Encarna Sánchez | |
---|---|
Born |
Carboneras, Almería |
September 19, 1935
Died | April 5, 1996 Spain |
(aged 60)
Nationality | Spanish |
Occupation | Talk radio and current events commentator |
Known for | Thirty years as a talk radio host |
Encarna Sánchez (September 19, 1935 – April 5, 1996) was an influential Spanish talk radio host and current events commentator. Generally viewed as a conservative, her views were of great influence on working, middle classes and ruling Governments in Spain at that time. She was well known for her coverage of political scandals, such as those surrounding the collapse of Felipe González's government in 1996. She won three Ondas Awards, an annual recognition given in Spain to major media personalities and shows.
Nevertheless, her show was not explicitly political, and concerned itself with general issues relevant to the Spanish public. Her subject matter could be roughly compared to that of The Oprah Winfrey Show, though Sánchez particularly emphasized social issues. She is known for keeping in touch with her listeners’ daily problems through the show’s long call-in segments.
Her style was aggressive at times, more subdued and sympathetic in interviews. When she first appeared on radio, her powerful, slightly hoarse voice assisted her in drawing casual listeners surfing the airwaves. At the height of her popularity, she dominated the early evening timeslot, with ratings comparable to morning host Luis del Olmo, and midnight sports host José María García, of Supergarcia fame. Like García, but unlike del Olmo, she had many prominent enemies on whom she dealt especially strong criticism. Some were famous entertainment personalities, such as TV hosts whose shows she found distasteful. Others were important politicians whom she felt to be corrupt.
Encarna, the youngest of five siblings, was born in the little town of Carboneras, Almería on the Southeastern coast of Spain where a small square a few metres from the beach is named after her. She was only a few months old when her father, a Republican military official, died.
When Encarna was 14 she used to meet her boyfriend after school. He worked for a local radio station in Almería and one day she was given the opportunity to sub for the regular host, a woman who was ill at the time. The show editor, who also happened to be the station manager, was impressed and offered her first contract.
She was immediately enamored with the world of radio broadcasting. The following year she moved to Madrid to pursue a career as a radio host in the Radio Juventud Network which has a training school there. In her own words Encarna said that she 'passed in one year the required courses which would usually take five'.