World Radio Day
Source: By The Indian Express
World Radio Day is observed on 13 February every year to celebrate one of the oldest and most widely consumed mediums of communication. In a post shared to mark the occasion, the United Nations noted the important role that radio played during the Covid-19 pandemic. The medium made it possible to “ensure continuity of learning, to fight against misinformation, and to promote barrier gestures,” the organisation wrote.
It paid tribute to the medium and the way in which it has adapted to “societal transformations and listener’s new needs” for over a century.
First proclaimed by the member states of UNESCO in 2011 and later adopted internationally by the UN General Assembly in 2012, the objective of World Radio Day is to promote the medium, increase accessibility, and encourage more people to use it.
In India, the history of radio broadcasting traces back to August, 1920 when one of the first radio broadcasts was transmitted from the roof of a building. Three years later, the first radio programme was aired by the Radio Club of Bombay.
What is the theme of World Radio Day this year?
This year, UNESCO is celebrating the tenth anniversary of the global event and more than 110 years of radio. The 2021 edition of WRD is divided into three main sub-themes.
— Evolution: The world changes, radio evolves.
This sub-theme refers to the resilience of the radio, and its sustainability;
— Innovation: The world changes, radio adapts and innovates.
Radio has had to adapt to new technologies to remain the go-to medium of mobility, accessible everywhere and to everyone;
— Connection: The world changes, radio connects.
This sub-theme highlights radio’s services to our society during times of trouble, such as natural disasters, socio-economic crises, and epidemics.
World Radio Day: What have leaders said to mark the occasion?
In a tweet shared to mark the occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he had personally experienced the positive impact of the radio as a medium thanks to his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar, too, extended his greetings to radio listeners on the occasion of World Radio Day. In a video shared on Twitter, Javadekar said that the medium is constantly evolving with time. “Radio has become an integral part of life. Now you can listen to the radio on the phone too,” he said.
