World Radio Day: UN urges
promotion of diversity and global peace
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| World Radio Day |
In an era of rapid media evolution, the United Nations says
that radio still has the power to bring people together and provide communities
with vital news and information.
By Robin Gomes
In a message for World Radio Day 2020, celebrated on
Thursday, UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, underscored how the
pioneering medium celebrates diversity and contributes to global peace.
“Radio offers a wonderful display of diversity in its
formats, in its languages, and among radio professionals themselves. This sends
an important message to the world”, Guterres said.
“As we strive to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals
and tackle the climate crisis,” the UN chief said, “ radio has a key role to
play as a source of information and inspiration alike.”
Radio for diversity
On the occasion of World Radio Day, February 13, the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, has also
called on radio stations to uphold diversity, both in their newsroom and on the
airwaves.
The diversity of radio content and programming, as well as
the plurality of opinions expressed, the UN agency said, is matched by the
variety of broadcasting channels. Whether on AM, FM or digital radio in the
car, stream stations on the web, or podcasts on the mobile phone, it said,
people are experiencing the world’s most widely consumed medium.
“Through the freedom it offers, radio is thus a unique means
of promoting cultural diversity,” UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said.
“This is particularly the case for indigenous peoples, for whom radio can
be an accessible medium for sharing their experiences, promoting their cultures
and expressing their ideas in their own languages.”
“It is also the case with community radio stations, which
relay the concerns of many social groups whose voices would have much less
impact in public debate without radio.”
Origins of World Radio Day
13 February was proclaimed as World Radio Day at the 36th General
Conference of the UNESCO, in commemoration of the day in 1946 when United
Nations Radio was established. On 14 January 2013, the UN General
Assembly formally endorsed UNESCO’s proclamation of World Radio Day.
The objectives of the Day are to raise greater awareness
among the public and the media of the importance of radio; to encourage
decision makers to establish and provide access to information through radio;
as well as to enhance networking and international cooperation among
broadcasters.
“On this World Radio Day, let us recognize the
enduring power of radio to promote diversity and help build a more peaceful and
inclusive world,” the UN Secretary-General urged in his message.
Vatican Radio
The February 13 World Radio Day comes a day after the
Vatican marks the anniversary of the inauguration of its own radio on 12
February 1931.
It was on that day 89 years ago that Pope Pius XI delivered
the first-ever radio message by a pope. That was 2 years and a day after
the birth of Vatican City State on February 11, 1929, following the signing of
the Lateran Pacts between the Holy See and the Kingdom of Italy.
Just four days after the creation of Vatican City, Pope Pius
XI officially commissioned the famous Italian-born radio pioneer, Guglielmo
Marconi to build the radio station inside the new state.
The first signal that was sent out from Vatican Radio on
Feb. 12, 1931, was however in Morse code.
A technician typed in the words, “In nomine Domini, Amen”,
the Latin for “In the Name of the Lord, Amen!” With that,
radio stations, ships, and anyone who had a proper equipment went on alert for
the first-ever papal radio message.
It fell on Marconi to introduce the message of the pope.
Speaking in Italian, Marconi said: “I have the highest honour of announcing
that in only a matter of seconds the Supreme Pontiff, Pope Pius XI, will
inaugurate the Radio Station of Vatican City State. The electric radio waves
will carry to all the world his words of peace and blessing.”
First papal broadcast
It was at 4:49 p.m., on Feb. 12, 1931, that Pope Pius XI
went on air live. The first papal radio broadcast, written in Latin
by the Pope himself, was a universal pastoral message. It was addressed
not just to Catholics but to all - the separated brethren, "the
dissidents," even non-believers, governments, the oppressed, the rich, the
poor, the workers, the persecuted and the suffering. The Pope shared the
Church's message of peace and love, saying his prayers were for the entire
people of the world.
Under 10 pope for 89 years
For nearly 9 decades, Vatican Radio has been at the service
of the Church and the Gospel worldwide under 10 popes. Also called
Vatican News, it has gone into the digital media in a big way, as part of the
new information system of the Holy See under the Secretariat for Communication.
The mission continues even today through its 33 language programmes on the
radio and digital media daily.
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