Speaking and listening: Radio as "Two-Way Communication"

Out of the depths I cry to you, LORD;

Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.

(Psalm 130: 1 & 2)

At first glance radio appears a one-way communication device – ‘it’ speaks; listeners, listen.

Think back to images of families gathered around the radio before TV, particularly during war times; huddled round the "wireless" listening to news, public announcements, Prime Ministers’ speeches and Sovereigns’ addresses to the nation.

But times have changed and so has radio.

Radio is now a two-way medium where listeners also get to speak.

They make music requests, share their opinions, contribute to phone-ins or have their responses read out on air. And two-way communication is really needed to develop relationships of trust.

We see this clearly in the Bible too. In the Old Testament, the prophets spoke the words of God to the people, and the priests spoke the people’s words to God. In the New Testament, Jesus became God’s Word to the people, and because of his death his followers could speak directly to God becoming their own priesthood.

Feba’s partners work to develop two-way communication with their listeners.

They want to engage with their audience, to know of their joys and hopes, their dreams, as well as their challenges and issues they face. Their programmes speak news, advice and information to them but radio has also enabled listeners to speak and be heard. Radio is a tool to get the message heard. As they share their experiences and opinions they speak to each other, to community leaders and officials. Using the medium of radio, they can ‘find’ each other and work together for a changed community.

As Christians, we know that God loves people. He listens.

He longs for the world to be different from the way it is – this isn’t how he planned it! God hears the cries of people all over the world, some crying to him by name, some just calling out in hope that there is someone there. God listens to our voices.

community stations are operated by, and run for, the communities they serve. Producing content relevant to the interests of their local audience, and embedded within them

We know too that we are God’s body here on earth, called to help ‘his kingdom come’. How often we sense that God is nudging, prompting and calling us to respond to the needs He sees. God speaks and we need to listen.

Our partners are actively listening to the needs of their communities, and what they hear informs and affects the team and guides the content of the programmes – it shapes what they say.

Supported by your donations to Feba, community stations are operated by, and run for, the communities they serve. Producing content relevant to the interests of their local audience, and embedded within them, community stations can focus on getting the community talking and listening to their concerns.

Being listened to, being respected, being taken seriously, being heard are fundamental gifts to offer our listeners as our way of showing respect, giving value and offering them God’s listening love.

Tim Hollingdale, Support Development Director