Radio As Strategic Communication Tool

Every year on February 13th, the world tunes in to celebrate World Radio Day to honour one of the most powerful, resilient and democratic forms of communication ever existed. Long before smartphones, social media platforms, the radio connected and still connects people across generations and borders using nothing but sound, imagination, emotion and trust. For many of us, radio isn’t just a piece of technology; it’s a time machine that carries the voices of our childhood, younger days, the melodies of our heritage and the comfort of a reliable friend during the darkest nights. Radio is not just a device; it is a companion, a teacher, a parent, a storyteller, and often the only bridge between the people and the world.

       The history ofradio is a saga of brilliant minds. While Guglielmo Marconi is often known as the first inventor of successful long-distance wireless transmission in 1895 AD, the foundations were laid by Heinrich Hertz, who proved the existence of electromagnetic waves and Nikola Tesla, who pioneered the wireless transmission of energy. By the 1920s, Radio became a household staple and cultural phenomenon. It allowed people, miles apart, to hear the information and entertainment simultaneously for the first time, transforming news dissemination, songs, education, health awareness, politics and much more across the globe. 

Powerful medium 

Radio quickly proved something extraordinary: we didn’t need to see to understand, and you didn’t need literacy to learn. That made it uniquely powerful, especially in developing and geographically challenging countries. The landscape changed on April 2nd, 1951 (Chaitra 20th, 2007 BS), when Radio Nepal was established. It evolved from Prajatantra Radio, symbolising the arrival of democracy following the political change from 104 years autocratic Rana regime towards a new modern democratic atmosphere in the country that marked a turning point moment not just politically but socially and culturally. 

Radio Nepal eventually became the voice of the national unity and a platform for Nepali music, language, cultural heritage and identity. For many years, Radio Nepal was the only broadcasting service in the country. Its signature news bulletins, patriotic songs, dramas and educational programs became a part of daily life. In a country where electricity and roads were limited, the radio functioned reliably through batteries, reaching even the most remote villages.

The crackle of shortwave and mediumwave frequencies is the soundtrack of their upbringing. Radio Nepal served as the nation’s primary town square, where generations, including those now leading the country or even shaping the country, crafted their worldview. The daily ritual was set by the clock: students eagerly awaited the Shaikshik Karyakram at 2:00 PM, while children gathered for the Baal Karyakram programmes at 5:00 PM. By 6:00 PM, the airwaves shifted to the soil with Krishi Karyakram, guiding farmers toward Unnat Krishi (improved farming). The station provided a cultural anchor through the vibrant melodies of the monthly programme Rasrang and the rhythmic banter of the folk-based Dohori programme, Chautari.

As technology shifted, so did the reach of the national broadcaster. On April 14, 1995 (Baisakh 1, 2052 BS), Radio Nepal embraced the future with the launch of FM Kathmandu, the first FM station in the country. This transition from the distant hum of SW to the clarity of FM marked a new era of urban broadcasting. Radio’s influence reached its zenith during the 2062/63 (2006) People's Movement, where it proved to be the most influential tool for change. 

Many of our families, including, carry a deep emotional attachment to radios. Growing up with radio means growing up with voices that felt personal, familiar, and trustworthy, offering companionship. Even today, certain jingles, news tunes or voices instantly take us back to our childhood, to simpler times, to shared listening. Every family sat together, neighbours gathered and imagined scenes created only by the sound. There was a unique intimacy in the static. We waited for hours just to hear a song we loved, and when the “Radio Natak” (Radio Drama) played, the whole village would gather around a single set, eyes closed and imagining a world created only by sound.

Nepali households were already tuning into international broadcasts such as All India Radio (AIR), a major source of Indian music and news. Radio Ceylon, which was famous for its iconic “Binaca Geetmala” hosted by the then popular Indian radio anchor Ameen Sayani and classic Indian Bollywood songs, interviews and gossip that echoed and became widely popular among Nepali courtyards. Nepali families would gather around radio sets, adjusting antennas carefully, waiting patiently for signals to clear. 

      Having radio’s active involvement and support towards literacy, health awareness, socio-cultural awareness and community strengthening, radio also remains accessible, affordable, inclusive, trustworthy and, and emotionally grounding. It doesn’t need internet, high literacy or expensive devices. In times of disaster, political crisis, or isolation, radio still reaches where others cannot. 

It is worth asking a difficult but necessary question: What place does radio hold in Nepal today? Radio has carried, and continues to carry, the values of Nepali society, and, by contrast, encourages contextual communication, continuity and editorial responsibility.

Strategic infrastructure

 These qualities are not outdated; they are essential for stability. Preserving radio’s relevance requires more than symbolic recognition. The state must preserve radio as strategic public infrastructure.  Radio is not outdated; it is underrated. With radios, we are not just honouring a technology, we are honouring voices, memories and trust and for many of us, radio will always feel like home and preserving radio’s relevance requires deliberate action. Strengthening state and community broadcasters, investing in quality content and promoting media and communication literacy should be national priorities. 

Radio must not be seen as obsolete infrastructure, but as a strategic communication capacity. In the navigations of various political instability, natural disasters and social-cultural change, radio remains one of the new media forms capable of reaching out to all over the people reliably. Radio continues to represent responsibility, reach and restraint, values that Nepal needs now more than ever. The airwaves are a public trust; letting them fall silent would be a loss not just of media, but of our national conscience.

(Aditya Tiwari is a Kathmandu-based writer and Yuwaditya N. Tiwari is a media professional.)