World Radio Day
A/RES/67/124
A/RES/67/124
This authority record treats the observance as a fixed annual date. The same month and day can be reused unless a stronger source changes the rule. Public-holiday or government status is never inferred from the observance name alone.
Overview
World Radio Day is observed on 13 February under UNESCO and United Nations recognition. It celebrates radio as a medium and encourages access to information, pluralism, public-service communication and cooperation among broadcasters.
Radio can include public, commercial, community and international broadcasting. The observance is about the medium and the public role of broadcasting, not one particular technology or station format.
Why it matters
Radio remains important because it can reach people through relatively low-cost and resilient infrastructure, including communities where other communication channels may be limited.
The day is also an opportunity to discuss editorial independence, local voices, emergency communication, media literacy and how radio adapts to digital distribution.
History
UNESCO Member States proclaimed World Radio Day in 2011, and the United Nations General Assembly endorsed it as an international day in 2012.
UNESCO chose 13 February because United Nations Radio was established on that date in 1946.
UNESCO formally proclaimed World Radio Day through 36 C/Resolution 63; the UN General Assembly later endorsed the day through A/RES/67/124 on 18 December 2012.
How the observance developed
This timeline is assembled only from verified provenance fields. Missing stages are omitted rather than inferred.
Spanish Radio Academy
UNESCO states that the consultation process leading to World Radio Day was conducted around a proposal put forward by the Spanish Radio Academy.
UNESCO
UNESCO 36 C/Resolution 63
First documented observance
UNESCO’s past-editions record begins with World Radio Day 2012 and identifies the 2011 proclamation.
Endorsed World Radio Day after UNESCO had already proclaimed it in 2011.
United Nations General Assembly · A/RES/67/124
UNESCO
UNESCO maintains the World Radio Day programme and its annual editions.
What the evidence establishes
Verified institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Fields that the reviewed sources do not establish remain fail-closed and are available below without competing with the confirmed record.
3 fields not established in reviewed sources
Later institutional actions
Later recognition, renaming, mergers or date changes are kept separate from original establishment.
Ways to observe
Listen to and compare public, community and commercial radio services serving your area.
Invite a broadcaster or producer to explain how stories are verified, edited and delivered to different audiences.
Explore how radio supports emergency communication, local languages or communities with limited connectivity.
Create a short student or community audio segment that follows clear sourcing and consent standards.
Useful facts
World Radio Day is observed on 13 February.
UNESCO proclaimed it in 2011.
The UN General Assembly endorsed the observance in 2012.
The date recalls the establishment of United Nations Radio on 13 February 1946.
World Radio Day is related to media freedom but is not the same observance as World Press Freedom Day.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Evidence & sources
Repeated links from the authority record, institutional provenance and editorial guide research are consolidated here. Badges show how each source is used; a contextual source is never treated as proof of establishment on its own.
UNESCO General Conference — 36 C/Resolution 63, Proclamation of World Radio Day (opens in a new tab)
UNESCO — World Radio Day (opens in a new tab)
Dedicated Authoritative Page
UNESCO — World Radio Day past editions and institutional history (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — World Radio Day / A/RES/67/124 endorsement (opens in a new tab)
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then use reviewed distinctions and related authority records to understand where this observance fits.
Frequently asked questions
When is World Radio Day?
13 February The stored recurrence guidance is: 13 February.
Does World Radio Day fall on the same date every year?
The authority record classifies it as fixed annual, so its month and day are reusable unless stronger evidence changes the rule.
Is World Radio Day an official public holiday?
The authority record verifies it within this scope: UNESCO / United Nations / international observance. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when the supporting authority record explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes World Radio Day?
The reviewed provenance layer identifies UNESCO as the proclaiming or establishing body. The proposer or originator is recorded separately as Spanish Radio Academy. Current facilitation or coordination is recorded as UNESCO.
Is World Radio Day international or country-specific?
The record has international or global institutional scope: UNESCO / United Nations / international observance. That does not mean every country treats the date as a public holiday or observes it in the same way.
How is this page verified?
The factual layer is source-backed and keeps its date rule, scope, provenance and editorial guardrails attached to the authority record. This record was checked on 2026-09-07.
Is World Radio Day the same as World Press Freedom Day?
No. World Radio Day focuses on radio as a medium and on broadcasting access and cooperation, while World Press Freedom Day on 3 May focuses specifically on press freedom, media independence and journalist safety.
Why is World Radio Day on 13 February?
UNESCO selected the anniversary of the establishment of United Nations Radio on 13 February 1946.
Does World Radio Day only concern traditional AM/FM broadcasting?
No. UNESCO treats radio as an evolving medium, so discussion can include digital and online distribution while preserving the distinctive role of radio broadcasting.
How this differs from closely related observances
These distinctions are separately reviewed and source-backed. They clarify scope; they do not change either authority record.
Is World Radio Day the same as World Press Freedom Day?
World Radio Day celebrates radio as a medium and supports access to information and cooperation among broadcasters. World Press Freedom Day focuses on press freedom, media independence and journalist safety.
Open World Press Freedom Day →Distinction sources
Other observances on February 13
These records also resolve to February 13, 2027 under the current authority data.
Black Love Day
The Black Love Day founder site identifies 13 February as Black Love Day and says Ayo Handy-Kendi founded the observance in 1993.
Employee Legal Awareness Day
National Today gives Employee Legal Awareness Day an every-February-13 recurrence, and Rubin Fortunato independently acknowledges it as occurring every year on February 13.
Galentine's Day
National Today places Galentine's Day on February 13 annually, while WIRED documents the Parks and Recreation origin and the February 13 date.
Get a Different Name Day
The first-party Wellcat Holidays calendar lists Get a Different Name Day on February 13 and identifies the Wellcat holiday collection as created by Thomas and Ruth Roy.
Global Movie Day
The Academy states that Global Movie Day takes place on the second Saturday of February every year.
International Condom Day
AIDS Healthcare Foundation states it launched International Condom Day in 2009 and celebrates it on February 13; its 2026 campaign confirms that date.