Written by Lewis Donaldson
Thursday the 13th of February, the world celebrates World Radio Day. Sounds pretty self-explanatory right?
Well, although many of us turn to Spotify nowadays for music or podcasts, radio is still going strong today. Despite television, the internet and social media, radio continues after almost 130 years.
I’m a second-year student studying a Bachelor of Communication and last year I started volunteering at Bathurst’s community radio station – 2MCE – on the Charles Sturt campus. Now I’ve still got much to learn, but the experience I’ve gained so far has been fantastic.
Last year, some of my classmates and I volunteered to present the ‘Talking Newspaper’ – a segment where you simply read the week’s newspapers for your radio audience. This involved picking out the main news stories, in addition to sport, weather and other notices from Bathurst’s Western Advocate and Orange’s Central Western Daily, and then taking it in turns to read the stories between 2-3 people.
Last year we witnessed the biggest change that the Talking Newspaper has experienced and that all print media is facing – the transition to online only.
I must admit it was a bit of a shock to the system using an iPad, rather than the physical paper (that and being an Android kiddo). The tech certainly made for some awkward pauses when the page froze or went blank live-on-air!
But concerning radio, what’s it look like today and how much has it changed?
More Accessible
Gone are the days of those massive radios that families and neighbourhoods would gather around for the news.
Radio has become far more accessible over the years. Not only can you listen to it in the car, selecting your favourite station from a screen display, but TV and the internet have helped immensely too.
For example, Bathurst’s 2MCE has its own website and you can stream your favourite segment, anywhere, from your phone. You don’t actually need a radio to listen to radio!
There’s even sites and apps like Radio Garden where you can explore radio stations globally. This one’s a personal favourite, especially when you’re bored, looking to kill some time or just plain curious like me.
Additionally, you can find radio channels on your TV. Obviously this is the place where you’d watch something, but I’ve found the French radio segments on SBS particularly helpful as listening practice to learn the language.
More Diverse
Going hand-in-hand with increased accessibility, today we have access to such a diverse array of radio content.
Whether you’re looking for a certain genre of music, angle of news or content in your preferred language, there’s a station or segment out there to suit your taste.
Think about the community radio stations near you. The commercial stations that provide shows like the Kyle & Jackie O Show or Will & Woody. SBS and its language services. Even music specific stations like ABC Jazz, Country and Triple J. These examples just go to show the huge variety and diversity of radio available today.
So, there you have it! Now hopefully you know a thing or two more about what radio offers than you did a couple minutes ago. Go have a listen for yourself and happy World Radio Day!
Charlie blog is a SSAF funded initiative
