Free access without app or web? It's called radio

On World Radio Day, 13 February 2012, UNESCO will remind the world that there is a medium which reaches parts that other media can't reach.

Radio is still a vital form of communication because a radio station can be set up much faster, and at much lower cost, than a terrestrial or satellite TV station. Radio is especially useful for reaching remote communities and vulnerable people such as the illiterate, the disabled and the poor. It also provides a platform for such groups to take part in the wider public debate.

Radio also plays a vital role in emergency communication and disaster relief, which was illustrated following the tsunami in the Indian Ocean in December 2004. RNW was able to help several partner stations in Indonesia by sending out “radio stations in a box” – self-contained mobile FM stations providing a temporary studio and transmitter ready to be used by broadcasters whose own facilities had been destroyed.

 

Education
World Radio Day is intended as a focal point for discussion and debate on the role of radio in supporting the most vulnerable sectors of the worldwide community. Various events have been organised around the world. In London, a mix of practitioners, academics and tools providers are coming together at the School of Oriental and African Studies for a one-day conference on “New Perspectives on Traditional Radio”.

The conference organisers point out that radio is still the world’s most active, localized broadcast technology. Because radio is a free and accessible platform, it plays a crucial role in promoting development, improving livelihoods and supporting access to education. They point out that “you don’t need an app or the Internet to access the radio!“

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(Source : Radio Netherlands Worldwide)