In its inaugural year, the International Radio Forum brought together leading radio media practitioners, media specialists, policy makers and academics from across the Middle East and other parts of the world. Eminent speakers from all radio broadcasting industry shared their experiences and their vision for the future of this medium. Most of them underscored the need for radio to reinvent itself and reposition itself in the evolving multimedia environment. The theme selected for the International Radio Forum 2009 responds exactly to this requirement. The era of diverse multimedia platforms being available for delivery of content is already with us. Several of these new platforms cab gainfully be used for delivery of radio programming. While this multimedia environment creates new competition for radio broadcasters, more importantly, it provides them with exciting possibilities for creating new genres of content and delivering their programming in many new ways. As a medium of communication, radio has immediate access to mass audiences. Being a cost efficient mass medium, it lends itself best to low cost at the production end as well as at the receiving end. Together with the ease with which radio services can be received, it is not surprising that radio has found itself deeply involved in dissemination of developmental communication. Considering that in many developing countries radio may still be the only affordable medium of mass communication with access to target population, the role of radio broadcasting is to provide a powerful tool for flow of modern ideas. Developmental communication is about human development and the quality of human life. Developmental communication is a means of binding individuals into a society by the use of shared language and aspirations, common interests and objectives. Coupled with economic growth, social dimensions like education, health and ecological considerations are important factors for development. In particular, developmental communication focuses on the disadvantaged and deprived groups. Radio is a medium that is aptly used to encourage positive individual attitude to development and constructive social change. Radio can, in a more effective manner, carry interesting, entertaining and valuable information into the homes and lives of millions of listeners, through imaginatively conceived lessons, music, dramas and documentaries that engage listeners' emotions and thought-process towards life improvement. Creation of content (programming) for developmental communication is a major challenge for radio programmers. An innovative approach rooted in the cultural ethos of the target audience and making use of modern metaphor and content creation tools is the key to developmental communication programming. Devising appropriate formats for developmental communication is
of vital importance. What is also important is that these formats and content need to be location specific, language specific, borrowing heavily on local mannerisms, nuances and traditions. Delivering developmental communication to audiences is one of the important roles that radio has been playing over the last one century. Across the region, many families continue to be at disadvantage on social, economic and developmental opportunities. The such medium of radio has been, and continues to be utilised to impart gainful information to such audiences designed to enable them to work towards their empowerment through awareness-generation, confidence-building, employment, economic independence, education, training, health, nutrition, welfare services and legal safeguards. Radio will have to continue to play this role in the society effectively. And for this purpose, the new delivery opportunities can be harnessed.
Public Service Broadcasters continue to play a pivotal role in broadcasting. While the PSBs may not always produce the most popular content, they do try to reach a wide and broad segment of the population. Demands to stay competitive, relevant and current mean that PSBs have to find unique new ways to attract and retain listeners. With technology playing an increasingly important role in reaching audiences, PSBs have embraced technology and used it to advantage. This second edition of the International Radio Forum is an effort to focus on all the aspects of radio in the traditional and emerging markets in West Asia and North Africa. Given the mix of public service and commercial radio broadcasters operating in this region, the conference takes up issues which concern both the public values and the commercial world. The Forum takes place alongside the 10th International Radio Festival of Iran 18-20 May 2009) in Tehran.
P.O.Box : 19395-3778 Tel : (+9821) 22168048
Fax : (+9821) 22168048 E-mail :IRF@irib.ir
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