NAB members celebrate World Radio Day

14 February 2023 | Ofentse Mboweni

Members of the National Association of Broadcasters marked World Radio Day on 13 February 2023 with a webinar led by East Coast Radio Managing Director Boni Mchunu.

The roundtable discussion centred on the resilience of radio in the digital era and Mchunu shared some global trends in radio broadcasting as well as learnings from an EGTA study workshop she attended in the US last year. Radio remains the most consumed media platform, as the Infinite Dial South Africa 2022 report showed and this is the case globally as well.

“Radio still has the highest consumption amongst all South Africans, which mirrors what's happening in America and the global stage. Radio is really poised for growth, but it takes all of us as media practitioners to believe that and really rediscover and communicate it accordingly,” Mchunu said.

“Radio has scale, it is authentic, and it is local. Radio is also human, radio is everywhere across all platforms and radio is free. The platform is trusted, but most importantly, it is regulated,” she added.

Mchunu told NAB members that radio unites its audiences, and that radio broadcasters have a responsibility to provide the best experience for their listeners.

“Everybody in South Africa was united by radio during the [July 2021] riots. We were united by radio during the floods [that happened in KwaZulu-Natal]. Radio informs and entertains, and it also deliver results for clients. We as radio practitioners have a responsibility of making sure that the user journey from is seamless for our listeners whether they choose to listen to us via a receiver, mobile phone or TV.”

 

Some key takeaways from Mchunu’s presentation were that, in the US:

- Radio has the highest reach among media options;
- TVs are now a source of audio consumption; and
- AM/FM radio has a 72% share of ear.

Although these findings reflect the US experience, they ring true in South Africa as well. The presentation can be downloaded here.

Downloads

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