World Radio Day – 13th February

World Radio Day (WRD) celebrates Radio and promote the importance of radio, encourage decision-makers to provide easier access to information through radio and enhance cooperation and connection among broadcasters around the world. The aim of the day is to raise awareness among the public regarding the importance of radio.

Radio as a forum for information and entertainment, as a bridge of communication for remote communities and its role in empowering people.

The birth of the radio was a groundbreaking invention for both physics and communications, changing the way the world sent and received information forever. Today, the idea of a simple AM/FM radio seems highly outdated. Freedom of the press is a matter of hearts, and we understand the important role that private radios play in public information and education and the challenges they face.

Radio is 100 years old but is a great way of sharing information, providing social interchange, and educating people all over the world. Although radios are found less and less frequently in people’s homes and cars, this doesn’t mean the end of radio technology in our everyday lives. The discovery of radio waves has paved the way for the wireless technology that shapes much of what we do today. Whether or not you still tune in to your local station, there’s plenty to celebrate this World Radio Day!

World Radio Day 2024 theme is ‘A century informing, entertaining and educating’. UNESCO invites all radio stations worldwide to celebrate the 13th World Radio Day and to share information about their relevant activities through the online form available at: https://en.unesco.org/commemorations/worldradioday

History of World Radio Day

In 2011 United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) proclaimed the 13th of February as World Radio Day to celebrate democratic discourses, diversity of opinions, and freedom of speech. It was Spain Radio Academy who initially put forth the proposal on the proclamation of a World Radio Day on 20th September 2010.

13th February is chosen as it was the day United Nations established the United Nations Radio in 1946. It was on 13th February 1946 when United Nations Radio was launched to broadcast daily news and stories about the work of the United Nations and its associated countries. To mark the anniversary of the founding day of United Nations Radio the day is chosen to be observed as World Radio Day. The first World Radio Day was officially celebrated in 2012.

Since then there have been unbelievable strides in mass-media and communication but radio still manages to reach 95 percent of the world, a feat neither television nor the internet can claim to have achieved.

The objective of World Radio Day

The objectives of World Radio Day are to raise awareness among the media and public regarding the importance of radio. The day also encourages decision-makers to provide and establish access to information via radio. The day encourages enhancing worldwide radio networking and international cooperation from global broadcasters. World Radio Day remembers the power of radio to bring people together across the globe.

At the global level, radio remains the most widely consumed medium. This unique ability to reach out the widest audience means radio can shape a society’s experience of diversity, stand as an arena for all voices to speak out, be represented and heard.

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