WORLD RADIO DAY 2026

The theme of World Radio Day 2026 — “Radio and Artificial Intelligence: AI is a tool, not a voice” — underscores the growing role of Artificial Intelligence in the broadcasting ecosystem.

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Radio has always carried a certain charm intimate yet expansive, simple yet powerful. It slips quietly into daily life, asking for little but offering companionship, information and a sense of belonging. Long before screens dominated attention, radio was the trusted voice in the room connecting distant geographies, diverse languages and countless lives through shared listening.

Many historical moments are etched in collective memory through radio announcements. How can one forget the night of August 14-15, 1947 when the radio sets cackled to announce the independence of India. In that singular broadcast, radio did not simply deliver news it united a vast, diverse nation in one shared sound of freedom.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

World Radio Day (WRD) was proclaimed by United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at its 36th General Conference in 2011 and was later adopted by the United Nations General Assembly during its 67th session in 2012, making it an officially recognised international observance. It is celebrated annually on 13th February, to commemorate the establishment of United Nations Radio in 1946, which began broadcasting soon after World War II and symbolised an early commitment to global communication and information sharing.

THEME OF WORLD RADIO DAY 2026