Prima FM on Radio Day: Raising Public Awareness Amidst Digital Noise
By Ali Aminulloh
In an age where people wake up to notifications and fall asleep to the glow of screens, there’s one medium that’s increasingly underutilized: radio. It’s quiet, unobtrusive, and doesn’t chase attention with flashy visuals. Paradoxically, it was precisely because of this silence that radio was once the most trusted medium. Today, as the world feels increasingly cluttered with information, radio seems forgotten, even though it may be most needed.
February 13th is celebrated as International Public Radio Broadcasting Day. History records that on this date, in 1946, the United Nations broadcast its first international radio broadcast worldwide. This event marked radio’s role as a global medium, bridging nations in the post-World War II era. Six decades later, UNESCO established Radio Day as a reminder that radio is not just a means of communication, but a vital part of the history of human civilization.
However, radio’s journey has not always been smooth. In the digital era, data from various countries shows a declining trend in the number of conventional radio stations, with some shifting to digital platforms, while others cease broadcasting. Listeners are turning to fast-paced visual media, social media, and on-demand platforms. Radio is often considered less engaging because it lacks visuals, less immediate because it isn’t always available in real time, and less popular because it doesn’t go viral.
This assessment seems logical, but it’s not entirely true. Radio actually possesses a power that other media lacks. It builds emotional closeness through sound, provides a sense of companionship, and fosters trust. Radio doesn’t demand full attention, but rather integrates with human activity: in the kitchen, in the fields, on the streets, and in quiet spaces. When other media create noise, radio offers tranquility.
However, radio also has limitations. It can be left behind if it resists change, bound by broadcast times if it doesn’t digitize, and marginalized if it doesn’t understand the tastes of the new generation. Therefore, public radio faces a crucial choice: persist as nostalgia, or transform without losing its value.
This is where Prima FM 95.8 comes into play. Born from the pulse of the local community and part of Ma’had Al-Zaytun, Prima FM is known as “The Radio of the Haurgeulis People.” However, this radio station doesn’t limit itself to geographical space. With the professional touch of Handy Nasution and the involvement of young people, Prima FM has transformed into a streaming radio station accessible from all corners of the globe.
This transformation is not just about technology, but also about direction and values. Prima FM positions radio as a medium for public enlightenment. Its broadcasts are aimed at building tolerance, strengthening dialogue, and instilling an awareness of living together in diversity. Amidst a media climate that often fuels polarization, Prima FM has chosen a calm and reflective path.
This radio station promotes a trilogy of awareness: philosophical, ecological, and social, initiated by Shaykh AS Panji Gumilang. Philosophical awareness encourages listeners to think clearly and be rooted in values. Ecological awareness fosters responsibility for nature as a shared living space. Meanwhile, social awareness emphasizes the importance of solidarity and humanity in a diverse society. All of this is conveyed through the radio’s simple, familiar, and down-to-earth language.
Amidst the digital noise, where opinions collide and truth is often eclipsed by speed, radio has rediscovered its relevance. It becomes a space of respite, a place where the public can listen without shouting, and think without negating each other. Radio may no longer be the center of attention, but it remains a guardian of awareness.
Radio Day is not merely a ceremonial commemoration. It is an invitation to listen again, not only to the voices on the airwaves, but also to the voice of reason. And in an increasingly noisy world, Prima FM proves that radio, rooted in values, open to change, and loyal to humanity, still has an important place.**
Listen to the radio?
Just Prima FM. “Radio for the Haurgeulis”
Indramayu, January 13, 2026
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