How Radio is still relevant today?

We all must have heard about the contest of who invented the Radio in reality? Some credit Nikola Tesla, others say it was Russian physicist Aleksandr Popov but officially Guglielmo Marconi is regarded as the sole inventor of Radio. Irrespective of people involved in the invention of this great device, it marked a phase of revolution in communication at the time when world was connected with wires and where the only source of deliverance of information was through print. With time its usage changed considerably. We all must have listened to radio during our childhood days. If not today, then just around a decade ago it was still considered as a best medium for the transfer of information in our country. But in some developing and under-developed countries as well, it is still the best mode of communication to the masses. In this world of internet where radio is slightly being replaced by other services of audio communication like podcasts and streaming, the popularity that radio has achieved is still in great demand. But no services can reach to the degree of characteristics that radio furnish. Here are some of the unique attributes that gives radio upper hand when compared to other services:

 

First thing first, it’s FREE!

Radio consumers do not have to pay any sum of money to access the services of a Radio Station. No monthly or yearly subscription, one just have to tune their radio at required frequency and it starts working. Radio these days, come with automatic frequency tuner through which it scan all the available channels in your area and you just have to choose your favourite one.

 

Radio is a mobile medium

Unlike Television which cannot be moved, Radio is portable, means one can take the device to any location and can play the available channels without any hassle.

 

Weather free

When it comes to leisure and entertainment during bad weather especially during monsoon all other devices like Television and Mobile phones are affected except a Radio. Technically, Radio is the only device that is least or in most cases not-at-all affected by any nature born hindrance.

 

Limitations

The limitations of radio for its accessibility is also very less as compared to other modes. It is very cheap and easily available medium. Since the days of its invention its availability was to every nation in the world was considered without any barrier and in India, it became an important source for everyday consumption of information. Radio is such a device that it even has no territorial limits. Its signal can clear mountain barriers and may cross ocean deeps.

 

Rate of travel of Information

Be it internet or Television or podcast, Nothing makes the flow information as fast and easy as of Radio. It can report any event almost instantly. Due to this feature it is regarded as the medium of ‘here and now’. For television lots of time is invested in the presentation and same goes for internet.

 

Another question that is raised is about its relevance and use in this 21^st century era. Radio have adapted itself in all different form of changing technological invention and consumer trends that mankind has experienced. Through cars to mobile phone, we find Radio everywhere.

In December 2019, Nielson Audio, a consumer research company of United States (where the Internet and television penetration is highest in world), conducted a research on the consumption of radio in United States. The results were pretty surprising as almost 92% of the population of USA still listens to radio every week. While the same data for Television and podcasts is around 87% and 22% respectively. This makes radio very advertiser-friendly. The advertising industry is booming and is looking for all such platforms where people spend their time the most, by this way they can place their advertisements accordingly and brands can also target different age groups for their growth. In India, the radio industry growth has been surreal. In a stat presented by statistia.com the value of radio industry in India at the end of 2019 was around 31 billion Indian rupees growing at the rate of 5% each year and is projected to be around 36 billion Indian rupees by year 2022.

Apart from the finance, Emotional aspect also plays an important role. It is in the nature of some people who find Radio very close to them than other means of mass communication. Although, this is something which is mostly limited to adults and old age groups who have experienced the boon of Radio for a very long period. Their favourite talk shows or old school music that youngsters don’t like these days are some of the many such classical programmes that keep these people together bound with Radio.

“TV gives everyone an image, but radio gives birth to a million images in a million brains,” wrote the American author Margaret ‘Peggy’ Noonan. In an era that prioritises customised content, her lines provide the perfect summation of the immense flexibility and the continued relevance of the medium.

 

 

 

 

Sources:

1.      https://www.statista.com/statistics/235840/value-of-the-radio-industry-in-india/#:~:text=India's%20radio%20industry%20was%20valued,of%20just%20around%20five%20percent.

2.      https://www.nielsen.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/06/audio-today-2019.pdf