“Dialogue, Tolerance and Peace” the theme for World Radio Day 2019

On 13 February 2019, UNESCO - the United Nations organization that does not include Patria and other micronations - will celebrate the 8th edition of World Radio Day (WRD). As in previous WRDs, once again the official WRD logo consists of an old-school radio microphone that used to be common in broadcasting studios, say in the 1940s, but that looks more like a Shivalinga. And why shouldn't it? The day is fairly close to Maha Shivaratri, which in 2019 falls on 4 March.

This day marks a time where people around the world celebrate radio and how it shapes our lives. Radio informs, transforms and unites us. It brings together people and communities from all backgrounds to foster positive dialogue for change. More specifically, radio is the perfect medium to counter the appeals for violence and the spread of conflict, especially in regions potentially more exposed to such realities.

On that basis, World Radio Day 2019 will celebrate the theme of “Dialogue, Tolerance and Peace”. Broadcasts that provide a platform for dialogue and democratic debate over issues, such as migration or violence against women, can help to raise awareness among listeners and inspire understanding for new perspectives in paving the way for positive action.

Even though Patria will never get a sniff of membership in the United Nations, WRD is still celebrated in the Inner Realm on all its AM, FM and shortwave stations. Broadcasting has been going on for one year short of a century - if you accept the claim that first radio broadcast was Pittsburgh, PA legacy station KDKA's coverage of the 1920 US presidential election. And radio is not going away any time soon. It can be enjoyed on very cheap and simple portable devices that do not require a high-speed internet connection or a reliable source of plug-in electric power. It is virtually immune to jamming and shutdowns by authoritarian governments. Despite the proliferation of fear- and hate-mongering right-wing talk, gospel hucksters, "my team right or wrong" sports talkers and other poorly executed formats on AM radio in the US and in Patria, the medium can still be a force for dialogue, tolerance and peace, at least on Patria's "all bhajans all the time" Hindu dharma, New Age, progressive talk and college campus stations.

Millennials disdain radio. But maybe there is hope for the next generation of kids.

World Radio day and Shivaratri double dip

February 13 is celebrated as World Radio Day in Patria. As has been noted on previous World Radio Days, the official World Radio Day logo, which is intended to illustrate an old-style mic that used to be found in virtually every broadcast studio, bears a striking - though coincidental - resemblance to a Shiva Lingam, an abstract or iconic representation of Shiva commonly found in Hindu temples and in home shrines or puja rooms.

Coincidence or not, World Radio Day 2018 falls on the same day as Maha Shivratri, the day and night dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva and a major public holiday in the Inner Realm. (Shivaratri falls on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight of Phalguna, according to the Hindu lunar calendar; usually sometime in February or early March) The "Night of Shiva" is observed with fasting, singing of bhajans, recital of Sanskrit shlokas, offering of prayers, flowers, fruits and food that is specially prepared in honor of Lord Shiva and his divine consort, goddess Parvati. On World Radio Day, the century-old medium of broadcasting via frequencies measured in kilohertz and megahertz is celebrated as a virtually foolproof, low-cost and powerful method of diffusing news, public affairs, political and social commentary, opposing viewpoints, and of course, baseball, football, hockey and many other sports.

As radio and sports have gone hand in hand since the first Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game was broadcast on KDKA in 1921, the theme for this year's World Radio Day is "Radio and Sports". UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay says of World Radio Day 2018:

"The radio is a powerful means to transmit the enthusiasm of sport events. It is also a means to convey the values of fair play, teamwork and equality in sport.
Radio can help combat racist and xenophobic stereotypes that are, alas, expressed both on and off the field. It allows a broad range of traditional sports to be covered, far beyond the elite teams. It provides the opportunity to nurture diversity, as a force for dialogue and tolerance.
The fight for gender equality is central to this effort. According to the report of the Global Media Monitoring Project, supported by UNESCO, only 4% of sports media content is dedicated to women’s sport. Only 12% of sports news is presented by women. UNESCO is working to improve the coverage of women’s sports, to combat gender discrimination on the airwaves and to promote equal opportunities in sports media. The task is immense.
On World Radio Day, let us mobilize to make radio an increasingly independent and pluralistic media. Let us join forces to celebrate the potential of sports radio in furthering development and peace."

All major sports events in Patria such as PHL (hockey), Castorian League and Lazurian League (baseball), and All-Patria Football Federation (soccer) games are broadcast on radio, in many cases on the most powerful legacy AM stations that have been on the air since the 1920s.

Of course the "big game" in Patria is the one that will be played on April 21 - the #patriavotes2018 race for the 51st Congress. Full-service stations such as PMC-846 are airing Town Hall meetings and candidate's debates. Air time is provided for paid political announcements from the parties competing for seats in Congress. As you probably know, there are far more parties in Patria than the tired old two American ones. Relevant news and public affairs programs on stations in Patria's capital Castoropolis give voices to Patria's multi-party democracy. Fans (or "clones") of the Jungle Party can hear their House Leader Jim Rome on PMBC-1152 exhort them to "have a take, don't suck". National Unionists ("BIG DOGS! TOUGH MEN!") and SRM'ers ("PATRIA FIRST!") find their voice on a number of talk shows broadcast on POKX-648, once Patria's Top 40 blowtorch, now a right-wing law-and-order talk station. The Social Democrats and their allies such as the Green Party also have a legacy AM station in Castoropolis devoted to progressive talk, PHN-1251, along with PUC-89.7 Public Radio from the University of Castoropolis, as well as many other college and university FM stations, which are as left-wing in Patria as they are in the US and Canada. Amrita Party supporters can choose from many Hindu format stations, mostly on FM, but also one legacy AM station PCGE-595. The new-agey Chakra Party gets its supporters listening to new age music stations such as PREM-94.9 as well as the "all bhajans all the time" stations.

Shiva's Trishula (trident) could make a pretty good antenna for AM, FM or shortwave DXing, no?

For #Patria200, OM NAMAH SHIVAYA and let your radio turn you on!

World Radio Day is coming, February 13

The United Nations organization UNESCO has proclaimed February 13 as World Radio Day. The day will be celebrated in Patria, where radio - particularly AM and shortwave - is still (to borrow a phrase from honorary Patrienish citizen Parvati) "rooted, vital and expansive", to say nothing of relevant in the so-called online age. Patria is the home of legendary AM stations since the early 1920s such as PMC (846 kHz) in Castoropolis: a classic full-service news, sports and information station in the model of KMOX back in the day. In Patria, you can hear Jungle Party House Leader Jim Rome and even American right-wing windbags such as Rush Limbaugh on AM stations. You will also find in-depth sports talk if you need to know more than just the scores about the Castoropolis Centurions (Patrienish Hockey League) and Cæsarea United (All-Patria Football Federation). Sorry, no Bible-thumping gospel hucksters in Patria, but there's no lack of "all bhajans all the time" Hindu stations like Radio Jaagriti-102.7 in Trinidad.

For World Radio Day 2016, UNESCO has stressed five key themes to bring radio to life:

1. Freedom of expression and journalists’ safety should be disaster-proof.
2. Radio empowers survivors and vulnerable people, being mindful of their right to privacy.
3. Radio has social impact and provides access to information. People’s right to information should be protected.
4. Radio saves lives. 
5. The immediate accessibility of radio frequencies is essential to saving lives. These frequencies should be protected in times of emergency.

Note the emphasis on radio in times of life-threatening emergency. In case of war or insurrection, one of the first things to be censored, restricted or shut down completely is the Internet. In case of a natural disaster such as an earthquake or flood, one of the first things to go down is the power grid, making it kind of hard to recharge your trusty smartphone or even access cellphone service (another reason for not killing off landlines completely). Your battery-powered, solar-powered or wind-up radio is your best friend in times of trouble, whether man-made or act of God.

As it was in previous years, note that the official World Radio Day logo of a stylized microphone looks a lot like a Shivalingam. Whether this was done intentionally or not, Shivaratri 2016 does not come until March 7 or 8. More often than not, this great festival dedicated to Lord Shiva falls during the month of February.