National Radio Day Celebrates Radio’s Ability To Build Connection with local Communities
Written by b87fm on 08/20/2024
National Radio Day is a time to honor one of the most longstanding electronic media and its role in our everyday lives. Radio delivers information, news, entertainment and company to millions of Americans every hour of every day. We invite listeners, broadcasters, producers and stations to celebrate on August 20.
Although there is not one authoritative source on the history of National Radio Day, it has been celebrated since the early 1990s on August 20. Perhaps it was decided that August 20 would be an appropriate day because 8MK (now WWJ) in Detroit, first broadcast on August 20, 1920.
According to Wikipedia, WWJ debuted as the âDetroit News Radiophoneâ and was âthe outgrowth of interest in radio technology by the publishers of The Detroit News, combined with inventor Lee de Forestâs longtime promotion of radio broadcasting.â
Regular annual recognition didnât quite take off until 2011 when NPR brought renewed attention to the day.
According to PBS, it wasn’t until the late 1800s when Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi started experimenting with short broadcasts, later broadcasting the first transatlantic signal, and physicist Reginald Fessenden sent the first long-distance transmission of music and human voice in December 1906 that the concept of the radio that we know today was created.
In the 100-plus years since its invention, radio has grown to become a place of human connection as the people behind the mic not only bring news and music but build community with their listeners, a sentiment even supported by statistics shared by the Pew Research Center that shows about 59% of radio and podcast hosts feel “extremely or very connected” to those tuning in.
On this National Radio Day, what better way to celebrate than with B87’s Djs and shows. Whether you enjoy relaxing listening to your favorite artist, tuning in to hear the latest news, following along with sports highlights or learning something new and fun on a podcast, B87 got you covered.
