Increased access to broadcast radio: Dr Toure

On the occasion of World Radio Day, ITU secretary-general Hamadoun I Toure reaffirmed the Union's commitment to increasing access to broadcast radio, the ubiquitous and widely disseminated communication technology that keeps people connected around the world.

"The convergence of telecommunications, broadcasting and computing has revolutionized radio as a medium of communication and ITU continues to develop the standards that make technological advances in digital radio platforms available globally," Dr Touré said.

The director of ITU's Radiocommunication Bureau François Rancy pointed to the widespread use of streaming audio, podcasts, online radio and social media on mobile devices and said, "In today's connected world, radio continues to provide an invaluable means of reaching out to the world. The digitization of radio has increased user-interaction and the sense of user engagement with this media, which increasingly uses multiple platforms."

In 2012, World Radio Day was proclaimed by UNESCO, following a request from the Academia Española de la Radio of Spain, to celebrate radio broadcast, improve international cooperation among radio broadcasters and encourage decision-makers to create and provide access to information through radio, including community radios. The occasion draws attention to the unique value of radio, which remains the medium to reach the widest audience and is currently taking up new technological forms and devices.

The ITU body dealing with the broadcasting service, ITU-R Study Group 6, focuses on worldwide broadcasting roaming and accessibility to these services - which include vision, sound, multimedia and data services intended for delivery to the general public - and plays a leading role in the advances being made in these technologies.