New Delhi, February 12 (IANS). Do you remember that old, heavy wooden ‘box’ whose dial would sometimes echo with news from London and sometimes film songs from Ceylon? Do you know that when the Titanic was sinking in 1912, it was ‘radio’ that transmitted the distress message (SOS) to the world, saving hundreds of lives?
Today, the century has changed, technology has changed, but that magical charm of radio still remains. This global journey of radio did not start by any coincidence on 13th February. Its foundation was laid in 2010 by Jorge Álvarez of the Spanish Radio Academy, but it received official recognition only when UNESCO approved it on 3 November 2011. In fact, on this day in 1946, ‘United Nations Radio’ was established for the first time. Since then the day has become a celebration of the power of radio and its role in democracy.
Radio in India means Akashvani. This name given by Rabindranath Tagore is still the second name of trust for crores of people of India. ‘All India Radio’, established in 1936, has seen the journey from the struggle for independence to today’s ‘Digital India’. We still remember the serious voice of Devki Nandan Pandey, when he used to say, ‘This is Akashvani, now listen to the news from Devki Nandan Pandey…’. He was called the ‘superstar’ of radio, and who can forget that magical address by Amin Sayani, ‘Sisters and brothers’? The famous program ‘Binaka Geetmala’ had made radio the first choice of every household.
Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s program ‘Mann Ki Baat’ has brought radio back into the mainstream. This proves that even today radio is the greatest confluence of information, inspiration and creativity.
Prasar Bharati is no longer limited to just old towers. In 2026, a digital platform named ‘Waves’ has brought about a revolution. This is an OTT app where more than 65 live TV channels and radio streams are available. This app tells the success story of the ‘digital avatar’ of radio.
When the Internet goes down, mobile towers fall, and power goes out, you can still connect with the whole world through radio. Community radio, radio even today acts as a ‘lifeline’ during disasters. Even today, flood warnings or weather warnings given in local dialects save thousands of lives.
From analog to digital, digital to podcasts and now AI, radio has made every technology its friend. AI may write the script, but only a human can fill the emotions in that script.
–IANS
VKU/DKP