Madrid Live

Produced and presented by former BBC radio journalist Ann Bateson, Madrid Live is Madrid’s premier English radio show. It is practically the only medium in Spain to feature interviews with and clips of many of the world’s greatest English-speaking actors, directors, writers and artists without dubbing or translation. Hence it provides an essential service to students of English and Madrid’s 250,000 English-speaking residents – be they Spanish or native speakers. Until recently, Madrid Live was broadcast on M21 Radio, the Ayuntamiento de Madrid radio station, and is now broadcast on Radio Círculo at the Círculo de Bellas Artes.

Interviews form the body of the programme. English-speaking celebrities who have promoted their work in Madrid and appeared on Madrid Live include film actors Morgan Freeman and Christopher Lambert, film directors Sam Mendes and Wim Wenders, musicians Nick Lowe and Yossou N’Dour, writers Roger McGough and Val McDermid, theatre directors Greg Doran and Declan Donnellan, actors Janet Suzman and Fiona Shaw, photographers Don McCullin and Martin Parr, broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby and barrister Cherie Blair.

Madrid-based interviewees include author Giles Tremlett, singer Alaska, film directors Icíar Bollaín and Isabel Coixet and actor Gabino Diego.

Madrid Live has been supported by the UK Government, The British Council, Madrid City Council, the Almagro International Classical Theatre Festival, the Teatro Español, the Hay Literature Festival and the Autoescuela Gala.

Madrid Live is a media collaborator with The Local English news website.

Ann Bateson

“Ann Bateson is an ambassador for both British culture and the English language in Spain as she enables Spanish listeners to listen to leading members of the arts world in the original version. I wholeheartedly endorse Madrid Live and I give it the British Council stamp of approval”
Rod Pryde, former director of The British Council, Spain.

“Ann Bateson is the most empathetic interviewer I have ever met. It was a pleasure to be interviewed by someone so well prepared.”
Nell Leyshon, playwright and novelist.

Ann Bateson started working in radio at the BBC and Radio Exterior de España. She created Madrid’s English radio programme, Madrid Live, which is broadcast on Radio Círculo at the Círculo de Bellas Artes arts centre in Madrid.  Ann also conducts interviews on stage at the Hay Festival in Segovia and delivers workshops in radio production and presentation which focus on scriptwriting, voicing a script, presentation and interview techniques. The workshops have taken place at the I.E. University in Segovia, the Complutense University in Madrid and the Círculo de Bellas Artes Arts Centre.

Ann is also a voice artist and has undertaken recordings for the British Council, Ministry of Education, Santillana, Anaya, Oxford University Press, Telefónica, ESMadridTV and many Spanish museums including the Reina Sofía, Guggenheim and Museum Picasso.

Ann previously worked at The British Council, where she managed tours of flagship British theatre productions to Spain, including various Royal National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company productions.

Twitter: @annbateson
Facebook: annlouisebateson
Mail: info@madridlive.fm