O.P. Sharma
opsharmajournalist@gmail.com
Every year, World Radio Day is observed on February 13, and this year too it is being celebrated in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir with solemnity and fervour. The theme for World Radio Day 2026 is “Radio and Artificial Intelligence”, with the guiding slogan “AI is a tool, not a voice”. The theme focuses on the ethical use of AI in broadcasting, enhancing creativity, and preserving human connection and trust in the evolving media landscape. UNESCO encourages exploration of how AI can support professional judgment, improve content quality, and increase accessibility, while emphasizing responsible deployment.
Key Aspects of the Theme
Ethical and Responsible AI:
Highlighting the need for human oversight, fact-checking, and transparency in the use of AI tools.
Innovation and Efficiency:
Utilizing AI for audio enhancement, transcription, personalization, and expanding audience reach.
Human Element:
Emphasizing that technology should support-not replace-human creativity, judgment, and the essential trust listeners place in broadcasters.
This theme importantly underlines that:
o AI is rapidly transforming audio workflows, presenting opportunities for innovation as well as challenges to traditional practices.
o The theme prompts global discussion on ensuring AI serves public-service values in radio broadcasting.
UNESCO and other organizations use this day to showcase radio’s enduring role in delivering news, amplifying voices, and fostering community engagement, now with a forward-looking perspective on artificial intelligence.
World Radio Day is an international celebration observed annually on February 13 to recognize radio as a uniquely powerful, low-cost, and far-reaching medium. It serves as a platform for democratic discourse, a source of education, and a vital lifeline during emergencies and special occasions.
Adopt New Technology
This 15th edition of World Radio Day centers on the theme “Radio and Artificial Intelligence”. As the industry enters a new digital chapter, UNESCO has introduced the guiding slogan “AI is a tool, not a voice”. This focus acknowledges that while AI can streamline production processes, human judgment and creativity must remain at the heart of broadcasting in order to preserve audience trust.
Historical Significance
It may be mentioned that World Radio Day was first introduced in 2010 by the Spanish Radio Academy. It was officially proclaimed by UNESCO Member States in 2011 and later adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012. February 13 was chosen to mark the anniversary of the establishment of United Nations Radio.
The Power of Radio in the Modern Era
Despite the rise of digital platforms, radio remains the most widely consumed mass medium across the globe. Both print and electronic media are powerful instruments of mass communication and rapid socio-economic transformation in society. Media is rightly regarded as the Fourth Pillar of Democracy, after the Legislature, Administration, and Judiciary. This medium of communication plays a vital role in shaping public opinion and social development.
Accessibility: Radio is truly “the voice of the voiceless”, reaching remote, rural, and marginalized communities regardless of literacy levels or financial means.
Cultural Diversity: It is an essential tool for preserving local languages and traditions through community broadcasting.
J&K Forging Ahead
It was on December 1, 1947, that the first radio station was started in Jammu. It was inaugurated by Maharani Tara Devi, and the first broadcast was made by Maharaja Hari Singh, the then ruler of Jammu and Kashmir, to disseminate news and views for development and to counter malicious propaganda from across the border. This heralded a new era of broadcasting in the State.
Later, a radio station was set up at Srinagar in July 1948 and was inaugurated by Begum Sheikh Abdullah, wife of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. Broadcasting remained a part of the J&K Government till 1954, when it was taken over by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for socio-economic and cultural programming. The people of Jammu and Kashmir were also able to listen to radio stations across the country. The media created a visible impact and a tangible awakening among the people in this sensitive border state, nestled in the Himalayan mountain range.
Subsequently, several private-sector radio stations, including community radio stations, emerged in Jammu and Kashmir, playing an important role in communicating subject-specific ideas and information to their audiences.
Doordarshan Kendra, Srinagar, was established in January 1973 to telecast programmes catering to the needs and aspirations of the people of the region. A low-power transmission Doordarshan Kendra was inaugurated in Jammu on September 1, 1994, by the then Governor K.V. Krishna Rao. It catered mainly to Dogri-speaking audiences, reflecting their social, cultural, and developmental aspirations, and countering anti-national propaganda. Other Doordarshan Kendras and private television channels also enjoy wide reach and viewership across Jammu and Kashmir and throughout the country.
Optimal Rapid Transformation
It is essential that broadcasting and telecasting media be re-strengthened and rejuvenated to ensure the free flow of information to all sections of society. This will further strengthen the roots of democracy and accelerate socio-economic development with the aim of achieving a “Viksit Bharat”, placing the nation at the forefront of the global community. All efforts must be geared in this direction on World Radio Day to attain national goals and objectives.
(The author is a veteran journalist.)
(Starline.syndicate.service@gmail.com)
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