Picture: Supplied
By: Siphiwe Ngcongco
The 12th edition of World Radio Day (WRD) was celebrated on 13 February under the theme: “Radio and Peace.”
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the objective of WRD is to promote the importance of radio and inspire those in positions of influence to use radio as a tool to access information.
The benefits of radio as a communication medium is keeping the community updated and informed, including entertaining and knowledge development.
The United Nations (UN), estimates that there are 44,000 radio stations broadcast to at least five billion people, representing 70 percent of the population worldwide.
Yanga Makaluza, program manager at Radio Riverside, said, “Traditional radio is worth celebrating as it continues to stay relevant. It is free, inclusive, adaptable and portable to listeners. The content is current and keeps audiences updated regardless of location.”
Olwethu Macanda, founder of Ncokola FM in De Aar, an online radio station, said that time has evolved and online radio reaches broader audiences. “I live, breathe, in fact – I am a radio. I was raised and inspired by radio. I met individuals who motivated me to create online radio to scoop a larger audience. Today’s generation prefers podcasting which chit-chats over relative topics at length, which in radio’s time frames leaves one longing to hear more,” said an optimistic Macanda.
Boitumelo Macomo (40) was concerned about data consumption. She falls within the small percentage of listeners who use data for radio and online platforms. “Old-style radio is still relevant in keeping company when doing house chores, driving somewhere or having a dull day. With the current South African status of load shedding and issues affecting millennials, Generation Z Radio is the one place we resort to keep the day going,” she said.
Macomo added, “data is expensive, it is worth being preserved for important things and it would be a waste to use it to listen to online broadcasts.”
Radio station listenership on mobile devices is going from strength to strength each year. Still, listeners are concerned about the strain streaming puts on their batteries and data plans.
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