The Catalan Audiovisual Media Corporation (CCMA), operating under the brand 3Cat, has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to making its audiovisual content discoverable and accessible to everyone, including individuals with functional diversity and immigrant communities. This dedication not only ensures inclusivity but also preserves and promotes Catalan culture across borders. The recent involvement in the MOSAIC project further exemplifies 3Cat’s efforts to enhance discoverability and share its rich cultural heritage across Europe.
Preservation and Promotion of Catalan Culture through Archives
3Cat’s historical audiovisual archive is a treasure trove of Catalan cultural heritage, encompassing a wide array of content, including films, television programs, radio broadcasts, and digital media. This archive not only serves as a repository of the region’s cultural, political, historical, and artistic narratives but also plays a crucial role in disseminating Catalan culture both locally and internationally. The corporation’s mission emphasizes the consolidation and expansion of the Catalan language, culture, and identity, with a commitment to making this rich heritage accessible to the public.
Engagement with Immigrant Communities
Recognizing the cultural and linguistic diversity within Catalonia, 3Cat has undertaken initiatives to make its content accessible to immigrant populations. By providing multilingual services and programs that reflect the diverse society, 3Cat fosters social cohesion and ensures that immigrant communities can engage with and contribute to Catalan culture. These efforts align with 3Cat’s mission to offer quality public service broadcasting that promotes the Catalan language and culture while reflecting contemporary societal diversity.
Historical Commitment to Accessibility
Since the early 1990s, 3Cat has been a pioneer in implementing accessibility features in its programming. TV3, one of its primary channels, was among the first to introduce subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing, initially applying them to pre-recorded programs and gradually expanding to include live broadcasts. This evolution has led to nearly the entire programming being subtitled, with a total of 18,758 hours across all TVC channels in the last year.
The MOSAIC Project: A European Platform for Media discoverability
To further its commitment to accessibility and cultural dissemination, 3Cat is actively participating in the MOSAIC project, a European initiative aimed at developing an AI-powered platform that serves as a central hub for media content creators, distributors, and consumers. MOSAIC seeks to address the challenges posed by linguistic diversity in Europe by providing innovative tools for multilingual translation, automatic subtitling, and content adaptation based on artificial intelligence.
The project focuses on three key areas:
- Multilingual Content Access: Developing tools to offer automatic translations, subtitling, and dubbing in multiple languages, including minority languages such as Catalan, Dutch, and Slovenian, utilizing advanced AI technologies.
- Content Discovery: Implementing AI tools to enhance search and navigation, enabling users to locate relevant content within extensive and distributed archives.
- Content Personalization and Reuse: Creating tools for transforming and repurposing archival content to meet contemporary needs across new platforms and formats.
By participating in MOSAIC, 3Cat aims to leverage its rich archival content, making it more accessible and discoverable to audiences across Europe. The platform’s AI-driven services will facilitate the sharing and monetization of cultural heritage, ensuring that 3Cat’s content reaches a broader audience and contributes to the preservation and promotion of Catalan culture on a European scale.
Conclusion
3Cat’s longstanding dedication to accessibility and cultural preservation is evident through its initiatives to support individuals with functional diversity and immigrant communities. The corporation’s extensive audiovisual archive serves as a vital resource for promoting Catalan culture. Participation in the MOSAIC project underscores 3Cat’s commitment to innovation, offering the opportunity to share its rich cultural content across Europe through advanced AI technologies, thereby enhancing accessibility and cultural exchange.