Tuning in on World Radio Day

Radio is a powerful medium that transcends national borders. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), approximately 44,000 broadcasting stations reach more than 70 per cent of the global population, making this seemingly old technology the most widely used communication medium in the world.

Today marks the 15th anniversary of World Radio Day. As part of an ongoing commemoration, UNESCO encourages us to reflect on the history of radio and its impact on global communications.

Learning from the past: Canada and community radio

Canada has long played a role in the international development of community radio. In the 1940s, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) introduced the revolutionary concept of the Radio Forum, a discussion-based model that paired regional broadcasts with study groups to facilitate community dialogue. Born out of the Great Depression and growing public concerns over governance, the Radio Forum sought to create a more participatory public sphere through radio communications. Each week, thousands of Canadians gathered in small listening groups to discuss issues related to economic development, health, citizenship and education. The CBC experiment was so successful that, in 1954, UNESCO piloted the model in parts of Latin America, Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Today, the participatory legacy of the Radio Forum lives on through organizations like Farm Radio International (FRI). A Canadian-based NGO, FRI currently works with over 350 radio partners in 38 African countries to develop interactive radio programs. By facilitating two-way dialogue between broadcasters and listeners, FRI empowers local African producers to work through issues of land management and food production, while reaching over 36 million people on the continent.

Why radio matters

Despite the emergence and widespread use of smartphones, the accessibility of radio is still second to none. It remains the most affordable communication medium capable of reaching even the most remote communities, irrespective of literacy and education levels. A simple battery-powered radio can provide a lifeline of information to communities without reliable access to electricity and high-speed internet. When employed as an educational tool, it can even promote sustainable food cultivation, water conservation and disaster readiness.

Radio can also advance community development. As seen in the case of the Radio Forum, by providing real-time information and a platform for diverse perspectives, radio can encourage active listening, tolerance and dialogue necessary for bridging divides. Its promotion thus aligns with several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), most notably SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). As UNESCO observed two years ago,

“radio is a triumph of accessibility, immediacy and intimacy, and there’s a strong public-interest case for protecting it and our access to it”.

Radio in a new age of communications

To be sure, promoting radio and ensuring the dissemination of accurate and timely information is not without its challenges. As indicated in a 2024 UN Global Risk report, over 1,100 experts worldwide rank the propagation of misinformation and disinformation as a top global threat. The same experts also believe it is the issue that countries are least prepared to address. The spread of disinformation not only erodes confidence in public institutions but also undermines the norms of debate critical to democratic discourse.

Worse still, trusted sources of information, including established radio stations, are disappearing altogether. This development is certainly being felt at home.

According to a recent study conducted by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, over 580 news outlets across Canada have closed since 2008. During that same period, local and private broadcasting stations have experienced a net loss of nine per cent, a drop no doubt precipitated by recent budgetary cuts to CTV outlets. This decline has resulted in 2.5 million Canadians currently living in areas with only one or no local news outlets.

The need to solidify radio as a reliable source of information is even more pressing with the onset of artificial intelligence (AI). In the broadcasting world, AI is used in multiple stages of radio operations, including content production, data analysis and voice automation. While an increasing dependence on AI tools can enhance radio journalism, it also makes broadcasters susceptible to digital manipulation. As revealed in a recent survey conducted by the Canadian Journalism Foundation, 47 per cent of Canadians encounter false AI-generated information (such as audio ‘deep fakes’ and AI hallucinations) daily or several times weekly.

So how are broadcasters responding to the challenges posed by AI?

At the CBC headquarters in Toronto, the national broadcaster has pledged to update its 2023 internal guide on the ethical use of AI. The revised guidelines reaffirm the CBC’s commitment to journalistic transparency, as CBC radio commentators must disclose any use of generative AI to their audience. If they choose to use AI-assisted tools, they must also explain how they plan to do so during the editorial vetting process.

The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), meanwhile, has recently revised its definition of ‘Canadian content’ so that humans, not AI, must maintain creative control to qualify. While the CRTC recognizes that AI can assist in the creation of Canadian content, its regulations maintain that “humans should hold creative control to support economic opportunities and remuneration for Canadians creators”.

These initiatives represent a promising start. As we celebrate World Radio Day, we are reminded that a new age of radio communication brings both challenges and opportunities. In the face of eroding public trust, it is critical that broadcasters employ new technological tools ethically and responsibly to support professional judgement, creativity and public service values. If the history of radio broadcasting in Canada is any indication, we certainly have the capacity to meet that challenge.

Edited by Aleksandar Cimeša

Image credit: Freepik