Some things have been in use for so long that we believe they have always been there. However, whenever one looks into into the past, fascinating revelations are inevitable. For instance, did you know that the radio has a dedicated day, February 13, marked worldwide to recognise its existence, relevance, and impact? World Radio Day was declared by UNESCO’s General Conference in 2011 and was later ratified by the United Nations General Assembly, which named it a UN international day the following year. The date was picked because the United Nations Radio was also formed on February 13, 1946. Gugliemo Marconi, an Italian inventor and electrical engineer, is credited with inventing what he then called the ‘wireless telegraph’ in 1895. History has it that, Marconi, at the age of 20, became particularly interested in the studies of Heinrich Herz, who discovered and first created radio waves in 1888. He began experimenting in 1895 at his parents’ home in Pontecchio, where he was soon able to broadcast signals across one and a half miles. He employed radio waves to send Morse code, used to relay messages, and the device he used became known as the radio. The word itself derives from the Latin ‘radius’, which means ‘ray’ or ‘beam’. When Edwin Armstrong, an American engineer, devised a specific circuit that enabled long-distance radio transmission of voice and music, it paved the way for the establishment of the United States Radio Industry in 1913. Only one person could listen to the radio at a time with crystal radios, however, vacuum tube radios could drive loudspeakers, allowing the entire family to listen to the radio at the same time. The radio soon became very popular. The first FM broadcasting started in 1936 to 1946, operating in the 42 - 50 MHz band. The frequency band evolved across time as well. Radio Rwanda was the first and only national radio station in Rwanda before 1990. This was followed by Radio Muhabura, founded by Rwandan Patriotic Front. Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines, RTLM, came next in 1993, which along with Radio Rwanda, played an important role in dividing Rwandans and inciting the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in. Today, Radio Rwanda has become a national public radio with six other regional stations including Magic FM (Kigali), Radio Rusizi (Rusizi), Radio Musanze (Musanze), Radio Nyagatare (Nyagatare, Radio Rubavu (Rubavu) and Radio Huye (Huye). There are now quite a number of radio stations across the country and radio continues to be an important tool in people’s daily lives as a source of information and entertainment. According to UNESCO, radio is one of the most trusted and accessible media in the world, hence, the theme of the 2022 edition of World Radio Day, ‘Radio and Trust’.
