Is radio still relevant in the digital age? Does it have any chance against the dominance of visual media? Long have gone the days when people throughout the world gathered around the radio, just to hear the so awaited news: war is over. Its power was once so great, it even scared a nation and took thousands to the streets, in fear of an alien invasion.
But other than a form of mass media, radio has always been a great companion. It can enter your home, even without any internet access, and talk to you for hours. It will keep you up to date with domestic and international politics, tell you unique stories and entertain your thoughts on science, education, music, food, travel… it can also guide you through the latest books and movies. Of course, it will be ready to inform you about the weather, the traffic or any other emergency, 24/7.
Radio never stops, it is alive and ever changing, always battling against the clock. One could think about it as a medium that always gives voice to the few and rarely to the many, yet it thrives when it gets close to those left on the sidelines. Radio is conversation, our most natural way of communication, and when it is done with ears wide open the understanding can turn into true emotion.
Radio is in our kitchen, radio is in the car, radio is in our pockets and even on demand. Radio is everywhere, yet it cannot really be touched. By the way, as with books and reading, the exciting thing about radio is that listening is just enough. No other sense is needed to let your imagination run free.
So just close your eyes and trust your ears, because, honestly, video never killed the radio star.
10 years of experience at Euskadi Irratia covering political, social, and cultural current affairs. Experienced in reporting from the Berlin, San Sebastián, and Sitges Film Festivals, as well as providing special radio coverage of the Academy Awards and the Goya Awards. Wrote about contemporary television series for the newspaper Berria for six years. Has also researched how Hollywood constructs Western moral, cultural, and political values through fiction.