World Radio Day: 5 little known facts about your favourite source of infotainment

Under the theme “Dialogue, Tolerance and Peace” UNESCO is paying tribute to radio on February 13. It was first proclaimed on November 3, 2011 by UNESCO's 36th General Conference after originally being proposed by Spain. Following a request from the Spanish Radio Academy on September 20, 2010, Spain proposed that the UNESCO Executive Board include an agenda item on the proclamation of a World Radio Day. This year’s celebration underscores the medium’s ability to encourage understanding and foster new perspectives. At its headquarters in Paris, UNESCO is organizing an event which will air on DAB+ and online from a temporary radio station set up by Broadcast Associés. 

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There is also a changing face to radio services, which in the present times of media convergence, are taking up new technological forms, such as broadband, mobiles and tablets. For the United Nations, especially our peacekeeping operations, radio is a vital way of informing, reuniting and empowering people affected by war. “It conveys vital information and raises awareness on important issues. And it is a personal, interactive platform where people can air their views, concerns, and grievances. Radio can create a community,” UN Secretary-General, António Guterres said in a statement.

Top 5 facts about radio

1. The term "radio" is derived from the Latin word "radius", meaning "spoke of a wheel, beam of light, ray". Early developments in radio were called ‘wireless telegraphy’, which is why the radio used to be called the wireless. 
2. The existence of radio waves and the feasibility of radio transmission was predicted by James Clark Maxwell in the 1860s. 
3. In 1922, the UK government introduced a radio licence costing 10 shillings. From 1922-1971 you could not listen to the radio in the UK without having a licence.
4. Before Marconi, others including Nikola Tesla, Oliver Lodge and Heinrich Hertz had good claims to have invented radio transmission. 
5. Marconi won a Nobel Prize for “contributions to the development of wireless telegraphy” in 1909.