Sound Cinema - Cinematic and Communicative Influence of the Podcast Cowboys de Medianoche During Confinement

Aug 27, 2026

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Podcasts have become widely popular, and Cowboys de Medianoche—born as a radio segment, later evolving into an independent programme and a film podcast—has been broadcast for nearly 25 years. Hosted by Luis Herrero, it features film scholars José Luis Garci, Eduardo Torres-Dulce and Luis Alberto de Cuenca, aged 70–81, as an initiative that counters ageism. Recordings aired during COVID-19 confinement are analysed using automated audio-to-text transcription tools and Cowboys de Medianoche tables, examining recurring themes and discourse strengths and limitations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction. State of the question

The COVID-19 pandemic

AUTHORS / AUTORES RESEARCH / INVESTIGACIÓN Javier Figuero Espadas CEU San Pablo University Received / Recibido August 15, 2025 Acepted / Aceptado October 31, 2025 Pages / Páginas From 115 to 130 ISSN: 1885-365X Sound Cinema: Cinematic and Communicative Influence of the Podcast Cowboys de Medianoche During Confinement Cine sonoro: influencia cinematográficay comunicativa del pódcast Cowboys de Medianoche durante el confinamiento ABSTRACT: In recent years, podcasts have become widely popular. Cowboys de Medianoche began as a radio segment, which became an independent programme and is also broadcast as a film podcast. It has been on the air for nearly 25 years. Hosted by journalist Luis Herrero, it features José Luis Garci, Eduardo Torres-Dulce and Luis Alberto de Cuenca, film scholars aged between 70 and 81; the broadcast is undoubtedly an initiative by older people against ageism. The podcasts broadcast during the COVID-19 lockdown are studied in order to explore the programme. With the help of automatic audio-to-text transcription tools carried out with Text, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) application, and tables created by Cowboys de Medianoche, the programme, recurring themes and the discourse disseminated in the broadcasts by its protagonists are analysed. We discovered its strengths to be its cinematic content, which is very focused on the classic Hollywood era, the wisdom of its protagonists, its cultural density, the spontaneity and maturity of its conversation, and the friendship they share on the airwaves. The confusion that sometimes arises when they interrupt each other while speaking or quote original titles of films and books is a negative point of the podcast, which, however, does not seem to compromise the programme itself, but rather the subsequent work of managing and analysing the information from the broadcasts. All in all, the programme’s strengths contribute significantly to its quality and interest. KEYWORDS: podcast, cinema, Cowboys de Medianoche, Hollywood, José Luis Garci. RESUMEN: En los últimos años, la divulgación del pódcast se ha generalizado ampliamente. Cowboys de Medianoche comenzó como una sección radiofónica, que se transformó en programa independiente y también se difunde como pódcast de Comunicación y Hombre. Number 22. Year 2026 • DOI: [https://doi.org/10.32466/eufv-cyh.2026.22.874.115-130](https://doi.org/10.32466/eufv-cyh.2026.22.874.115-130) Javier Figuero Espadas. «Sound Cinema: Cinematic and Communicative Influence of the Podcast Cowboys de Medianoche During Confinement» . Comunicación y Hombre. 2026, nº 22, pp 115-130. DOI: [https://doi.org/10.32466/eufv-cyh.2026.22.874.115-130](https://doi.org/10.32466/eufv-cyh.2026.22.874.115-130) cine. Cuenta con cerca de 25 años de emisión. Dirigido por el periodista Luis Herrero, participan José Luis Garci, Eduardo Torres-Dulce y Luis Alberto de Cuenca, eruditos del cine entre los 70 y los 81 años; la emisión es una sorprendenteiniciativa de los mayores contra el edadismo. Se estudian los pódcasts emitidos durante el confinamiento por la COVID-19 para llevar a cabo una exploración del programa. Con la ayuda de herramientas de transcripción automáticade audios a textos llevadas a cabo con Text, una aplicación de inteligencia artificial, y tablas de elaboración propia de Cowboys de Medianoche, se analiza el programa, los temas recurrentes y el discurso difundido en las emisiones por sus protagonistas. Descubrimos como fortalezas su contenido cinematográfico muy centrado en la época clásica de Hollywood, la sabiduría de sus protagonistas, la densidad cultural, la espontaneidad y madurez de su charla y la amistad que comparten por las ondas. La confusión que, en ocasiones, crean al pisarse al hablar o citar títulos originales delas películas y libros constituye un punto desfavorable del pódcast, que, sin embargo, no parecen comprometer al programa, sino al posterior trabajo de gestión y análisis de la informa

FAQs

What is the focus of the study on Cowboys de Medianoche?

The study analyses podcasts broadcast during COVID-19 confinement to explore the programme, its recurrent themes, and the discourse promoted by its protagonists.

Who hosts and participates in the programme?

The programme is hosted by journalist Luis Herrero and features José Luis Garci, Eduardo Torres-Dulce, and Luis Alberto de Cuenca, film scholars aged between 70 and 81.

How is the podcast content analysed?

Automatic audio-to-text transcription tools (via an AI application such as Text) and tables created by Cowboys de Medianoche are used to analyse the programme and manage the information from the broadcasts.

Aug 27, 2026

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