People gather in the streets to listen to battery-powered analog radios while the Internet is cut off for hours.
It might sound like an apocalyptic film, but it was the reality for millions of citizens in Spain and Portugal on Monday, April 28, when a massive blackout took the two countries off the grid.
This event reminded us of the resilience of the broadcast network compared to mobile networks, most of which went down within an hour or two of the incident, and TV, which is useless without power. For a few hours, the most reliable — and only one available — source of information was broadcast radio. It provided continuous updates to millions of citizens through special live programs, even though it faced difficulties connecting with its journalists on the ground.
People in the streets listening to their radios, alone or in groups, became one of the most iconic images of the day. These battery-powered devices were old and new, as many rushed to buy them from their local electronics shop.
People in the streets listening to their radios, alone or in groups, became one of the most iconic images of the day.
The power of radio
Beyond the anecdotal evidence of radio’s role, two flash surveys commissioned by Spanish commercial broadcasters and carried out the day after the event put solid numbers on radio use during the day: Radio reach increased by 75%, while time spent listening increased by 25% compared to a typical day.
Two-thirds of users listened on a tabletop radio, while one-third used a car radio. In addition, around 10% listened to online radio, a difficult task given the connectivity problems associated with the power outage. In addition to the information provided by the radio, respondents highlighted the companionship and reassurance it provided during the crisis as the main benefits of the medium at such an important time.
One study calculated that around 3% of the population bought a battery-powered radio during the day. This was one of the most sought-after items during the day, along with batteries and bottled water. Unsurprisingly, over 90% of respondents ranked radio as the most important medium to listen to during a crisis. These figures contrast sharply with other media: Time spent watching television halved, while online impressions fell by around 30%.
While radio may not be the newest or shiniest technology in town, it again remained the most consistent and reliable in an emergency.
The author is a co-founder and research director at South 180.
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