Depending on your age, you and your family might have sat around the living room listening to a radio program back in the day.
Perhaps you or your parents owned one of those large RCA Victor radios back in the Fifties. Advertisements from those days show a wholesome-looking American family smiling as they stared at their radio.
Many kids today don’t listen to the radio. In fact, they view it as a relic from the past. Kind of like a typewriter. They still watch TV and of course get plenty of content from the Internet.
But that doesn’t mean radios are going the way of the dinosaur. In fact, I believe we need radios more today than ever before.
Still the best way to obtain timely info
First and foremost, we need radios for timely information. Why? For one thing, extreme weather is becoming more frequent and more violent these days.
Regardless of whether it’s an approaching hurricane, snowstorm, derecho or a sudden tornado outbreak. We need to be aware of what’s headed our way.
A radio is still the best way to receive pertinent data about threatening weather. Whether you’re at home, in your car, at a ballgame or at a campsite.
This information might end up being much more than timely. It could be life-saving. There are many true-life stories about people who took cover just in time, thanks to the warnings they received on their radios.
Radio has a rich tradition
Radio may have been the first electronic gadget to play a prominent role in your life. I know it was in mine.
Among the news heard first on radio through the decades was Britain declaring war on Germany in World War II. Radio is also how people became familiar with the music of recording artists. Such as Bill Haley and Elvis Presley.
There are even wings of museums dedicated to the history and evolution of radio. Including the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City.
They include radios designed by pioneering industrial designers. As well as exhibits showing the technological advancements of radio electronics.
The original mobile medium
Is radio on the decline in America? Here’s what the Radio Advertising Bureau says about that.
- Radio continues to reach more than 90 percent of adults every week. Even among working 18-34-year-olds.
- Radio is unobtrusive. People don’t have to “lean in” to listen to it. They can go about their day with radio as a companion.
- Radio is the original mobile medium. People tune in on the go. It’s how they learn about news and traffic.
- Radio is resilient. It continues to play a dominant role in the lives of Americans. And is expected to maintain that position.
Radios work when phones don’t
According to Public Safety Communications (PSC), radio is still the most reliable way for people to access important information during a crisis.
During some emergencies, such as the recreational vehicle bombing in Nashville, Tennessee, communications went down. Many were unable to use their cellphones.
The same type of thing has occurred after many other disasters. Including hurricanes and tornadoes.
This is one of the things that makes battery-powered and solar-powered radios so important. You can still get important information through a radio that you sometimes can’t get through your phone.
As stated on the PSC website, “Disaster communication ultimately hinges on a surefire signal that’s accessible. And radio provides this.”
A bug-out bag must
Some hand-crank radios might look like antiques. But they are as relevant and trustworthy today as they’ve ever been.
They are considered an emergency kit essential by emergency authorities. The most useful ones provide NOAA weather alerts, sustainable power and light.
In every bug-out bag kit list we’ve ever compiled, an emergency radio is always included. It’s nearly as crucial to include as survival food and water
Cell towers and networks are vulnerable. They’re susceptible to service disruptions. But emergency radios are dependable. They can give you the weather alerts, evacuation routes and other breaking news you need – when you need it.
And the very best radios also give you a variety of ways to charge them (solar, hand-crank, batteries and USB). Not to mention a power bank to charge your USB-compatible devices.
Yes, radios have been around a long time. But they are as essential to own today as ever.
