Why radio?
Investing in radio in today’s global climate is hugely strategic! With all the talk about digital media, it’s easy to forget how powerful the seemingly old-fashioned radio still is. But the statistics are clear: radio still rules the world today, both in the scope of its reach and its capacity to function when all other communication fails.
Since its widespread use began 100 years ago, radio has become the primary source of information for most people worldwide. Over 44,000 radio stations broadcast to at least 70% of people on the planet! Its reach is far greater than more recent technology. In poor areas with limited infrastructure or low-literacy rates, radio can offer easily accessible, relevant, and location-specific information. It’s also low-cost enough to be available to everyone, even in impoverished areas.
But even as access in undeveloped countries grows, radio adapts by being available on cell phones, the internet, and television channels. It can go where people go, adjust as infrastructure increases, and remains unique in its service.
Radio champions a simple human craving algorithms can’t match: a connection to other human beings. Listeners can call in and engage in a conversation or hear their neighbors do the same. The concept is intensely personal- it offers people the opportunity to use their voices to discuss social issues, faith, and politics. It’s a platform for information, debate, and connection. Simply put, radio is the life pulse of a community.
Radio’s impact is particularly apparent in crises. It offers immediate access when people urgently need information regarding survival during a natural disaster, war, or health pandemic. Listeners can hear in real-time information related to their specific region. And unlike television, cell phones, or internet-based platforms, radios can operate far more efficiently without power. It is an instant lifeline of information and support in emergency situations.
Guidelines uses radio devotionals to take the message of Jesus far and wide. We can broadcast in warzones, natural disasters, hostile regions, and countries with small or non-existent native churches through radio. We can transmit out of suitcases in emergencies or use handheld radios to share God’s word in refugee camps. Countries with only a few hundred Christians can have access to a Christian radio station that encourages persecuted believers, disciples new followers of Jesus, and invites those who have never even heard Jesus’s name.
If we are going to reach the world with the love of Jesus effectively, we should not overlook how radio can impact minds and hearts with little other access. Most in the West have abundant resources declaring Jesus’s invitation to us- let’s not forget those who have never heard. Radio allows us to reach the widest audience worldwide in the quickest possible time. As crises increase, so does our urgency to share Jesus’s hope with others. Let’s invest in radio resources in every language, ready to serve those who have never heard of salvation through Christ alone!