World Radio Day 2016
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World Radio Day marks the anniversary of the first broadcast by UN Radio in 1946, when it transmitted its first call sign: "This is the United Nations calling the peoples of the world." World Radio Day seeks to raise awareness about the importance of radio, facilitate access to information through radio, and enhance networking among broadcasters.
On this occasion, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is organizing a 'Musical Caravan' from east to west in partnership with other broadcasting unions across the globe.
Listeners will be taken around the world in a little over two hours.
This special compilation submitted by EBU Members, Associates and its sister unions (ABU, ASBU and CBU*) and coordinated by the EBU Music Unit in Geneva consists of songs representing the musical heritage of 34 countries.
The broad list of contributions include a Richard Strauss lied recorded by Bavarian Radio, an Indonesian song for peace and friendship, a folk tune from India and carnival music from the Caribbean.
The EBU will also share key facts about radio listening compiled by the organization’s Media Intelligence Unit in the week leading up to World Radio Day 2016 on its Facebook page and Twitter account.
Another highlight of the EBU’s contribution to World Radio Day 2016 will be a special performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony by the NHK Symphony Orchestra of Tokyo and the Kunitachi College of Music Chorus. An interview with conductor Paavo Järvi can be found here.
EBU Head of Radio Graham Dixon said: “Radio plays a very significant part in all our lives. On average, we will listen to nine years of radio in a lifetime – more than any activity except breathing and sleeping! Radio provides a convenient way to encounter new ideas, new music and new ways of thinking, and also provides valuable company to counter isolation and loss. Nine years of an average lifetime is indeed an impressive figure, but the real personal impact of radio cannot be quantified. World Radio Day provides a great opportunity to reflect on the power of radio.“
The 35 WRD 2016 contributing broadcasters from the EBU and other regional broadcasting unions are:
EBU MEMBERS
- PRA (Armenia)
- BTRC (Belarus)
- BNR (Bulgaria)
- HRT (Croatia)
- CYBC (Cyprus)
- ERR (Estonia)
- ARD/BR (Germany)
- ARD/NDR (Germany)
- ERT (Greece)
- MTVA (Hungary)
- RTÉ (Ireland)
- ERSL (Luxembourg)
- SNRT (Morocco ASBU/EBU)
- RTS (Serbia)
- RTVS (Slovakia)
- RTTT (Tunisia, ASBU/EBU)
- NRU (Ukraine)
OTHER UNIONS
- RTA (Afghanistan, ABU*)
- ABC (Australia, ABU/EBU Associate)
- NCN (Guyana, CBU*)
- AIR (India, EBU Associate)
- RRI (Indonesia, ABU)
- IRIB (Iran, ABU/EBU Associate)
- RJR (Jamaica, CBU)
- KMO (Kazakhstan, ABU)
- PBCKR (Kyrgyzstan, ABU)
- TDM (Macau, ABU)
- PSM (Maldives, ABU)
- MRTV (Myanmar, ABU)
- VOP (Palestine, ASBU*)
- SIBC (Solomon Islands, ABU)
- MBC (Sri Lanka, ABU)
- NBC (St. Vincent and the Grenadines, CBU)
- CCL (Trinidad and Tobago, CBU)
- VOV (Vietnam, ABU)
*ABU - Asian Broadcasting Union
*ASBU - Arab States Broadcasting Union
*CBU - Caribbean Broadcasting Union