Month: February 2024

February 13 is World Radio Day (WRD) as proclaimed in 2011 by the Member States of UNESCO, and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 as an International Day. The theme for the 13th edition of WRD this year is “Radio: A century informing, entertaining and educating”, which shines a broad floodlight on Radio’s remarkable past, relevant present and promise of a dynamic future.The opportunity provided by the 100-year-plus milestone of Radio begs to be trumpeted at full volume. The century is an occasion to proudly celebrate the medium’s extensive virtues and ongoing potency. It comes at an opportune time, as Radio – though statistically popular and enormously trusted by the public – faces increased challenges to audience and revenue numbers from digital platforms, pervasive social media, digital and generational divides, the headwinds of censorship and, for some media, stifling consolidation-induced debt as well as economic hardships exacerbated by a soft advertising market.

UNESCO invites the worldwide Radio industry in all its many forms – commercial, public, non-profit – to join in this global celebration of the medium at this special and pivotal juncture in its century-spanning journey.The 2024 observance highlights:The indelible history of Radio and its powerful impact upon news, drama, music and sportsThe ongoing utilitarian value of Radio as a relatively free and portable public safety net during emergencies and power outages brought on by natural and human-made disasters such as storms, earthquakes, floods, heat, wildfires, accidents and warfare.The continuing democratic value of Radio to serve as a grassroots catalyst for connectedness within underserved groups including immigrant, religious, minority and poverty-stricken populations; and as an instantaneous bellwether of public opinion expressed through the auspices of free speech in the public space.UNESCO recognizes and understands the tremendous variety of business models and technological architecture in Radio around the world as well as the independent nature of its companies and organizations, large and small, plus the idiosyncrasies of its on-air personalities. Thus, broadcasters are encouraged to bring their own culture, style and sensibilities to their individual celebrations leading up to and during the February 13 event.World Radio Day is also an opportunity for radio stations to connect on-air with fellow broadcasters around the world. UNESCO invites radio stations to take the initiative for such broadcasts.It is a remarkable achievement for a major mass communications medium to continue its relevancy past 100 years and still be a force for freedom of expression, joy and knowledge. […]

By invitation of the Saudi Broadcasting Authority, the International Radio Festival (IRF) will participate in this year’s FOMEX, the Future of Media Exhibition, set to take place in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from the 19th to the 21st of February 2024.FOMEX, now in its second edition, is presented by the Saudi Broadcasting Authority and represents an integral part of the Saudi Arabia Media Forum. The event will feature a distinguished line-up of IRF speakers delivering insightful keynotes all around media.The IRF keynotes will delve into topics such as achieving excellence in radio broadcasting both on and off the air, with a special appearance by radio jockey Malishka from India’s leading prime time radio station Red FM. F

It will also feature a session by award winning futurist Nils Müller from TrendOne on how to prepare and embrace the five upcoming disruptions facing the media industry by 2030 will be revealedAdditionally, the intricacies of 360º Content Management across all media channels will be laid open, with valuable insights from tech guru Julian Schweizer of Swiss Online Publishing.To round off the IRF talks, Darryl von Däniken, founder of the International Radio Festival, will hold a masterclass, sharing his radio journey and insights. […]