World Radio Day: Obaseki lauds inventors, urges speedy media convergence

The Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has extolled the inventors of radio, whose diligent scientific researches, he said “resulted in the small audio box that has transformed the lives of billions of people across the world.”

Obaseki gave the commendation on Tuesday in commemoration of the United Nations World Radio Day, marked on February 13, each year.

“The transformational power of the radio is awesome. It has contributed significantly to governance across the world, mobilising people in the grassroots to embrace the policies and programmes of government while providing the platform for the listener to contribute to governance and social debates. Its ability to convey messages to millions of heterogeneous audience members far flung from one another makes the mass medium of communication unique,” he said.

The governor noted that in many instances, the radio was the first source of education for millions of people and has proven to be a reliable electronic companion that broadcasts entertainment materials and transmits cultures from one generation to the other.

He explained that with the advancement in information and communication technology sector, “there is need for stakeholders in the sector to expedite work on media convergence to enable media owners harness the associated benefits.

“In this regard, the Edo State Government is repositioning the state-owned broadcasting station, Edo Broadcasting Service and the Nigerian Observer, for efficient delivery of quality media contents.”

He added: “Our aspiration is to adopt best practice in the management of our media enterprises, cutting-edge technology and well trained and motivated workforce in the state’s broadcast and print media enterprises in line with the demands of the information age.”

On the theme of the 2018 World Radio Day “Radio and Sports,” Obaseki said the year promises a lot of magical moments with the forthcoming soccer mundial, the World Cup, which will offer loads of entertainment to soccer fans who will assemble around the radio, especially in rural and peri-urban areas to enjoy live broadcast of the Russia 2018 World Cup.”

According to the United Nations, Radio is specifically suited to reach remote communities and vulnerable people: the illiterate, the disabled, women, youth and the poor, while offering a platform to intervene in the public debate, irrespective of people’s educational level. Furthermore, radio has a strong and specific role in emergency communication and disaster relief.

On this year’s theme, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) calls on all radio stations around the world to showcase the beauty of sports in all of its diversity.

“Let’s celebrate the traditional sports that connect us to our cultural heritage, the grassroots sports that anchor us within our communities, and the inspiring stories that challenge gender stereotypes and cover, equally, both men’s and women’s sports events” the organisation said.

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