Month: July 2023

According to a report by Tolo News, Radio Nehad and Paikan TV, both in Balkh province, have stopped broadcasting due to economic challenges and existing restrictions on media in the province.Radio Nehad has operated for 16 years and Paikan TV for around five years.Following their shutdown, at least 25 people have become jobless.

According to some media-supporting organizations, more than 300 media outlets have shut down in Afghanistan in the past two years and over 5,000 journalists have lost their jobs.“Lack of beneficial support by the media-supporting organizations caused 25 (media workers), including 18 men and 7 women, to become jobless, they were working in these two media outlets,” Sayed Mohammad Yazdan, director of Radio Nehad , told Tolo News.The station had also stopped broadcasting for a while last year due to a fire incident.This comes as the Afghanistan’s Journalist Safety Committee for the northern zone said that they were unable to address the economic challenges of these two media outlets.In a statement, the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) said: “We express great concern over the closure of Nehad Radio station and the continuation of the process of closure of free media and the shrinking of the country’s media community,” “We call on the “Islamic Emirate” to allow free media to work without fear and intimidation and to ensure that media and journalists can freely cover events of public importance.”The head of the department of Information and Culture of Balkh, Ata Mohammad Saho, said that they have not imposed “any restriction on the operation of media.” […]

Content from BPRIn the ever increasingly crowded audio environment, we should never underestimate the power of live reads and how they can achieve much needed cut-through for a client.Live reads are similar to product placement in TV series or films except that in the case of radio, you have the product being spoken about in glowing terms by a well-liked and trusted on-air personality.

Here are a few of the reasons why live reads work:
Live reads involve the personality reading the copy in real-time. This creates an authentic and personal connection with the audience. This one on one approach delivered by a popular on air talent helps to build trust and credibility between the product and the listener.
Attention grabbing. Live reads have the advantage of immediacy. As they are read by a popular personality they are more likely to grab the listener’s attention than pre-recorded commercials. Being live can add an element of unpredictability and makes the ad stand out in a sea of recorded commercials.
Flexibility & Humour. Live commercials allow for greater flexibility and adaptability. The talent can incorporate their own personality and humour. Has the host been to the car dealer……do they know the owner & his/her family? This gives the host the opportunity to weave something very personal into the live read. This customization helps to engage the audience and makes the client feel like they are part of the program. This further helps to integrate the product into the programming content and seem less like a commercial stop down.
Call-to-action. With live reads, hosts can provide an immediate call-to-action, such as exclusive discounts or limited-time offers, encouraging listeners to take immediate action.
By David Kidd, BPR […]