Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi has said Radio is the strongest medium that connects people with their local communities.
Participating in Radio Pakistan’s Podcast on the occasion of World Radio today (Tuesday), he said radio’s strength lies in localism, connecting people with their communities and creating a personal emotional bond with listeners. He said no medium, other than radio, has ever accomplished the task of connecting people with their local communities.
The Minister said even in times of enormous emergencies like earthquakes or pandemics, especially during the Covid-19, radio connected people with one another when they could not come out of their homes.
He said it is radio, which updates its listeners about various activities, including concerts, opening of new shops, bakeries and restaurants. He said national television can’t do that.
Murtaza Solangi recalled that when television came, there were rumors and suspicions that radio will die.
With the arrival
of new technology and internet in 1990s, we had the same illusion, especially with the computer technology developing where DJs and programmers could voice track their programmes in advance.
He said even in the age of artificial intelligence when one can have data analysis to find out what people are listening.
He said the algorithms may help you in figuring that out, but still you need a human being.
He said the artificial intelligence cannot generate original calls from the community of a school boy, who is facing any difficulty with his homework.
Similarly, technology cannot help a lady, facing problems in finding particular spices in the market and some lonely person, lounging in his private environment and misses a particular song that reminds him about his childhood or about his youthful memories. He said only radio can do that.
Referring to recently held elections in the country, the Minister said no medium can give you the necessary information about your constituency as radio can. He added that
no other medium can raise local issues in that detail and on a larger canvass as radio can.
He said television or artificial intelligence cannot do that. He said even the digital entertainment platforms like Spotify can probably help an individual connecting with the type of music or the type of audio content he wants to listen.
It may help even the radio programmers, but still the central role of radio broadcasting of connecting with the local communities through ordinary phone lines remains supreme. He said the importance of radio will never vanish.
Demonstrating his love and association with radio, Murtaza Solangi, on the occasion, also chanted “Long Live Radio.”
Source: Radio Pakistan
