R is for radio. I would much rather (if I ever had to choose) live without TV than without radio.
In the middle of the night if I am awake it's the radio that keeps me company. On a plane I can nod off listening to music while movies and TV keep me awake.
Despite the multiple free TV channels I can access now, there is simply nothing to watch most nights. Not so for the radio. The majority of stations do not broadcast repeats of their programs, instead offering a “listen-again” feature accessible online. Many stations also make their programmes available as free downloads in the form of podcasts so you can listen when it suits you.
Radio caters to a wide variety of tastes, from literature to gardening and to all genres of music. It is informative, intelligent and highly entertaining - an art form in itself.
I can listen to a local, national or international channel depending on the time of day and my mood and interests.
In times of emergency, such as during the flood in Brisbane at the start of the year, the TV screen was replaying dreadful images again and again while the radio was providing essential information to those affected.
T.V. is also more subject to developing technology than radio. Now there's high-definition and bluray and an even more expensive generation of T.V. viewing is up for grabs: 3D.
In order to keep up with these advances, viewers are forced to purchase new equipment. Not so with radio.
