February 13: World Radio Day
The World Radio Day (WRD) is being celebrated across the world on February 13, 2021. This year, the marks the 10th anniversary of the proclamation of the world radio day and more than 110 years of radio. The day will be observed under the theme, “New World, New Radio”. The theme highlights the services provided by the radio amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Highlights
- The day was proclaimed by the members of UNESCO in 2011.
- The day was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in the year 2012 as an International Day.
Why this day is celebrated?
The UNESCO highlights that, the radio is a powerful medium to celebrate humanity. It constitutes a platform for democratic discourse. Radio is one of the most widely consumed medium in the world. It has the ability to reach to a wide audience. It also has the ability to shape the society’s experience of diversity. Thus, to mark the significance of the Radio, World Radio Day is observed.
Background
The agenda of observing the World radio day was first put forward by a Spanish Radio Academy on September 20, 2010. Spain proposed that UNESCO Executive Board should include an agenda item to proclaim the day. Following the request, UNESCO’s Executive Board added the agenda item in its provisional agenda to proclaim the day on September 29, 2011. Then it carried out a wide consultation in 2011 in which 91% people were in favour of the project. The move was also supported by Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU), Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU), African Union of Broadcasting (AUB), European Broadcasting Union (EBU), and the International Association of Broadcasting (IAB). Thus, the executive board recommended UNESCO to proclaim a World Radio Day at the 36th session.
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Month: Current Affairs - February, 2021