Radio will no longer be able to hold its presence as television and Internet media will replace it very soon. Do you agree or disagree? (21st Jan 2012 essay India)

In the past, radio was considered the most convenient and important source of information. Even today, despite the emergence of other media such as the TV and the internet, the radio has held its place as an important mass medium. I strongly disagree that the radio will lose its importance in the future. In fact its popularity will grow even further. A number of arguments surround my opinion.

One of the main reasons why radio will retain its value is because of the fact that driving has become very popular across the world as a way of life. Radio is a regular piece of equipment installed in a car, and to car users, listening to the radio while driving is an effective means of taking full advantage of their time and gaining the latest information, such as news, weather forecast, share markets, and so forth. As car use is likely to increase in future, the popularity of radio will also grow.

Secondly, for those people who have no time to watch TV, radio provides immediate and easy access to information. Another advantage of its continued popularity is that it is highly affordable. Radio broadcasting is free to the public, unlike the TV on which one has to pay for the channels of choice. Furthermore, the radio is portable. On the occasions where people cannot watch TV, read newspapers or surf the net, they can listen to the radio.

The newer technologies are also responsible for the popularity of radio. For example, people can get radio via satellite, the internet and cable nowadays. There are many other electronic devices, such as MP3 and MP4 players, which allow people to listen to the radio more easily and to use it for various entertainments, such as sharing their music collections. The only disadvantage of the radio is that it is unable to convey messages with sight and motion, as television or internet do. However, the radio is still able to serve the needs of audiences as it always did.

To put it in a nutshell, I pen down saying that the radio has many advantages that give it an edge over TV and the internet. Therefore, it will always remain popular.