It gives information from one to one, from the mouth to the ear, for a busy employee at the bus stop, for the nervous taxi driver, for the cooking housewife, for the tired university student: radio!

Radio is a phenomenon. It could save the feeling that we live in a society. When you read the newspaper or watch an edited TV programme you can not even feel the human attendance. There is no such personal medium as radio with its human voice. After decades of audiovisual superiority the radio has come back. After the television flood radio can create a relationship with people again.
“Nothing is personal, the radio is”, explained Vittorio Zucconi, director of Radio Capital. We cannot believe that the listener is a simple consumer. The listener consumes, but sensible for the voice coming from the phones. “The intelligence and the ignorance of people should never be underestimated”, he added.

Being a part of it
Radio can be a social service, where people can tell their problems without a rather confusing personal attendance - the problem can be solved if the listener uses one's nickname when speaking about serious problems. "The listener has the possibility to tell how much his salary is as a plumber. With the other's reaction it can be found out: it cannot be easy earning a living. By sharing the problems and getting some feedback a whole forum can be launched”, Jacques Bourdin stated, he is a presenter of Bourdin&Co on Radio Monte Carlo. He pointed out the importance of trusting the audience: "When you have managed to be totally open without any fears and daemons, you can find the point of acceptance."
According to Giuseppe Cruciani presenter of La Zanzara on Radio 24, the success of the engagement and the popularity cannot be the measure by the feedback the radio channels receive from their listeners. Different radios have different target groups described with different habits: "When the listener can wait for 20 minutes to get into broadcast this could be by exhibitionism, and not the excellence of the radio station. “Listeners call you and tell: “Berlusconi is a pig”, exemplified Zucconi. And: “You might agree, but you have to undertake your opinion, and find the words of engagement. Give the people the feeling, that they are considered."
"Hosts became protagonists, as the main character of the radio programmes", said Giovanna Zucconi, presenter on RAI Radio 2. It is supposed to be a channel for youngsters, but the age of the listeners is around 35. If the music cannot be chosen by the speaker but by the radio broadcast software, the broadcaster ends up left alone with one's voice and responsibility of the success. "The talk radios demand the audience to follow the broadcast with attention - that's why advertising can be more powerful in talk radios", she added.

Crisis in the economy. Not in the radio?
Radios living by advertisements can have their reason for existence. People listen to the music, from the background. Advertisements with sound effects can exceed from the music flow giving publicity for the stakeholders who want to advertise. “There are more and more advertisements in radios, it is a cheaper way of publicity”, said Giuseppe Cruciani, presenter of La Zanzara on Radio 24. “Hosts are policemen, traffic guides and meteorologists. Rush Limbo as a progressive radio host earns 400.000 Dollar by managing TV ads and broadcasting from his house.” Hopefully the future radio is not so extreme, but strong radio hosts will have their significance. Besides the most listened one is not needed to be the most valuable choice to investigate: the future profit of the advertising organisation depends on the purse of the radio listeners.
In France every year the radio is considered the most trustable medium in the media landscape. The listener can forgive the mistake to the speaker - as the speaker is just an ordinary person who is not perfect. This establishes a closer listener-and-speaker relation. Jacques Bourdin advice for young radio speakers is not to be afraid. “You can make mistakes - but be honest.”