Radio still holds relevance in today's internet age

livemint.com:

Narendra Modi uses radio (and the internet) for wide and deep penetration of his weekly Mann Ki Baat talk. But the policy lessons from this access appear to have been forgotten in a country enraptured by the smartphone and app revolution. From a policy perspective, radio should retain importance, particularly for community-based broadcasting, emergency situations and education.

It is an omnipresent and cheap medium that is available to the entire population. Data-usage prices in India are among the lowest in the world. This ease of data access has been converting millions of Indians to internet-based entertainment and education.

In the long run, data prices will have to normalize, making it unaffordable to many. The number of devices per household is also a contributing factor for access to digital education. Radio not only democratizes access to the poorest households, it does so within a household as well.

For the full promise of radio to be fulfilled, the costs of supply (radio licence fee and set-up costs) and access should be reduced. With the evolution of technology, data and analytics, radio may be able to offer some or all of the personalization of internet apps. This feature may be particularly helpful for community radio and also for education purposes where local language tools must be used to ensure deeper comprehension.

Beating a radio drum in an internet age may seem anachronistic. The visual feed that the internet offers has obvious appeal. However, for the diversity of a country like India, the cost, reach and penetration of radio can make for a very attractive complement to TV and internet-based approaches.