Radio has been one of the main sources of entertainment and information for ages. Considering its advantages and impact globally, February 13 is celebrated as World Radio Day, every year.

The day was proclaimed in 2011 by the Member States of UNESCO and later adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 as an International Day.

World Radio Day Theme:

This year, UNESCO is celebrating the 10th anniversary and more than 110 years of radio. This edition of WRD is divided into three main sub-themes — Evolution, Innovation, and Connection.

  • Evolution: The world changes, radio evolves. This sub-theme refers to the resilience of the radio, to its sustainability.
  • Innovation: The world changes, radio adapts and innovate. 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—natural disasters, socio-economic crises, epidemics, etc.

World Radio Day History:

World Radio Day came into existence in the year 2011. The day was proclaimed by the Member States of UNESCO and later adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 as an International Day. Every year, the day is celebrated with a different theme.

In India, Radio broadcasting started in the early 1920s, and in 1923, the first program was aired by the Radio Club of Bombay. Lord Irwin, then Viceroy of India, inaugurated the Indian Broadcast Company (IBC) in Bombay, as per a report by India Today.

World Radio Day Significance:

Radio is a powerful medium for celebrating humanity in all its diversity and constitutes a platform for democratic discourse. At the global level, radio remains the most widely consumed medium. It has a unique ability to reach out to the broadest 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, writes UNESCO.

Radio is uniquely positioned to bring communities together and foster positive dialogue for change. By listening to its audiences and responding to their needs, radio services provide the diversity of views and voices needed to address the challenges we all face, writes United Nations.