Message from the Government of the Azores on World Radio Day - Communication

Secretaria Regional dos Assuntos Parlamentares e Comunidades

On World Radio Day, celebrated on February 13, it is important to reflect on the irreplaceable role of this media outlet, which continues to challenge the dominance of television and the ephemeral nature of social media, decade after decade.

For the Azorean people, radio is not just a source of entertainment or information—it is a pillar of territorial cohesion and a fundamental element of our collective security.

We often forget how vulnerable modern technology is until the unexpected happens. The most recent and striking example is still fresh in everyone's memory: the great blackout of 28 April 2025. On that day, a general failure in the Iberian Peninsula's electricity grid left Portugal in darkness, silencing screens and paralysing the digital world.

In that moment of crisis, when the lights went out and technological silence prevailed, radio did not fail us. It was through the airwaves, in close coordination with Civil Protection, that vital information continued to flow. With just a pair of batteries and a radio, the voice of media professionals reached places where fibre optics could not. This incident reminded us that radio is the most resilient medium we have - our last and most reliable line of defence.

Within the scope of the Regional Secretariat for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, radio is central to our priorities, serving as a hub that brings together the various aspects of our governance.

In the media, we remain deeply committed to supporting local and regional bodies, recognising that the proximity of radio is the best antidote to the information vacuum and the isolation of certain localities.

This proximity also extends to our communities in the diaspora, for whom radio was - and continues to be - the lifeline connecting them to the pulse of the islands, overcoming the Atlantic distance through sound.

At the same time, it is through the airwaves that democracy becomes audible in the context of Parliamentary Affairs, bringing political debate and legislative decisions to every home, from Santa Maria to Corvo, ensuring that the voice of the Parliament reaches all citizens.

In a region that is now at the forefront of the space and aerospace technology sector, we must never forget that the basis of all satellite communication and exploration of the universe lies precisely in the science of radio frequencies that we are celebrating today. Radio is, therefore, the past, present and future of our connectivity.

Celebrating radio in the Azores is celebrating our own resilience. As a Government, we reiterate our commitment to valuing professionals in the sector and modernising the infrastructure that allows this media outlet to continue to be the faithful companion of those who work at sea, those who live in our most remote areas, and those in the diaspora who keep alive their connection to their Azorean homeland.

Radio is evidence that, even in the age of images, the spoken word retains its unwavering power. When everything else falls silent, radio remains.

Paulo Estêvão

Regional Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities