Cuac FM
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersA Coruña, Spain
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Cuac FM does
CUAC FM is a non-profit community radio station founded in 1996 and legally organized as the Colectivo de Universitarios Activos (CIF G15526734). It broadcasts on FM 103.4 from the campus of the Universidade da Coruña in A Coruña, Galicia, and simultaneously streams online 24 hours per day, 365 days per year to a global audience. The station operates as an open, participatory platform: any individual can become a member and produce their own program, receive free training through the Escola de Radio, and participate in the station's collective governance; the active contributor base comprises approximately 120 member-volunteers, supported by 9 paid staff. Membership is tiered at €24 (full), €12 (discounted for students/retirees/unemployed) and €6 (sympathizer) per year, augmented by open donations, mecenas patronage, and institutional subsidies from the Concello da Coruña, Deputación da Coruña, and occasional grants such as the €5,000 European Journalism Centre award received in 2020.
The technical stack is fully open-source: Icecast for streaming, Darkice for live audio capture, GNU/Linux server infrastructure, Audacity for editing, Owncloud for internal files, and WordPress for the web layer. The station co-developed Radioco with the UDC Faculty of Informatics — an automatic recording, archiving, and RSS podcast generation system published under GPLv3, capable of running on a Raspberry Pi, now adopted by other Spanish community stations. In April 2025 CUAC FM launched 'Noticias de A Coruña', the first entirely AI-generated local radio news bulletin in Spain, and in April 2026 it deployed an AI semantic search and transcription layer over its multi-decade audio archive. Native iOS/Android apps deliver live streaming, podcasts, personalized playlists, favorites, and episode alerts in four languages.
The business model is membership-and-donation-based rather than commercial. Revenue derives from: (i) recurring subscription fees at three member tiers, (ii) open donations and mecenas patronage supporting specific programs or the station generally, and (iii) institutional subsidies and grants from public bodies. The station declared Public Utility status from the Xunta de Galicia in 2021 and received the Premio Martín Códax a mellor Proxecto de Comunicación e Difusión in 2026. It is a member of the global AMARC and Spanish ReMC community-radio networks and hosted the ReMCuentro 2026 state meeting as part of its 30th anniversary. Distribution spans FM, web, mobile apps, and third-party podcast platforms (Ivoox, Spotify, Acast, YouTube).
Cuac FM firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cuac FM
- Legal name
- Colectivo de Universitarios Activos
- Website
- https://cuacfm.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cuac FM industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Radio Broadcasting
- NAICS
- Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161), Sound Recording Studios (51224)
- SIC
- Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)
- akta.pro primary industry
- University/Educational Local Stations (College Radio, Campus TV) (MPABACAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Radio Content Production & Studios (On-air Production, Imaging, Jingles) (MPAIAEAL), Digital Radio Broadcasting (DAB/DAB+, HD Radio) (MPAIAEAD)
Keywords
Where Cuac FM is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- A Coruña
- HQ country
- Spain
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Cuac FM business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Member/Associate Fees: CUAC FM generates revenue through annual membership fees at three tiers: full members (€24/year), discounted members for students, retirees, and unemployed persons (€12/year), and sympathizers (€6/year). Members gain the right to produce their own radio programs.
- Donations and Patronage: Open donations and patronage programs allow individuals and organizations to financially support the station's operations and specific programs.
- Institutional Subsidies and Grants: CUAC FM receives financial support from public institutions including the Concello da Coruña, Deputación da Coruña, and the European Journalism Centre. The station was awarded €5,000 by the European Journalism Centre for its COVID-19 community journalism work.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Full member – produce your own radio program |
| Subscription | Annual | Discounted member – students, retirees, unemployed persons |
| Subscription | Annual | Sympathizer – supporter without active participation |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Cuac FM product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CUAC FM is a non-profit community radio station broadcasting on 103.4 FM and 24/7 internet streaming from A Coruña, Spain. It provides open-access radio production to any citizen through a volunteer membership model, supported by an open-source technology stack including the proprietary Radioco automated archiving system, AI-generated local news bulletins, and dedicated mobile applications. The station operates as a participatory civic media platform with approximately 120 active member-volunteers producing over 250 programs spanning 30 years.
Product overview
CUAC FM is a community radio station offering a portfolio of products and services centered on its non-profit radio broadcasting operations. The core offering includes FM transmission at 103.4 FM and 24-hour live streaming, accessible through a mobile application for Android and iOS. Supporting the broadcast infrastructure is RadioCo, an open-source automatic recording and archiving system that manages program scheduling, live recording, web publishing, and podcast distribution. The station has expanded into AI-powered content with 'Noticias de A Coruña', the first AI-generated radio news bulletin in Spain. Additional services include the Radio School providing training in broadcasting techniques, an annual band competition, and diverse programming including music shows (Orión 2.1), science communication (Onda Ciencia), and LGBTQ+ focused content (Saficonas). The station also organized the 2026 ReMCuentro, the annual State Meeting of Community Media.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- FM and Internet Broadcasting Service Live radio broadcasting service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 103.4 FM in A Coruña metropolitan area and worldwide via internet streaming at cuacfm.org/directo. Free access for all listeners.
- CUAC FM Mobile App Free mobile application for iOS and Android that provides 24-hour live streaming, on-demand podcast access, hundreds of podcasts, personalized playlists, favorites, episode alerts, and programming schedules. Available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
- RadioCo Open-source automatic digital archiving system for live broadcast recordings. Handles program scheduling, recording from live broadcasts, web publishing, and RSS podcast feed updates. Can run on a Raspberry Pi as a low-cost solution. Published under GPLv3 license at radioco.org.
- Noticias de A Coruña (AI News Bulletin) AI-generated local news bulletin that uses AI to select news items from digital sources, generate scripts with context, and produce audio with AI voices and background music. Broadcast daily Monday to Saturday.
- Escola de Radio (Radio School) Free training courses in radio broadcasting techniques including announcing, production, and technical control, offered at the Zapateira campus of the Universidade da Coruña for future communicators and social collectives.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 250 programs produced and broadcast throughout the station's history
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Cuac FM
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cuac FM technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
AI capability7 records
Feature5 records
Cuac FM partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- AMARC (Asociación Mundial de Radios Comunitarias)coreCUAC FM is a member of AMARC, the global association of community radios. AMARC promotes freedom of expression and democratization of communication at the international level, connecting thousands of community radio stations worldwide. CUAC FM participates in AMARC's network activities, knowledge sharing, and advocacy initiatives.
- ReMC (Rede de Medios Comunitarios)coreCUAC FM is a member of the State Network of Community Media (ReMC), which coordinates and defends community communication projects in Spain. ReMC represents non-profit Third Sector Communication entities at the national level. CUAC FM hosted the ReMCuentro 2026, the annual meeting of community media, as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations.
- Universidade da Coruña (UDC)coreCUAC FM is physically located on the Campus da Zapateira of the Universidade da Coruña. The station collaborates with UDC's Faculty of Informatics, which co-developed the Radioco system. The station also partners with UDC's Unit of Scientific and Cultural Dissemination, and the NORMAL space at UDC hosted the ReMCuentro 2026.
- Concello da CoruñacoreThe City Council of A Coruña backs CUAC FM's activities and is a key institutional partner. The council co-sponsored the ReMCuentro 2026 and the Festival Noroeste Estrella Galicia. The council represents the station's primary local government support.
- Deputación da CoruñacoreThe Provincial Council of A Coruña provides financial and promotional support to CUAC FM. The institution co-financed the redesign of the CUAC FM website and supports the station's community communication mission.
- Les CoruñaminorCUAC FM collaborates with Les Coruña on the SAFICONAS podcast project within the ICONAS initiative, which aims to give voice and visibility to LGBTQ+ talent. CUAC FM produces and broadcasts the podcast, providing technical infrastructure and audience reach.
- Faculty of Informatics, Universidade da CoruñacoreThe Faculty of Informatics collaborated with CUAC FM to develop Radioco, a free software system for automatic recording and archiving of live broadcasts. Iago Veloso Abalo developed Radioco as his university degree project, and the system is now used by multiple community radio stations.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cuac FM competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Radio Galega: The regional public radio broadcaster of Galicia, operating in the same geography as CUAC FM. Comparable as a Galician-language radio offering with broad programming, but with vastly greater resources, paid staff, and institutional reach — a public incumbent against which the community model competes for local audience attention.
- Cadena SER: Spain's largest commercial radio network, broadcasting nationally and into Galicia. Comparable as a Spanish radio broadcaster competing for the same listener time, but operating a fundamentally different commercial model at massive scale.
- Onda Cero: A major Spanish national commercial radio network broadcasting into Galicia. Comparable as a regional/national Spanish radio broadcaster competing for the same listener base, but operating a fully commercial ad-supported model.
- Radio 3 (RTVE): RTVE's cultural and alternative music radio channel. Comparable in its emphasis on cultural programming, music discovery, and non-mainstream content — but operated as a national public broadcaster with paid staff, contrasting with CUAC FM's community-volunteer model.
- Cadena COPE: One of Spain's leading national commercial radio networks with regional coverage including Galicia. Comparable as a Spanish radio broadcaster competing in the same regional market, but with a commercial orientation and substantially larger scale and resources.
Emerging players
- iVoox: A leading Spanish-language podcast and audio-on-demand platform that CUAC FM uses as a distribution channel. Comparable in the podcast/audio space with overlapping listener audience, but operating as a technology platform rather than a community broadcaster.
Direct peers
- Radio Vallekas: A long-running community radio station in the Vallecas neighborhood of Madrid. Directly comparable as a Spanish non-profit, volunteer-driven community radio providing open access to local citizens, with similar membership and open-participation dynamics.
- Radio Enlace: A community radio station in Madrid, also part of ReMC and facing similar municipal/political challenges. Directly comparable as a Spanish non-profit community broadcaster with volunteer-driven operations and an open-participation ethos — CUAC FM has even publicly expressed solidarity with Radio Enlace's eviction risk.
- Radio La Colifata: An iconic community/freeform radio station based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, recognized globally for its pioneering open-participation model. Directly comparable to CUAC FM as a long-established, volunteer-driven community broadcaster operating outside the commercial mainstream.
Others
- ReMC (Rede de Medios Comunitarios): The State Network of Community Media in Spain, of which CUAC FM is a member. Comparable as an industry/ecosystem organization that aggregates and advocates for non-profit community broadcasters across Spain, including hosting the ReMCuentro annual meeting that CUAC FM organized in 2026.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cuac FM social profiles
Digital presenceCuac FM financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cuac FM leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Cuac FM funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cuac FM M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cuac FM
What does Cuac FM do?
CUAC FM is a non-profit community radio station broadcasting on 103.4 FM and 24/7 internet streaming from A Coruña, Spain. It provides open-access radio production to any citizen through a volunteer membership model, supported by an open-source technology stack including the proprietary Radioco automated archiving system, AI-generated local news bulletins, and dedicated mobile applications. The station operates as a participatory civic media platform with approximately 120 active member-volunteers producing over 250 programs spanning 30 years.
Is Cuac FM a public or private company?
Cuac FM is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Cuac FM founded?
Cuac FM was founded in 1996. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Cuac FM based?
Cuac FM is headquartered in A Coruña, Spain, in the Europe region.
How does Cuac FM make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Member/Associate Fees are the primary driver. The others are donations and Patronage and institutional Subsidies and Grants.
Who are Cuac FM's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Radio Galega, Cadena SER, Onda Cero, Radio 3 (RTVE) and Cadena COPE. iVoox is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Radio Vallekas, Radio Enlace and Radio La Colifata. ReMC (Rede de Medios Comunitarios) is listed as an others.
Does Cuac FM have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cuac FM.
What industry is Cuac FM in?
Cuac FM's product category is Community Radio Broadcasting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABACAH, University/Educational Local Stations (College Radio, Campus TV), with a secondary code of MPAIAEAL, Radio Content Production & Studios (On-air Production, Imaging, Jingles). Its NAICS code is 516110 and its SIC code is 4832.