all 3Cat channels and stations (TV3, 3CatInfo, Esport3, Super3, Canal 33, Catalunya Ràdio, iCat and Catalunya Música) can be watched on the 3Cat platform, as well as on the 3Cat app and the apps for each channel and station. They are compatible with iOS, Android and Smart TV devices. They are free to access, do not require registration to connect to the live stream, and can be watched from anywhere in the world.

Yes, 3Cat has both mobile and Smart TV apps. They are available on the App Store and Google Play. They are compatible with Samsung and LG Smart TVs, as well as Android TV, Google TV and Apple TV. In any case, they are free of charge and let you watch live and on-demand content.

Yes, you can watch 3Cat online free of charge and universally through the website and the app. There are no geographical restrictions for most content, except in cases restricted by intellectual property rights, such as films or series purchased from third parties.

Yes, all 3Cat content is free. You don’t need to be a subscriber and there is no paywall.

3Cat’s mission, under a mandate from the Catalan Parliament, is to offer everyone who lives in Catalonia a quality audiovisual public service that is pluralistic, independent and committed to ethical and democratic principles and the promotion of culture and language everywhere Catalan is spoken.

Helping to consolidate and expand the language, culture, identity and international profile of Catalonia, while reflecting the diversity of contemporary society, is one of 3Cat’s main objectives.

Promoting and spreading the language is one of 3Cat’s founding missions. When Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals was founded in 1983, it became the first media group to broadcast entirely in Catalan. 3Cat has played an active role in language normalisation by creating and broadcasting audiovisual content in Catalan, as well as by providing reference tools such as ésAdir. It is the main media group in Spain that broadcasts entirely in Catalan.

3Cat has a mixed funding model. This consists of public funds plus its own income, chiefly from advertising. 3Cat is mainly publicly funded from the Catalan Government budget and the programme contract. It also receives some private funding from advertising. In 2026 and 2027, the public contribution under the programme contract will be €340.5 million.

There is no need to subscribe to consume 3Cat’s products, as they are accessible universally and free of charge. There is a transparency site where you can see all the data about funding.

The programme contract defines CCMA’s public service functions. It establishes the commitment to provide these services and sets objectives to be achieved within a defined time frame. It also determines the financial contributions from the Catalan Government.

The current version was signed in 2024, after 14 years without a planning document, and provides €1,347 million in investment until 2027. It can be viewed here: https://statics.3cat.cat/multimedia/pdf/3/6/1714052709763.pdf

Yes. 3Cat has undertaken to make its websites and mobile apps accessible in accordance with Royal Decree 1112/2018 of 7 September on the Accessibility of Websites and Mobile Applications in the Public Sector, and Decree 216/2023 of 5 December on the Accessibility of Websites and Mobile Applications of the Catalan Government Administration and its Public Sector.

To improve accessibility, 3Cat offers content with subtitles, audio description for the visually impaired, and sign language. All of the information can be viewed on the accessibility website, which states the degree of compliance of each piece of content with the aforementioned Royal Decrees.

TV3’s headquarters are in Sant Joan Despí (Baix Llobregat). There are four buildings totalling 35,000 m2. Catalunya Ràdio’s headquarters are in Barcelona at Avinguda Diagonal, 614. 3Cat has local offices in Girona, Lleida, Tarragona, Aran, Northern Catalonia, the Valencian Country and the Balearic Islands, as well as in Madrid. It also has international correspondents, for example in Brussels and London for European affairs, and Washington and Beijing at the global level, among others.

3Cat makes relevant information available to the public about its areas of activity as a guarantee of responsible management in the form of reports, budgets and plans, among others. Information about matters such as the corporate structure, activities, management, procurement, employment relations and assessment can be viewed on the Transparency Site.

Yes, 3Cat is a member various international organisations. It has been a founding member of FORTA, the Federation of Autonomous Radio and Television Organisations, since April 1989. It belongs to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU-UER), which it joined as an associate member in June 2026 following a long campaign. This new category allows a corporation without nationwide coverage to join the EBU-UER for the first time. The EBU-UER is an organisation that brings together all of the public bodies and the main private radio and television companies in Europe.

It is also associated with CIRCOM Regional, which brings together 376 public television stations from 38 European countries with the aim of promoting and developing cooperation among its members in the co-production and exchange of audiovisual content and in the training of journalists and technicians.

3Cat has been a member of FORTA (Federation of Autonomous Radio and Television Organisations) since it was founded in April 1989. This federation brings together autonomous communities’ regional radio and television stations to cooperate on intellectual property rights, broadcasts, exchange of programmes and services, and participation in international bodies.

3Cat’s relationship with Agència Catalana de Notícies (ACN) is mainly a matter of shareholding. 3Cat holds a 30% stake in Agència Catalana de Notícies (ACN), a publicly owned company that manages written communication, radio and television services and activities at the local and district level in Catalan-speaking areas and throughout Spain.

Although ACN is a separate organisation from 3Cat, their relationship is part of 3Cat’s public service mission and its connection to the public media ecosystem of Catalonia.

Fundació La Marató was set up in 1996 by Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals to foster and promote excellence in scientific research, as well as to raise public awareness of the diseases covered by the La Marató programme on 3Cat, through public participation campaigns and outreach and educational events.

Since 1992, 3Cat’s “La Marató” has raised funds to increase public awareness and support scientific research into the diseases featured in the programme. It has a major impact on Catalan society, having raised almost €272 million, funding 1,822 research projects involving 12,400 researchers.

3Cat’s La Marató programme has raised almost €272 million since it was created in 1992. It has funded more than 1,822 research projects. In total, more than 12,000 scientific researchers have benefited. The fundraising is managed by 3Cat’s Fundació La Marató foundation.

The Audience Ombudsman is an independent person who acts as a bridge between the audience and the public media. They supervise the responses given by the Audience Service and reply to communications from the public about the protection of children and young people, individuals’ right to privacy, honour and image, and respect for the principles of equality and non-discrimination.

In 2008, 3Cat created the position of Audience Ombudsman as a mechanism for journalistic self-regulation.

Laura Baladas is currently the Audience Ombudsman.

Yes. 3CatInfo is 3Cat’s news portal and one of the main sources of news in Catalan on the internet. It provides constantly updated news in Catalan. It is part of 3Cat’s 24-hour news ecosystem, together with 3CatInfo (television) and 3CatInfo (radio).

Yes, 3Cat has editorial independence as well as a legal framework and control mechanisms to guarantee this. These include the law concerning Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals, the Audience Ombudsman and the Catalan Parliament’s Control Committee. Receiving public funds and being publicly owned does not mean there is no editorial freedom. This is similar to other European corporations such as the BBC or France TV.

The normalisation of the Catalan language is part of CCMA’s founding mission. CCMA was set up in 1983 with the aim of becoming the leading audiovisual group in Catalan. For more than 40 years, it has played an active role in spreading, promoting and creating linguistic standards for the Catalan language, as well as in normalising the consumption of audiovisual content in Catalan. It is the main commissioner of audiovisual production in Catalan and provides reference tools for journalism, such as the ésAdir portal and the style guide. It has become a benchmark as the only major public audiovisual corporation entirely in Catalan. Its social impact has been measured in figures such as 90% of users considering 3Cat to play a key role in the use and presence of Catalan on the internet, social networks, apps and platforms.

ésAdir is 3Cat’s language portal that is publicly accessible and free of charge. Its development began in 2003 by providing the materials produced over the years by the linguistic advice teams at TV3 and Catalunya Ràdio. The content is constantly being reviewed and expanded, in line with current usage and the everyday expressive needs of 3Cat’s media outlets. It provides communication professionals with a reference in Catalan regarding aspects such as linguistic criteria, terminology and pronunciation.

Yes, 3Cat has a style guide that is publicly available and free of charge. It includes editorial and linguistic criteria and the other standards for 3Cat’s media outlets. It is an editorial guide that sets out the values and principles of conduct for 3Cat’s media outlets, common to all platforms on which it produces and broadcasts content.

3Cat has an Audience Service department that handles communications about its content, activities and services. They can be contacted at 3cat.cat/atencio/ or by telephone on 93 884 44 88. They handle general enquiries, comments and suggestions. The Audience Ombudsman supervises the responses provided by this service. They also reply to inquiries about editorial criteria and complaints.

Yes. IMPULSA is the site for presentation, selection, processing and commissioning of audiovisual projects and content for inclusion in the offerings of 3Cat’s media outlets. In addition to setting out the programming needs and announcing calls for proposals, it contains all the related information, instructions and guidelines, as well as the documentation that needs to be provided.

Access the IMPULSA portal to submit an audiovisual project proposal. This procurement portal contains all the related information, instructions and guidelines, as well as the documentation that needs to be provided. For editorial collaboration you can contact the media outlet’s newsroom directly.

The 3Cat Recruitment Portal posts all job vacancies in the various areas, such as writing, production and the various technical roles. On the 3Cat Casting Portal you can sign up for casting calls for in-house fiction programmes and series.

3Cat has a Communication department that handles enquiries and requests from the media through the e-mail address comunicacio@3cat.cat. The press room, which contains all press releases, is at https://www.3cat.cat/premsa/.

Yes, 3Cat has a stock image copying and sales service for professionals and documentalists. For more information and contact details go to 3cat.cat/venda-imatges/.