Radio: the most democratic mirror of changes in Turkey

Defining radio as a mysterious thing with unique features that landed in their house from above, Professor Mehmet Naci Bostancı, born in 1957, recounts in a July 2009 article published in the first issue of Radyo Vizyon, Radio Vision in English, how valuable the radio was for them in his childhood, when televisions were rare in Turkey, and how they looked forward to their father coming to turn on the radio as they daren’t touch the magical box, fearing they might break it.

Radios, the leading entertainers and informers/informants of a previous time, may seem to be lost among the high-tech products of today, yet they are still significant, even though most people do not attach as much importance to them as Bostancı did in his childhood in Turkey.

Currently there are a total of 1,112 radio channels in Turkey, and 51 of them can be reached through satellite. A striking figure in radio statistics is that an overwhelming majority of radio channels in Turkey are local ones, 928, according to data from the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) of Turkey.

Yusuf Kulaksız, the head of the Radio Broadcasters Association (RAYAD), told Sunday’s Zaman that the best example of democracy in the Turkish media is radio, enabling local voices to be heard most effectively. He argues that conglomerates don’t pose a question for radio, as they do for most television stations and newspapers. “The diversity as reflected by the figures is a true reflection of Turkey. There is diversity in their content, too. If you want to listen to the news, there are many stations; if you want to listen to music, there are dozens more,” he says, highlighting that Turkey’s transformation can be seen clearly through the mirror of radio, through looking at the content of the programs broadcast.

Kulaksız also stresses that the radio has not lost its significance through the abundance of high-tech wonders, including iPods, for it is not simply a box playing music. Radios are also people’s friends. “It is a source of art. Poems, stories, novels, music, literature… You can find whatever you want on the radio. It does not only feature good songs with nice lyrics.”

The craze for technology hasn’t stopped people from listening to the radio, the RAYAD head said as radio addresses everybody. “While the 16-24 age group follows music stations, thematic radio channels are mostly listened to by older people. There is certainly a station that will appeal to everyone,” he adds.

Also pointing out that radio is the most dynamic member of the media and can easily adapt to all social situations and places, he said: “Newspapers need to be printed to reach their audience. In television, you need images, cameras and so on. But voice is everywhere. Time and place do not matter for radio. If your technological products are switched off or broken, you can get a radio channel even through your cell phone.”

Making a living in radio is still hard

Pointing out the financial problems of radio employees, Kulaksız said radio stations don’t earn a large enough share from advertisements. Radio only accounts for 4 percent of the overall income earned in the media through ads.

Kulaksız also notes that calling radio “newspaper with a voice” or “television without visuals” is another problem concerning radio as it puts it in the shadow of television and the print media. He also adds that the education of radio employees, including education in the language used by radio presenters, is also one of radio’s problems.

One of the stations for pop music lovers: Radio Fenomen

According to Kulaksız, there are dozens of music radio stations in Turkey catering to different musical tastes from folk music to arabesk and from rock to pop. Established in 2007, Radio Fenomen has about 400,000 listeners in the cities in which it broadcasts, which are İstanbul, İzmir, Bursa and Ankara.