Media Development & its Evolution

Role of  Radio in Communities

A Voice for the Future

Here is the text of address to a seminar at Karachi Arts Council on 21 December 2006, organized by JJ Media (pvt) Ltd to celebrate 100 years of Radio.   - Editor

Vast potential of radio transmissions is yet to be tapped. Over the years there is a realization that despite enigma and charm of TV, internet and print media, the sweep and extent of radio is still unmatchable. While our largest of groups of newspapers failed to make inroads to the suburbs of major cities over the years, our rural folk got familiar with the voice of radio-characters some 40 years back. 

My experience with radio may have been minimal yet association is life long; as a listener and being an avid follower of the game of cricket.

            I also had a brief stint as radio producer with the United Nations. While the West Africa was returning to normalcy after civil war in the year 2001, United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (which we used to refer as UNAMSIL) faced difficulties in dealing with rumor-mongering. There were no roads and all the leading newspapers had their circulation incapacitated because of inadequate physical infrastructure. Radio UNAMSIL was thus established as vested interests had been hampering the peace process by spreading false news.

            Radio UNAMSIL started its operations in five provinces on both FM and AM bands. These stations were established in cargo-carrying containers and we started airing popular music and news bulletins for the communities. African nations have a strong passion for music and the soccer. Soon every second person was carrying a transistor or wearing a head phone. Popularity of musical programs made it difficult for us to manage our calls and mailbags. By the time United Nations started its draw down process in the region, state run radio stations were in place to take over.

            My next experience with radio was very brief but even more awe-inspiring. It was at a media centre established in Banda Aceh in the face of Tsunami that had badly hit Indonesia and other regional countries. 200 Km long coast line had been washed away along Sumatra. When we reached there more than one million persons had already been missing in an area utterly devastated by this calamity. Again radio proved to be the most reliable and efficient medium for communication with people strained in the calamity hit areas, in the relief work and most importantly tracing missing relatives. Announcements for relief flights and helicopters in the areas were made through local radio channels. The reasons for this success were obvious; it required no expansive devices and would continue to work in the longest power breakdowns.

            But my experiences do not necessitate that we should restrict the role of Radio to the times of crisis only. Vast potential of radio transmissions is yet to be tapped. Over the years there is a realization that despite enigma and charm of TV, internet and print media, the sweep and extent of radio is still unmatchable. While our largest of groups of newspapers failed to make inroads to the suburbs of major cities over the years, our rural folk got familiar with the voices of radio-characters some 40 years back. 

            Newspaper readership has seen gradual rise among the masses but masses in most parts of the world have little influence on the course of events. Influential people and policy makers have little time to read in daily routine let alone expecting them to read for leisure purposes. They are thus left at the mercy of their media advisers or PRO to form their opinion on various issues - an opinion that may not necessarily be independent. Radio provides these stakeholders with flexibility and access to information while performing multiple tasks.

            TV has a wider acceptability and ubiquity. While TV broadcasters were planning to shape our destinies or determine the places of nations in international politics, the advent of internet has liberated the flow of information from oppressive regimes and blocked cultures.

            In most parts of the African continent and the South Asian region; where readership among the masses is miniscule and credibility of available media questionable, masses still tune in to independent radio channels to get to the truth. Under-developed areas are lacking physical infrastructure to support the circulation of published or printed material. People are bound to find it convenient to get a true global perspective on issues of their interest in the busiest of metropolitan cities to the remotest part of the world.

            At the very outset when TV was launched, new stations in almost all parts of the world recruited most of their staff from the existing radio channels. Perhaps for this reason when audiences got carried away by the charm of TV, Radio was also wiped out of its invaluable trained staff to compete with this new monster. But as they say there is no end to human creativity.

           i pod has emerged as a new phenomenon in the recent times - a first step to mass acceptability of radio in the days to come. It is handy, very personal and has got into lives without taking our precious time or freedom of movement. But despite being capacious i pod is still a recorded version of original broadcasts that encapsulates creativity while radio tends to liberate it.

            Radio may not be having mass appeal and charm of TV, yet it may provide unparalleled mass access to the media planners. According to a recent report growth of radio advertising in India and China is estimated at 48% in the next five years. Statistics show over 95% of automobiles is radio equipped. FM experience of drive time road shows suggests we can find peak audiences in the busiest metros without disrupting their work place. 

            This new found role places greater responsibility on radio producers and broadcasters to live up to the demands of our times to make radio a relevant medium.

100 years down the road radio producers have used this medium largely to educate the masses on healthy living, or sensitizing them on various political issues. While broadcasters had been trying to teach or educate their audiences the need is to engage the listeners in a dialogue and sharing of ideas is more urgent than ever. Are we willing to shift our worldview along with the shifting paradigm? How long shall we continue to look for media barons to come and patronize radio? 

We remember that when first human being reached atop Mount Everest he was assisted by the weather casts specially transmitted by a radio channel. This human feat became possible by the assistance from radio years back. Also human access to moon and travels in space would not have been possible with this vital medium.

When Madonna said ‘papa don’t preach’ it might have been her image that caught the attention but more than her image it was her voice that still echoes in our back alleys giving the message that youth today is ready to shun centuries old dogmas.

From Mozart to Dean Martin, and from Roshan Ara Begum to Nusrat Fateh Ali, the messages are loud and clear - a cultural dialogue, so important in this world of chaos.

I am sure this humble device shall continue to serve the humanity in the times to come; in the face of natural disasters, critical times, scaling new heights in the universe and also beyond the stretches of imaginations. It shall continue to pass on the message to the generations and become a vital tool for dialogue among the communities and nations so that diversified cultures and believes go hand in hand rather than going for a clash.