World Radio Day is celebrated to raise awareness about the significance and contribution of radio in the evolution of society.
Though today in 2023, when technology is growing faster and has come a long way, we are not much aware of the importance of radio the generation of our parents knows it better.
Earlier, it was said to be the best and most trustworthy source of information, unlike some of today’s TV channels and social media, which sometimes spread fabricated news just for the sake of popularity and TRP.
We see in our daily lives, how fake news can be more dangerous than a deadly weapon because it creates divides between societies.
When it comes to Radio, it is an authentic source of information that gives us genuine knowledge of what is happening around the world.
Whether it is educating people, providing information, allowing expression across cultures, or entertaining us by playing our favorite music, radio is an irreplaceable medium.
Who Invented Radio?
Many people work hard to make a perfect radio with the proper connectivity. In the late 19th century a miracle happened by an Italian inventor and electric engineer Guglielmo Marconi.
In 1895, for the first time in history, Marconi sent and received a telegram in Italy, the incident marked the first successful radio signal appearance.
After the evolution of radio started and in 1919 the first radio station was started in Pittsburg, America. In 1939, the most popular FM and frequency modulation radio came in public appearance.
The broadcasting of radio via the internet was invented in 1994, where for the first time people can hear the radio program through the internet 27X7 without any disturbance.
In 1909, for their contribution to the development of wireless telegraphy, Marconi and German physicist Karl Ferdinand Braun were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.
World Radio Day History
World Radio Day is celebrated globally on February 13, 2022, every year since 2012 to spread awareness about the importance of Radio in our lives.
On September 20, 2010, the Spain Radio Academy requested UNESCO (United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) to establish a day to recognize the importance of radio.
UNESCO carried out a wide consultation with various broadcasting associations, UN agencies, NGOs, as well as UNESCO Permanent delegations and National Commissions for UNESCO.
Among all these organizations 91% voted in the favor of the proposal. The UNESCO executive board recommended to UNESCO at its 36th session of general assembly that it proclaimed a word radio day at its 36th session.
Further, it was decided that the day will be celebrated on Feb 13 every year on the occasion of the anniversary of United Nation Radio, which was established by the UN on Feb 13, 1946.
So, since 2012, every year World Radio Day has been celebrated on Feb 13. The first World Radio Day was hosted by the University of Pisa in Italy.
World Radio Day 2023 Significance
World Radio Day has a lot of significance in our life, as it reminds us of the contribution and impact radio has made in our lives.
Whether we are going to the office or for a vacation with our family or friends, it is still with us, keeping us singing and well informed about the current situations around the globe.
It is like the one friend, who always makes you happy and lifts you up whenever you are down, without any complaint or demand, it refreshes your mood and makes your day.
UNESCO statistics on radio reveals that Radio is still the most widely consumed medium globally and it counts for 86% of the total time adult-aged 25-54 spend listening to three main audio platforms.
World Radio Day appreciates the role service radio has been playing for many decades and connecting people from various communities under a single platform.
World Radio Day 2023 Theme
2023’s theme is yet to be announce, last year World Radio Day was celebrated globally with the theme “Radio and Trust”. It focused on 3 sub-themes and all the celebrations of this day revolved around these themes to promote Radio:
- Trust in radio journalism: Produce independent and high-quality content
- Trust and accessibility: Take care of your audience
- Trust and viability of radio stations: Ensure competitiveness