"Jakob the Liar" is a 1999 American drama film directed by Peter Kassovitz. The movie is set in 1944 in a ghetto in German-occupied Poland during the Holocaust and is based on the book by Jurek Becker about World War II Jewish ghetto life. The story revolves around Jakob Heym (played by Robin Williams), a latke vendor before the war, who stumbles upon some good news about the Eastern front.

In a somewhat comical way, the news spreads around the ghetto and the source is attributed to a Radio, hidden by Jakob. He decides to use the chance to spread hope throughout the ghetto by continuing to tell the optimistic, fantastic tales that he supposedly heard from "his secret radio" and his lies keep hope and humour alive among the isolated ghetto inhabitants. The central message of the movie reveals the power of Radio, the symbol of hope. It further indicates that every mind has a radio fitted inside that needs to be kept on.

The significance of Radio cannot be overlooked right from the time it was invented.

"Hello! Test, 1, 2, 3, 4, is it snowing where you are Mr. Thiessen?" The first words transmitted by wireless telegraph, later named Radio in December 23, 1900, the beginning of a revolution in the science of communication. The first Radio programme broadcast on December 24, 1906 and now we are celebrating 110 years of Radio. Today Radio is commanding the information flow, with easy access, all over the world.

Despite being over 110 years old, the radio is one of the most popular ways to exchange information, provide social interchange, educate people and entertain all over the world. It has been used to help people, including youth, to engage in discussions on topics that affect them. It can save lives during natural or human-made adversities, and gives journalists a platform to report facts and tell their stories. In particular the Radio plays a very vital role in times of calamity, disaster, mishaps and even in violence and terrorism. A recent instance is facilitating and helping people, governments and organisations at the time of earthquake in Kashmir and floods in Punjab, Sindh and KP by providing on time information that saved lives of many people.

The worldwide increasing incidents of terrorism and disasters and recognising the role of Radio, the theme of the World Radio Day 2016 has been designated to ‘Radio in Times of Emergency and Disaster’. The day is celebrated by UNESCO on February 13 every year.

In April 1930, the Indian Broadcasting Service, under the Department of Industries and Labor, commenced its operations on an experimental basis. Lionel Fielden was appointed the first controller of broadcasting in August 1935. On June 8, 1936, the Indian State Broadcasting Service became ‘All India Radio’.

Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) was formed on August 14, 1947 with the birth of Pakistan; the voice of Mustafa Ali Hamadani in Lahore gave the news to millions across the Subcontinent that a new Muslim state had born. At the time of independence, Pakistan possessed three radio stations including Dhaka, Lahore and Peshawar. Today there are 36 radio stations. In October 1998 Radio Pakistan started FM transmission and opened stations in the country’s big cities. That was a second phase of the radio revolution in Pakistan.

Radio Pakistan has been very helpful in information dissemination. The Lahore station particularly played a major role in boosting the morale of soldiers and citizens during the 1965 war through broadcasting news, views, battlefield reports and war songs. In rural areas, radio has pushed the green revolution through broadcasting various agriculture programmes in Urdu and local languages, twice a day. Sport, music and radio drama are the most popular segments. Radio Lahore has always been leading in drama production -- the most favourite segment of the listeners. PBC also presents programmes in mother tongues for overseas Pakistanis living in various parts of the world.

This is interesting to know that cellular mobile phone users in Pakistan reached 139.20 million at the end of May 2014, as stated in a report published by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority. We know almost all cell phones have the facility of FM Radio in-built. This has increased the radio listening massively in the recent years by the new generation.

Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) started first setup of FM as "FM Gold" in 1994. PBC used its own studios and staff for this purpose in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad from 7:00am till 1:00pm as experimental transmissions.

However, FM 100 gave a breakthrough by broadcasting its services in 1998. According to a research, FM 100 increased the radio listening habit in Lahore from 40.45 per cent to 82.02 per cent in 1998, during its first three years of transmission. FM 100 has gained immense popularity in a short span of time in the major cities of Pakistan. The music played, the dialogue and language used by the presenter, the chat between callers and anchor-person was absolutely a novel and innovative style. The programme "Assalmo Alaikum Pakistan" by Akbar Shahbaz set a trend in FM Radio programmes in Pakistan, which is now being adopted by almost all hosts of FM radio.

Similarly, Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation’s FM channels 101, 93, 94 (classical music) and 93.5 (Soat-tul-Quran) enjoy the biggest range of its services in the country.

In the present technological revolution and transformation‚ the FM broadcast has taken the world by storm. It has taken a lead by virtue of line of sight propagation of waves and smaller range resulting in good quality and reliable signal. The FM broadcast also serves as Community Radio Station‚ University Radio Broadcasting and Organisational Broadcasting in the language and dialect of a particular area in accordance with their needs, style and taste.

Radio has become the most effective media tool today even in this era of IT and multimedia communication. It can be tuned anywhere during daily life i.e. while studying‚ driving‚ getting situation of traffic jam and weather conditions.

FM Radio has also become a source of social change in the country. This has led the social scientists to discuss the impact of this media in formulating the culture, social norms and public opinion. This can also promote peace, interfaith harmony, patriotism, regional cooperation and friendship among various sections of society.