World Radio Day….who knew? Well, apparently this day, which just happened last week, has been celebrated since 2012! It took a few years, but it may just be catching on, at least by us.

In light of radio being an important part of our clients’ marketing strategies and the great relationships we have with our radio partners, I wanted to do some research on World Radio Day. I have to say it was quite interesting to read about what I actually have known for some time.

Radio is local and creates that sense of community. It brings people together in good times and in times of crisis. When we need to know what’s going on in our own backyards, we turn to our radio friends who we’ve come to know and consider to be our “friends” because we listen to them every day. They are speaking to us as individuals.

How many times when we prepare for a storm do we make sure to buy batteries…not just for our flashlights, but for our radios. Maybe here in the Northeast we focus more on making sure our cell phones are charged. But there are many other disaster prone countries who rely heavily on radio when storms would destroy all communication infrastructure. After a typhoon hit a village in an area of the Philippines, a small transmitter was set up on a high point in the city. Solar powered radios were given out and they now had a way to communicate to people. Radio replaced a void that was left when all forms of communication were torn down.

Radio bridges our community during difficult times. Whether it be from a weather-related disaster or a life-changing tragedy. We turn to the radio to be comforted by our longtime radio friends, to hear instruction on what to do next and to share the thoughts and feelings of our neighbors. It is a vehicle of cohesion, education and culture.

Radio has the ability to help raise awareness as well as thousands and thousands of dollars for local organizations in our community. We actually see the people we help through the efforts of local radio stations because they are our neighbors who live in our community…neighbors helping neighbors.

I’ve always loved radio. Radio is able to express innovative ideas, new and different viewpoints and bring people together, which is the ultimate goal of World Radio Day in 2015.

Radio Day is a global observance and not a public holiday, but maybe it should be.