radio

For decades, the voice of the Indian broadcasting sector was the All India Radio (AIR) station (now Akashvani or Voice from the sky) and public television station Doordarshan, which disseminated news and other information in the vast nation. The two government institutions held sway for decades following India’s independence and were a vital link between the government and the people.

Radio is helping Ethiopian farmers make the best of a bad situation as they deal with the effects of the worst drought in decades, writes Kevin Perkins of Canadian development organization Farm Radio International (FRI). 

The BBC has confirmed its intention to create a radio service for North Korea, although, despite a recent report, a start date for this service has not been set. North Korea’s recent test of what it described as a hydrogen bomb, and its launch of a long-range missile, have instilled urgency to the BBC’s plans.

Radio undoubtedly has been the most inclusive medium of communication. [...] In recognition of this, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) proclaimed the first World Radio Day in 2013 with the purpose of recognizing the importance of radio every Feb. 13.

Interviews with defectors reveal that many listen to news from shortwave radios, despite fear of severe punishment, and there is a new $50 portable media device providing a window to the outside world – despite the government’s best efforts to isolate its population.

To reach people in a conflict, sometimes low-tech is the best tech. The local communities in South Sudan’s Greater Upper Nile region have borne the brunt of the politically driven violence that began in December 2013. Since then, nearly 2 million people have been forced from their homes. Farmers have been unable to plant their crops due to continuing insecurity, increasing the threat of famine, and outbreaks of disease like Cholera have struck refugee camps and conflict-affected areas alike. In the midst of this, communication has broken down.

Australia's highest court on Wednesday cleared the way for a radio station to face penalties over a 2012 prank call to a London hospital that was caring for the Duchess of Cambridge. A nurse who transferred the call committed suicide after the broadcast.

Gunmen from an al-Qaida inspired militia have taken over radio and television stations in the central Libyan city of Sirte, a security official said. He said the seizure of the buildings happened on Thursday after militants from Ansar al-Sharia had warned the station to stop broadcasting music. The group, considered a terrorist organization by the United States, is accused of being involved in a deadly 2012 attack on a U.S. mission and annex in Benghazi. Its branch in the city of Derna has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

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