2RPH celebrates World Radio Day

Wed, 12 February 2020

World Radio Day

Today marks a global celebration of the humble radio.

Technology advancements have made life in modern society easier, more efficient and more convenient, and have gone a long way to provide information to a wider audience globally, however radio remains a powerful traditional medium for information, education and entertainment.

As the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) put it: “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. Radio stations should serve diverse communities, offering a wide variety of programs, viewpoints and content, and reflect the diversity of audiences in their organisations and operations.”

2RPH recognises its contribution as a community radio station to reach diverse communities, particularly people living with low vision or who are blind, and to ensure audiences remain informed, educated and entertained.

“Radio is a listening experience that is engaging and personal. Access from portable devices now means that radio has re-emerged as a constant companion for many. It is reliable, free and in the worst of times is often the only available connection to life-saving information,” said Sancha Donald, 2RPH General Manager, on the importance of radio.

The theme for this year’s World Radio Day is diversity. UNESCO has called on radio stations to uphold diversity, both in their newsroom and on the airwaves.

“Programs generated by 2RPH such as Ablequest, Animates and Travel Time are full of information to support people with disability to live as independent a life as possible. Employing people with disability and developing opportunities for those with a print disability to present programs changes the lens of a station. When diversity is a core value it drives your operational thinking,” Ms Donald said.

A focus for 2020 for 2RPH is increasing our engagement and partnerships with the disability and community sectors, as a way to foster and recognise the contributions of people with disability. This focus will be represented in the disability programs we look to launch this year, as well as a longer-term aim to design pathways for people with disability to be involved with the station at all levels.

February 13 was proclaimed World Radio Day in 2011 by the member states of UNESCO and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012.