Message on the Occasion of World Radio Day 2021
– Hon. Kwame McCoy, M.P. Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister
Today, The Government of Guyana and more particularly the Public Affairs Division of the Office of the Prime Minister, join with The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and member states around the world, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of WORLD RADIO DAY and the phenomenal broadcasters on all of our radio stations.
We pause today to recognize the trail-blazers, veterans, stalwarts and phenomenal broadcast personalities on the air and their enablers behind the scenes, in all our radio stations, who skillfully colour our daily experiences across this beautiful homeland of ours, from our waking breadths into each night cap, even keeping the company of those who must sojourn the nights as the rest of us sleep.
Through all seasons, the radio and our broadcasters have been and remain a beacon of light, transmitting crucial information; entertaining us with music, culture, drama and topical talk; and, inspiring us on our faithful journey to fulfilling our Guyanese destiny of oneness and prosperity.
Indeed, we in the government uphold and actively promote the Tennents upon which this important observance was proclaimed by UNESCO and ratified by the United Nations General assembly ten years ago, to observe annually, that “Radio is a powerful medium for celebrating humanity in all its diversity and constitutes a platform for democratic discourse”.
Around the world, as is the case here in Guyana, radio remains the most widely consumed communication medium. Its unique capacity to reach out to the widest audiences, means radio can be leveraged to shape a society’s social and cultural fabric and identity; serve as a platform for divergent viewpoints; and become a catalytic medium through which a democracy can evolve and thrive.
In recognition of this crucial reality and radio’s powerful potential, since 1992, successive PPP/Civic Administrations have invested in the growth of this transformative broadcast medium, to ensure its evolution and reach across the length and breadth of these 83,000 square miles of ours. Through these consistent efforts, the peoples of Guyana are now able to access information and enjoy Radio’s myriad offerings across the frequencies of 21 commercial radio channels and nine regional stations.
Through our “Pathway to Prosperity” budgetary allocations being presented and deliberated upon over the next few days in the National Assembly, your Government will advance the sector’s growth further this year, as we continue to invest heavily in new technologies for improved transmission and reach, and the building of our human resource capacity for better programming and delivery, in our quest to optimize Radio’s full national potential.
These efforts will be anchored in our Government’s unwavering commitment to the universal principles of MEDIA FREEDOM and our citizen’s fundamental rights to information and freedom of expressions.
Towards this end, we have embarked on a strategic transformational agenda for the Fourth Estate, with the media at the front and center of the change management and national development continuum.
On this occasion of World Radio Day 2021, which recognizes the central notions of EVOLUTION, INNOVATION and CONNECTION that drive this medium, I join in UNESCO’s call on radio stations, to reflect on these notions and celebrate our broadcasters, administrators, technicians and veterans of the sector, who keep us informed and entertained daily without tire.
Be assured today and continually, of the Government’s resolve to ensure that RADIO remains a viable medium of information, communication and entertainment for all of our peoples.
On behalf of His Excellency President Mohammed Irfaan Ali and the Cabinet, I wish you HAPPY WORLD RADIO DAY.