WORLD

Promoting independent broadcast media in Peter Feuilherade, Media Analyst, BBC World Service

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Peter Feuilherade indepMedia Analyst, BBC World Service e

Japan will fund a new TV Afghanistan remains one of transmitter near as a step towards the resumption of a nation- the world’s least developed wide TV service The BBC World Service Trust, with countries. the help of a €16m grant from the UK government’s Department for International Development, has The media have fared better than Afghanistan TV broadcasts in Kabul provided equipment to -TV most sectors since the collapse of the with a limited range, for five to six Afghanistan, trained more than 350 regime in October 2001 hours a day In the provincial capitals, journalists in Kabul and the regions, Aid from abroad has come in the local radio and TV stations operate and is working with the Afghan form of new equipment, program- administration to assess future needs ming and training Foreign aid and the foundations for a regulatory framework for the media Afghan officials and donors estimate Foreign broadcasters from a dozen that the government will need at least countries have provided millions of Iran has also been closely involved $10bn over the next five years to dollars of equipment, programming with the rebuilding of Afghanistan’s rebuild the country’s shattered and training Since 2001, broad- infrastructure, donating infrastructure and develop an casters either launched new services radio and TV equipment including economy that can sustain its people or stepped up existing broadcasts in a 50-kW radio transmitter and and  increasing Dari and Pashto Rebuilding the media, broadcast programming on Iranian regional media in particular, is viewed as The US has supplied two FM trans- radio crucial to the process of national mitters for Kabul, with more FM reconstruction in Afghanistan transmitters promised for other cities New services including Kandahar, Mazar-e Sharif Broadcasts and Herat, and is to install two MW In February 2002, a daily morning transmitters with nationwide reach programme Good Morning Radio Afghanistan has resumed The US has also donated a 1-kW TV Afghanistan went on the air from nationwide broadcasting and is eager transmitter to Afghanistan TV, which Kabul on Radio Afghanistan The to relaunch foreign broadcasts But the will extend its reception range to almost broadcasts are supported by the country is still without a national TV 70 km from the capital The US Agency Baltic Media Centre, an aid agency service because both Afghan radio and for International Development is based in Denmark, with financial TV are still in dire need of technical also supplying equipment for support from the European assistance from donor countries educational programmes Commission In August 2002,

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endent broadcast media

Germany launched the Voice of Freedom FM station, which broadcasts news, music and language courses to Kabul from a nearby German military camp

Deutsche Welle has supplied technical and programme assistance to Radio- TV Afghanistan It also produces a 10-minute daily news slot for Afghan TV, as well as weekly documentaries In April 2003, Kandahar TV received a 36-metre satellite dish and receiving equipment from , following a similar package for Kabul TV in 2002

In Kabul, radio stations on the air include: Radio Afghanistan (national broadcaster); Radio Kabul, the Solar-powered BBC World Service transmitter in Bamian “Good Morning Afghanistan” pro- gramme; BBC World Service (English, Radio ’s 300-kW medium- The BBC is also helping to promote Dari and Pashto), Radio Free wave transmitter in  dialogue among Afghans, for instance Afghanistan/Voice of America (Dari and by producing educational radio Pashto), Radio France Internationale Eighty-two per cent of Afghans programmes (via distance learning) (RFI, English, French and Persian), all surveyed in Kabul listen to BBC and weekly teacher training radio on FM; the US-run Information Radio World Service broadcasts in Persian programmes (which transmits from the US base at and Pashto every week, according to Bagram in Dari and Pashto on MW the first media survey in that country In the run-up to the elections in June and SW); and Voice of Freedom, a since the Taliban left power in 2001 2004, the BBC will produce radio German army-run FM station (Dari, The survey gave the following programmes to create an under-standing Pashtu) estimated audience share figures: BBC among listeners of the election – 82%; VOA and RFE/RL Radio Free process and timetable and the actual Another service for listeners in Afghanistan combined service – 81%; mechanics of how they cast their vote Afghanistan is Nawa-e Dost (“Sound Deutsche Welle – 41%; Radio of a Friend”), which was inaugurated Pakistan – 49%; Tehran Radio – 48%; Meanwhile Radio Free Europe/ in October 2001 It is broadcast via All Radio – 40% Radio Liberty, the US-funded

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network, is running a six-month hour a day in the evening in Kabul Sharif on 9 March and will radio journalism programme to train It plans to set up branch stations broadcast for two hours a day young Afghan broadcasters across Afghanistan to broadcast its Afghan Independent Radio (AIR) is programmes on MW In a society to be launched later this year It will In August 2002 the Dari and Pashto where it is estimated that at least be the first independent radio station services of the Voice of America 85% of women are illiterate, radio to be based in the former Taliban (VOA) and Radio Free Europe/Radio is an important medium stronghold of Kandahar in southern Liberty’s Radio Free Afghanistan Afghanistan The project is funded service combined to create a new UNESCO has supplied an FM by the Carr Foundation and the joint 24-hour stream of news, features station to Kabul University’s Faculty Open Society Institute (OSI) and music in local languages of Journalism Transmissions are expected to get under way shortly Censorship Communities The two are the first new A press freedom bill was adopted in Voice of Afghan Women commenced community stations to be established April 2002, ending years of broadcasting on FM on International in Afghanistan since the fall of the censorship and a ban on free speech Women’s Day, 8 March Financed Taliban regime under the Taliban However, there by UNESCO and a French non- is concern that the bill requires that governmental organization, it An FM radio station staffed by media owners seek permission from focuses on education and practical women and targeted at a female the government to operate, and information It broadcasts for one audience was launched in Mazar-e stipulates that only citizens of

Radio-TV Afghanistan – Radio Kabul – “Good Morning Afghanistan” – BBC World Service – Radio Free Afghanistan/Voice of America – Radio France Internationale – Information Radio – Voice of Freedom – Nawa-e Dost – – Deutsche Welle – Tehran radio – – Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – Voice of Afghan Women – Afghan Independent Radio

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Afghanistan may print publications, international movie channels by the Information Ministry; which could leave local outlets too However, cable TV channel viewers · how to promote independent, weak to withstand potential across Afghanistan may not exceed pluralistic private media; government pressure 100,000 people · funding problems; lack of a national advertising market; The public Some Afghan papers commented that · problems of a lack of technology; the banning or otherwise of foreign · the need for an improved press Increasing numbers of urban Afghans TV is a minor problem in the context law; have bought television sets and of the huge difficulties faced by · the media’s role in promoting satellite dishes in the last year, but Afghanistan nation building, making these remain beyond the budget of government and the public sector most ordinary Afghans Media analysts say the disputes also transparent and accessible; illustrate broader questions of how · the media’s role in providing a After 23 years of war and the Taliban to balance political coverage in a platform for public discussion government, audiences say that they country with a divided post-war would rather hear and watch leadership, and how fast to introduce Most Afghan officials remain programmes that entertain and secular culture to a religiously confident that the country is making educate them, instead of endless conservative society progress in encouraging an coverage of the comings and goings independent media However, the of politicians Challenges UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan sounded a note of caution For those who can afford them, The possibility of a return of on 8 May when it noted that threats there are alternative sources of instability across Afghanistan, against Afghan journalists had news and entertainment in the form especially in the south and east, is increased in the previous two months of satellite TV and radio pro- growing This will impact on grammes reconstruction and could lead the aid Human Rights Watch, the New York- and donor community to pull back based NGO, is concerned about “a But the lack of private domestic radio in all fields, including the media pervasive climate of fear in which and TV stations in Afghanistan means Donors want accountable and journalists are afraid to openly there is virtually no competition appropriate expenditure publish articles that criticise pushing state media outlets to leaders” respond to viewer demands The extreme and strict interpretation of Islamic law, or shari’ah, is still Interference? continuing in the post-Taliban era One of the key figures in the Justice Recently, the press in Kabul have Ministry, Mawlawee Miranshah, carried articles criticizing the stated that the new Voice of Afghan Ministry of Information and Culture Women radio station is against the for allowing the installation of shari’ah foreign radio relays by the BBC, Voice of America and Radio France Another indication of the ongoing Internationale on Afghan soil power struggle between conserva- tives and secular moderates or In January this year cable TV was progressives in the transitional banned by the most senior judge, authority is that the official ban on saying it was against Islam, a decision singing on state television and radio reminiscent of the Taliban regime has remained in place

But last April, cable TV networks The main challenges in developing resumed broadcasting, in what can the media in Afghanistan are: be seen as a victory for the more liberal elements in President Karzai’s · how to promote an independent government system, representative of the whole Cable TV is cheaper and easier for society, established on a legal people to watch news, music and footing and not just appointed

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