News & Features Sunday January 27, 2008
Power to inform
TO many people, radio is synonymous with “entertainment”.
But, to me, a good broadcaster should not only be about pleasure; it should also inform listeners about the world they live in and what goes on in it. Such information may well be lifesaving knowledge for them one day.
Then there is the vital role of educating the public and raising awareness of issues – from social to health and more.
In closely monitoring our local FM bands over the years, I’m happy to welcome a marked improvement – especially of late – in many broadcasters.
It wasn’t too long ago that some of our deejays were callously making flippant or insensitive remarks about other people’s plight.
Thankfully, nowadays radio stations do appear to be more sensitive and in tuned with public sentiments. At the same time they are more responsive in times of crisis.
Some of them even attempt to go the extra mile despite their limited resources. The current flood situation caused by heavy rains is a good example.
Sadly, there were evacuees again last week. This time, 300 residents in two villages in Pekan, Pahang, were forced to abandon their homes because of the rising waters.
Radio24, the all-news broadcaster operated by Bernama in Kuala Lumpur, has been updating listeners on floods in various states since early December. It diligently kept up with its duty to cover the flood situation even as the nation celebrated two major holidays – Hari Raya Korban and Christmas.
During particularly bad weather, listeners were still able to follow news reports as frequent as each hour throughout the day.
Radio24 not only kept the public informed of the rising water levels but other details too, such as the kinds of aid available to the flood victims as well as the Government’s short-term and long-term plans in flood alleviation.
It also conducted live crossover interviews with officials to keep the people posted on how the flood victims were coping at the evacuation centres.
Apart from that, Radio24 also provided useful tips about what to do during an emergency and possible ways to reduce the risk of becoming a flood victim. These were aired either through short public service announcements (PSAs) or in audio capsules throughout the day.
Listeners in the Klang Valley can tune in to Radio24 on FM93.9MHz.
Those outside the area may access it via the Internet: http://www.radio24.com.my/main.html. Once in and after the introduction page, click on Radio24 Live Streaming.
Despite living in the cyber age, the writer insists that radio still provides a unique window on the world. When he isn’t scanning bandwidths, he helps to raise awareness of positive living with pets through his organisation, Petpositive (Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association).PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS THE LAST TIME AIR RAVES WILL APPEAR ON SUNDAYS IN STARMAG. FROM NOW ON, YOU CAN READ AIR RAVES ON THURSDAYS IN THE STARTWO SECTION OF THE STAR. AIR RAVES WILL APPEAR NEXT ON FEBRUARY 7, 2008, ON THE FIRST DAY OF CHINESE YEAR.
