Spanish radio network Onda Cero will alter its broadcast schedule on Wednesday, August 12, to deliver special coverage of a total solar eclipse crossing the Iberian Peninsula.
The event marks the first total solar eclipse registered in the Iberian Peninsula in 121 years. To track the phenomenon from its entry over the Atlantic Ocean to its conclusion in the Mediterranean Sea, the broadcaster is mobilizing its entire newsroom network, mobile units, regional newsrooms, and news services.
Onda Cero is one of Spain's major nationwide commercial radio networks and forms part of Atresmedia, a leading Spanish media group that operates prominent television channels, radio stations, and digital outlets across the country.
In-flight reporting and institutional links
The special broadcast operational plan combines institutional coverage with mobile field tracking. Radio shows across the network will link with the official government observation point set up at the Yebes Astronomical Observatory, while coordinating real-time information with traffic agency DGT, weather agency AEMET, and emergency services.
The Yebes Astronomical Observatory, situated in the province of Guadalajara in central Spain, is a major scientific facility operated by the National Geographic Institute. Spain's Directorate-General for Traffic, known as DGT, manages national road networks, while AEMET serves as the country's official meteorological agency responsible for weather forecasting and atmospheric monitoring.
The network deployment also features a specialized mobile unit stationed aboard a commercial Iberia flight traveling between Galicia in northwestern Spain and the capital city of Madrid. Journalist Patricia Gijón will broadcast live signal and audiovisual content from mid-flight, following the trajectory of the eclipse from the air.
Specialist programs and scientific analysis
Regular radio grid programming will make way for educational specials and public service broadcasts. Daytime show 'Más de uno' will focus on live reports from observers on the ground, while 'Por fin' will examine scientific aspects of the event with experts including meteorologist Roberto Brasero and astrophysicist Rafael Bachiller.
The evening broadcast schedule will feature a dedicated special titled 'La sombra de la Luna' within the program 'Una tarde más'. The special segment will gather approximately 20 astrophysicists to explore multiple dimensions of the eclipse, including its effect on animal behavior.
The program will also examine historical eclipse records drawn from archives at the Real Observatorio de la Armada. In addition, researcher Wanda Díaz-Merced will present scientific accessibility initiatives focused on universe sonification, a method that translates astronomical data into sound frequencies.
The Real Observatorio de la Armada, located in San Fernando in southern Spain, is the country's oldest operating astronomical observatory and holds extensive historical and scientific archives. Universe sonification allows researchers and visually impaired scientists to analyze complex space phenomena by converting electromagnetic radiation and light measurements into audible tones.
Digital live streams and meteor shower guides
On-air programming will be supplemented by digital coverage on ondacero.es, featuring two simultaneous live video streams. One stream will relay live footage from the Iberia aircraft, while the second will focus directly on solar positioning and evolution.
The digital platform will provide minute-by-minute live web updates alongside reporting from special correspondents stationed in the eastern provinces of Teruel and Castellón. The network will also publish public service guidance on how to safely observe the eclipse as it coincides with the annual Perseids meteor shower.
Teruel and Castellón are provinces located in eastern Spain along the path of eclipse visibility. The Perseids, one of the year's most prominent meteor showers, peak every August when Earth passes through dust trails left by comet Swift-Tuttle.
