Radio made the world go round,
It brought us voices from far & near,
It entertained & informed,
It inspired & transformed,
It was the soundtrack of many a year.
Did video kill the radio star, as the 1979 pop song by the Buggles famously predicted? It did, for a few decades. But radio never lost its core listeners. About 40% of the world’s population tunes in to radio programs and the market for radio ads is worth some US$35.35 billion this year, according to Statista.
Why talk about radio now? Because February 13 is World Radio Day. It was first adopted by UNESCO in 2011. Join the Public Media Alliance and other members in celebrating World Radio Day 2024.
“World Radio Day’s theme in 2024 shines a broad floodlight on Radio’s remarkable past, relevant present and promise of a dynamic future,” UNESCO says. “It is a remarkable achievement for a major mass comms medium to continue its relevancy past 100 years and still be a force for freedom of expression, joy, and knowledge.”