In the year since the last World Radio Day, the global radio industry has gone from strength to strength.

Some estimates suggest that today there are over 44,000 radio stations – large, medium and small – all over the world. It is believed that 75% of the planet’s population – about 5.6 billion people – listen to radio every week. That’s an impressive number and shows that radio, in all its forms, remains an important medium.

At the Association for International Broadcasting, we monitor developments in all sectors of the media industry, and the vibrancy of today’s radio industry continues to fascinate us. There continues to be remarkable innovation in the sector. New initiatives, such as radio.garden, have become viral internet sensations. Voice controlled devices, like Amazon’s Echo, place radio from around the world at the centre of people’s homes. World Radio Day 2017 marks the official launch of the dot radio top level domain that will allow radio broadcasters to harness the power of, and be more easily recognised on, the internet.

Of course, it is the engagement with listeners that is most exciting about radio, and the impact the medium has on people’s lives. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, based in Prague, has collected anecdotes from some of its 13.5million listeners across Central Asia, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. They talk of the impact that the broadcaster has on their lives and how RFE/RL has created a democratic space that benefits society.

“The work of radio members of the Association for International Broadcasting remains as important today as it has always been,” comments Simon Spanswick, chief executive of the AIB. “Whether it’s entertainment, news or documentaries, radio continues to engage, inform and educate listeners in every country on the planet. And we’re delighted to see exciting, relevant new initiatives that makes radio ever more accessible in today’s ‘always on’ society. Radio isn’t just important on World Radio Day – it’s on the air 365 days a year, touching people’s lives in a constantly increasing number of positive ways.”

The AIB’s Business of Radio book highlights the continuing relevance of the radio industry and showcases the work of some of the AIB’s Members around the world. Read it online here.