CHARACTERISTICS

OF RADIO
• You probably know the story of Sanjay in the
Mahabharata who described the war to Dritharasthtra
who could not see. Sanjay could ‘see’ the war with his
divya drishti or his divine eye. Probably you can call
Sanjay as the first ‘radio broadcaster’.
OBJECTIVES OF RADIO

• Have you heard an advertisement on a popular brand of

soap or shampoo ? What does it communicate? Through
that you have come to know about the brand name of
the soap or shampoo. You are informed or told that such
and such a product is available in the market.. That
advertisement would also tell you what benefits the
brand offers
• Let us take another example. The water supply
department or electricity department makes an
announcement on radio that there will be no water or
power supply in your village or town the next day
morning. So you get ready to face that situation. Or a
message on radio tells you that the following sunday is
‘covid vaccination’ day.
• You might have heard rural programmes on agriculture
on radio. Experts who take part in that programme may
explain what precautions are to be taken for a crop
during a particular season. You learn to do a particular
agricultural practice using that information crop during a
particular season. You learn to do a particular
agricultural practice using that information.
• Now think of the three examples given above. In the
first case, you come to know about the availability of a
particular brand of soap or shampoo. It is for you to
decide what you want to do with that information. It just
informed you. In the second and third example of the
announcements about water/power supply and
Vaccination drive, you are given information. You would
agree that this information is of great use.

• When it comes to the fourth example of a particular

agricultural practice, the information can educate a
farmer who has no formal education or training in
agriculture.
• People tune into radio basically for these three things —
for information, education and entertainment. As radio is
not expensive, for a large number of people in our
country, radio continues to be the only source of
information, education and entertainment. Those who
cannot read or write or cannot see listen to radio news
for getting informed about what is happening around
them.
CHARACTERISTICS OF RADIO

• Radio makes pictures: For example, the running commentary

on radio of the Repubic Day Parade in Delhi? As you heard
the commentary, you could visualize or ‘see’ in your mind
what was being described. You could actively ‘see’ pictures
in your mind of the parade even as you listened to the
sounds of bands playing patriotic tunes or the sounds of
marching and commands. You use your power of imagination
as you follow the running commentary.
• The speed of radio : Radio is the fastest medium. It is
instant. As things happen in a studio or outside, messages
can be sent or broadcast. These messages can be picked up
by anyone who has a radio set or receiver which is tuned
into a radio station. If you have a television set and cable or
satellite connection you may be using a remote to get your
favourite channel. These days if you have a satellite
connection, you can also receive radio signals of various AIR
stations. Otherwise your normal radio set gives the meter or
frequency on which various radio stations operate. You are
tuned into that station and listen to news that happened a
few minutes earlier. On the other hand, a newspaper gives
you the previous days’ news. Of course television can also
cover events instantly. But television is a more complex
medium where you need light and cameras for any coverage.
• Simplicity of radio: Compared to all other media, radio is
simple to use. As mentioned in the previous sections,
radio needs very simple technology and equipment.

• Radio is inexpensive: As it is simple, it is also a cheaper

medium. The cost of production is low and a small radio
can be bought for as low a price as say fifty rupees.
• Radio does not need electric power supply: You can
listen to radio using dry battery cells even if you do not
have electric power supply or a generator. So in a
country like ours, where electricity has not reached
everywhere, radio is a great blessing.
• Radio receiver is portable: Don’t you move your radio
set at home from the living room to the kitchen or as
you go out some where? You can’t do that very easily
with television. This facility of moving an object which is
called ‘portability’ gives radio an advantage. These days
if you have a car and a radio in it, you can listen to it as
you drive or travel. Can you think of watching television,
when you drive ?
• One does not have to be literate to listen to radio :
Unless you are literate, you can’t read a newspaper or
read captions or text on television. But for listening to
radio, you need not be literate at all. You can listen to
programmes or news in any language on the radio.
• For a majority of Indians in the rural areas, radio is the only
source of news and entertainment . Radio news can be heard
anywhere using an inexpensive receiver. Even the most
economically backward sections can afford to use the
medium of radio. • Radio is the best medium of
entertainment. It provide healthy entertainment to the
listeners. • There is plenty of music of different types
available to people. • The popular types of music are
classical, light classical, light, devotional, folk and film music.