The Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers Union (RATTAWU) has classified radio as the most widely consumed medium globally, as the Union joins the rest of the world to celebrate the 2022 World Radio Day.
In a statement released to celebrate the World Radio Day, the Oyo State Council of RATTAWU disclosed that the peculiar role of radio cannot be ignored, even in a technologically advanced world with easy access to the Internet and other mediums of communication.
The statement, signed by the Chairman, Oyo State Council of RATTAWU, Comrade Adebayo Aribatise, says radio is a powerful medium for celebrating humanity in all its diversity, as it can reach a very wide audience and constitutes a platform for democratic discourse.
Aribatise stated: “This unique ability to reach the widest audience means radio can change a society’s experience of diversity, stand as an arena for all voices to speak out, be represented and heard.”
He asserted that according to different international reports, radio has and would always be one of the most trusted and accessible media in the world, hence the theme of the 2022 edition of the World Radio Day: Radio and Trust, which has been divided into three main sub-themes.
In the statement, the first sub-theme is trust in radio journalism, which talks about producing independent and high-quality content, respecting basic standards of ethical journalism which has become challenging in the present high-tempo Digital age, noting that in order to keep or raise listeners’ trust, journalism must continue to be based on verifiable information that is shared in the public interest, holds the powerful to account and helps society build a better future for all.
The second sub-theme, as highlighted in the statement, is trust and accessibility which encourages radio stations to have the interest of their audience at heart such that digital radio platforms would provide grounds for innovation in the accessibility of content, such as the use of sign language or automated subtitles for hearing-impaired audience when streaming, or announcements of content for blind listeners.
Trust and viability of radio stations is the third sub-theme. That is, ensuring competitiveness. The sub-theme links the economic survival of radio stations to their ability to attract and retain a large enough base of loyal listeners so as to be sustainable and embed listener interaction into their business models.
The Oyo State Council of RATTAWU used the opportunity of the 2022 World Radio Day to celebrate all workers of radio stations in the state and to show appreciation to the management of radio stations in the state and the Governor Seyi Makinde-led administration for making the welfare of workers a priority in his agenda.
