On February 13, King’s, in collaboration with Mutcho Radio Network Alliance, marked World Radio Day with a dynamic conversational event exploring the relevance of radio in today’s complex media landscape. The event tied in perfectly with this year’s African Heritage Month theme, “Strength in Unity—Moving Forward with Purpose, Prosperity, Power and Progress.”
The afternoon opened with a land acknowledgment from Secretary of the Alumni Association Eunice Abaga, BJ’24, and opening remarks from Sylvia Parris-Drummond, CEO of the Delmore “Buddy” Daye Learning Institute.
Parris-Drummond expressed gratitude for ongoing partnerships between King’s, the Delmore “Buddy” Daye Learning Institute and Mutcho Radio.
President William Lahey spoke next, and reflected on radio’s personal impact, recalling listening to late-night baseball games from Boston or New York on a $10 crystal radio he built from an Eaton’s catalogue kit. His remarks underscored radio’s companion-like presence and importance. “Radio’s footprint may not be what it once was,” he said, “but it’s unwavering.”
The first panel, moderated by Abaga, featured Assistant Journalism Professor Pauline Dakin, MFA’15, NSCC audio instructor Ryan Somers, and students Tami Adekoya from King’s and Williams Uzomba from NSCC. The panellists examined the relationship between radio and podcasting and their different roles in a shifting media landscape. Panellists described radio as a broad, community-driven and resilient medium, while podcasting was discussed as a niche and personality-based medium. They stressed the importance of education in teaching ethics and accountability in an era of misinformation.
The second panel, moderated by multimedia specialist with the Delmore “Buddy” Daye Learning Institute, Ryan Gannon, included Parris-Drummond, Robert Mbu Batuo, Youth Art Connection, Sobaz Benjamin, storyteller and community artist, and Julien Matwawana, Executive Director of the African Nova Scotian Music Association (ANSMA). Their conversation focused on storytelling as a tool for community-building, youth engagement and intergenerational connection.
The tone of the event was celebratory yet reflective. In attendance was Senator Tony Ince, who said, “it’s not often that we do a lot of talking in today’s society about radio,” but that the themes discussed were something he needed to hear.
During the event, King’s Assistant Professor of Journalism Brian Daly (second from left) was honoured by Mutcho Radio with a certificate of distinction, celebrating his long experience in diverse media as a journalism educator that specializes in reporting, editing and video storytelling.
The day concluded with a call for greater diversity in the industry. As one NSCC student noted, “there needs to be more Black voices in radio.” This sentiment was echoed in the event’s broader message about unity, representation and the future of community media.
Photos by Dáminí Awóyígà
