Radio in times of crisis: An essential communication channel
On Monday, April 28, an unprecedented power outage affected much of southwestern Europe, including Spain, Portugal, and Andorra, as well as regions in southern France. The interruption left millions without electricity for nearly 23 hours, paralyzing essential services such as transportation, telecommunications, internet, and banking.
With no access to digital media, radio emerged as the main source of information. Its ability to operate using generators and its wide reach provided calm and guidance amidst the uncertainty, once again proving its value as a resilient and essential medium.
At the International Association of Broadcasting (IAB), we emphasize the continued relevance of Article 5 of our 1955 Declaration of Principles of Ethics:
"Broadcasting is exceptionally well suited to render the greatest services in all cases where human life or public wealth is endangered due to catastrophes, epidemics, plagues, states of panic, or other disturbances."
This event reaffirms the crucial role of radio in emergency management and in safeguarding public well-being.