Month: February 2022

As the rest of the world marked #WorldRadioDay on February 13, Afghanistan mourned the loss of as 86 radio stations which have halted operations over the past six months since the Taliban took control of the country.Radio in Afghanistan began in the era of the former Afghan King Amanullah Khan in 1926. The first radio station was named Radio Kabul and broadcast in Kabul.Although the media has technologically developed in a variety of ways, radio still remains one of the main sources of information in the country.“We have a lot of memories from the radio. There was a time when restrictions were imposed on listening to the radio. When we were listening to the radio, we would task one individual to keep a lookout; we were listening to it in secret,” said Mangal, a resident of Wardak, while speaking to Tolo News.Current financial and political issues are the main reasons for the collapse of the Afghan media and the recent political change following the fall of the republican government has severely affected the country’s radio sector.Based on the statistics, over 300 different kinds of media organizations have been closed since the Taliban swept into power in August.“Around 70 per cent of radio stations are closed in the country. The reasons are economic challenges and broadcasting programs–in the current situation. On the other hand, the government insists on collecting taxes from radio stations,” Shafiullah Azizi, head of the Zamzama radio stations told Tolo News.“Our findings show that if the international community doesn’t provide financial support to the media, many of these radio stations will be closed within the next six months–this shows a collapse of the media in the country,” said Hojatullah Mujadidi, head of the Afghan Independent Journalist Association. […]

In his message on World Radio Day (WRD), the Director General of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), Muhammad Asim Khichi, said radio is the most effective and popular medium in dissemination of information during catastrophes and natural calamities.He said radio had vast outreach even in the time of modern technology and in the presence of other modes of communication.Khichi said Radio Pakistan adhered to the theme of this year’s World Radio Day, “Radio and Trust” and was known for broadcasting authentic and credible news. It received hundreds of emails and phone calls from the public about its content, which showed people’s trust in Radio Pakistan.Highlighting its expanding coverage, he said all transmitters are being transformed from analogue to digital, which will not only increase its outreach, but also improve voice quality. This will expand its coverage area to Far-East, Central Asia, and the Middle Eastern regions.He said in Radio Pakistan was livestreaming its transmissions, which could be accessed on social media. It has also started podcast service in 15 different categories, which could be heardon Radio Pakistan’s website. […]

The Saudi Broadcasting Authority (SBA) launched the country’s first news radio station to mark World Radio Day on February 13.Al-Ekhbariya Radio is a radio branch of the country’s state-owned Al-Ekhbariya TV channel. The SBA wants to expand focus on national news content through the station.The transmission will initially be available in the capital Riyadh, the Red Sea city of Jeddah and Dammam in the eastern region.The signal frequency numbers are Riyadh – 93.00, Jeddah- 107.7 and Dammam – 99.00.Broadcast time will be from 7 to 10 in the morning, from 12 to 3 in the afternoon – which will feature local political coverage, and in the evening from 6 to 9 pmWith a a network of 85 correspondents, it will offer updated bulletins, news briefs and stories covering a variety of societal issues and important international developments.Ahmed Al-Dawwari, editor-in-chief of Al-Ekhbariya Radio, said it will have 80 percent local content and 20 percent Arab and international content.According to Mohammed Al-Harithi, SBA CEO, the launch is part of the authority’s strategy toward distributing media discourse across all platforms and shifting toward specialized media to meet the needs of segments of Saudi society.He added that the interest in launching the station comes as the Kingdom witnesses rapid changes at all levels, creating an urgent need to provide new political and economic information to the public.Station director Mubarak Al-Ati told the Al-Ekhbariya TV “Today” program that the station is part of the kingdom’s Vision 2030 plans to build a more diverse and sustainable economy along with a vibrant society.“Launching the station is in the interest of the Saudi media renaissance to keep pace with the developments the kingdom is undergoing at all levels. Saudi media will continue to leap and advance in service of the kingdom’s leadership and people,” he said. […]