COMMUNICATIONS Fiji Ltd (CFL) CEO and founder William Parkinson is thankful to have started a radio company, not print or broadcast television.
Speaking as a panellist at the Pacific Media Partnership Conference, in celebration of the World Radio Day yesterday, Mr Parkinson said radio had proven to be the most effective medium for broadcasting.
“Of all the traditional media, radio is by far the most resilient in terms of the future,” Mr Parkinson said.
“The reason I say that is because good radio is all about building relationships,” he added.
“Relationships with our listeners every day — no other medium can do that in quite the same way, particularly in the Pacific.”
He highlighted that radio connected with audiences during both good times and bad, especially in emergency situations.
“That’s where the importance lies for us; meeting the requirements during emergencies is absolutely critical,” he said.
Mr Parkinson also noted that CFL’s focus on delivering news, particularly during natural disasters, had been a key factor in the organisation’s success.
“That’s been a core part of CFL’s growth,” he said.
“We understand the importance of building relationships with our listeners and the responsibility that comes with maintaining that connection 24/7.”
Mr Parkinson said the digital world allowed the company to enhance and deepen those relationships, which aligned with their philosophy.
“Our news portal, fijivillage, has been around since 1997, so we’ve had a long history of providing that type of digital platform,” he said.
