Islamabad (Web Desk): World Radio Day is being observed today [Thursday] across the globe, including Pakistan, to highlight the importance of Radio as a key medium of imparting education, provision of information and entrainment to people.
This year World Radio Day has been dedicated to “Radio and Climate Change” to support radio stations in their journalistic coverage of this issue.
In connection with the World Radio Day, Radio Pakistan is also broadcasting special programmes, featuring national broadcaster's role in creating awareness in addressing climate-related issues.
This includes dismantling climate skeptics' arguments, investigating greenwashing, understanding ecological economics, and reporting on climate activism and barriers to solutions.
In his message on World Radio Day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that Radio played an efficient role for awareness of the people in the face of challenges.
“Radio has a vital role in opinion formation regarding challenge of climate change and its impacts,” the premier said.
PM Shehbaz said that Radio Pakistan and Community stations have not only played a vital role in disseminating of information but also fulfilled need of entertainment and promotion of culture.
He said that climate change is an international issue and entire world is struggling to address impacts of this challenge which are happening consecutively.
“Developing countries like Pakistan are the most climate change vulnerable countries, and in this situation, importance of Radio has increased to utilize its role for awareness of people,”
The prime minister said the government is committed to promote Radio Pakistan and FM stations and Community stations in private sector.
World Radio Day is celebrated each year on February 13 to recognize the vital role radio plays in communication across the globe.
The idea for the day originated in 2010 when Spain proposed the celebration, and by 2011, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) officially declared it. The date was chosen to mark the founding of United Nations (UN) Radio in 1946.
In 2013, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) further acknowledged it as an international observance.
Radio has a long history, starting in the late 1800s when early experiments in wireless communication were carried out.
It wasn’t long before radio broadcasting became a popular means of reaching a wide audience, offering news, music, and entertainment to people from all walks of life.
Over the decades, radio adapted, embracing technological advancements, and continues to be a vital part of daily life, with millions of people around the world still tuning in to their favourite stations.