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'Radio has carved a place for itself in the bustling multimedia world of the 21st century by Raghu Kalra Long before the world was conquered by Television, radio had come into existence. It was faster than any form of communication we had ever had. Radio used air as its medium and hence it never required to use of wires to propagate. So the coverall cost of maintenance has been much less than any other medium.

The world today has a population of over 7 billion people. More than half of these cannot afford a two meals a day, let alone a television. Radio is that device that has the potential to reach this 7 billion population. A prime example of radio's reach is India. Here All India Radio aka AIR reaches 98% population of the country. Radio, unlike a television is a more personal medium. A person gets attached to radio very easily. It could be understood even by an illiterate person very easily.

Radio unlike television has the power that the listener can get lost in his own world of imagination when he is listening to radio. On the other hand television provides you the visuals and limits your scope for imagination. AS Kapoor, Director General of AIR (1995) said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Radio is far more interactive and stimulating medium than TV where viewer is spoon-

fed. Radio allows you to think, to use your imagination. That is why nobody ever called it the idiot box. â&#x20AC;?

Today, the world is turning towards the internet for almost all of its communication. The new world of internet radio is fast emerging along with this. This form of radio helps a person to listen to radio from all around the world. This new form of radio is also bringing out better quality broadcasts to the listeners. The new form of High Definition or HD radio is also coming through internet. This provides a studio quality sound output.

After the introduction of television, radio had suffered a lot of loss of its listeners but it never died. Now slowly but surely radio is rising again. Most of the developing world is using a lot of radio to spread information, education and entertainment . Though radio is not a front runner when it comes to mass medias, but it is still a very important form of media. Radio is such an important form of communication that when a military coup occurred in Pakistan, the first thing the army did after taking over the presidential house was that they took over the state radio broadcasting offices.

Essay radio has carved a place for itself in the bustling multimedia world of the 21st century