National Radio Day – Saturday, 20 August

National Radio Day is a time for communities across the country to celebrate radio. The goal is to strengthen the radio ecosystem, highlighting all kinds of radio, but especially stations that focus on local service.
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 South Africans every hour of every day.

History

Although there is not one authoritative source on the history of National Radio Day, it has been celebrated since the early 1990s on 20 August. Perhaps it was decided that 20 August would be an appropriate day because 8MK (now WWJ) in Detroit, first broadcast on 20 August, 1920.

There are almost 15.4-million radio sets in South Africa, with more than 30-million listeners. You can listen to radio on the airwaves, via satellite, mobile phone or the internet.

The largest radio stations in South Africa are the SABC’s African language stations; Ukhozi FM – almost 4,3-million listeners a week; Umhlobo Wenene (Xhosa) – 2,43-million listeners; and Lesedi FM (Sesotho) – 2,14-million listeners.

South Africa now has 14 commercial radio stations and over 200 community stations, broadcast in many different languages.