UNESCO’s Executive Board has recommended the establishment of a World Radio Day. The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, has suggested the date of 13 February: the day when UN radio was first established in 1946. The new World Day will raise awareness about the importance of the medium, facilitate access to information through radio, and enhance networking among broadcasters.
Radio is recognised as a low cost communications medium, specifically suited to reach remote communities and vulnerable people: the illiterate, the disabled, women, youth and the poor, while offering a platform to engage in public debate irrespective of people’s educational level. Furthermore, radio has a strong and specific role in emergency communication and disaster relief. There is also a changing face to radio services which, in the present times of media convergence, are taking up new formats such as broadband, mobiles and tablets. However it is said that up to a billion people still do not have access to radio services today.
UNESCO started a comprehensive consultation process in June 2011. It included a wide range of stakeholders i.e. broadcasting associations; public, state, private, community and international broadcasters; UN agencies; funds and programmes; topic-related NGOs; academia; foundations and bilateral development agencies; as well as UNESCO Permanent Delegations and National Commissions.
Among the responses received, 91% were in favour of the project. The project leader, the Academia Española de la Radio, received over 46 letters of support from diverse stakeholders, including the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU), the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), the African Union of Broadcasting (AUB), the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU), the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the International Association of Broadcasting (IAB), the North American Broadcasters Association (NABA), the Organización de Telecomunicaciones Iberoamericanas (OTI), BBC, URTI, Vatican Radio, etc. A World Radio Day Feasibility Study [PDF] provides more details about the consultation process.
The date of 13 February, the day United Nations radio was first established in 1946, was proposed by the Director-General of UNESCO. The objectives of the Day will be to raise greater awareness among the public and the media of the importance of radio; to encourage decision makers to establish and provide access to information through radio; as well as to enhance networking and international cooperation among broadcasters.
The consulted stakeholders also proposed ideas for the programme of celebration: extensive use of social media, annual themes, a dedicated website enabling virtual participation, special radio programmes, radio programmes exchange, a festival involving key partners, and so forth.
The Executive Board recommends that the upcoming General Conference proclaims a World Radio Day on 13 February and that the Director-General of UNESCO submits the final resolution to the United Nations General Assembly for endorsement.
