Faryab media outlets try to make headway on tough road

AIMANA (Pajhwok): Heads of the newly established media outlets in northwestern Faryab province have complained against the lack of equipment and warned of closures if necessary support not provided to them.

This comes that the Information and Cultural Affairs Department pledged support to the media outlets under the framework of government policy.

The National Journalists Union (NJU) also termed the situation of media outlets disappointing and said one State Television Network and 25 print media outlets had been closed during the Republic time and in the later stage.

Feroz Ghafoori, acting head of the Radio Tammana, told Pajhwok Afghan News this Radio was founded 12 years ago in Maimana and before the fall of Republic Regime it has 18 hours transmission daily. But currently, it has no transmission and no employee.

Ghafoori said they transmitted daily the Salaam Watandar Radio transmission for four hours and for eight hours they transmitted religious programmes. The Radio get monthly 15,000 afs revenue which go into the electricity, building rent and salary of technical employees.

He said a new Radio ‘Radio-i-Afkar Mardom’ had been established and started functioning besides other responsibilities that he has.

He said the purpose and motivation of establishing Radio ‘Radio-i-Afkar Mardom’ an urgent need of Faryab society, adding that after the cessation of activities of a number of private media and the stagnation of Radio Tamana, it was necessary to have  this type of media outlet.

He said: “In order not to keep intact the achievements of my ten years in the field of information, I established this radio. My wife is the editor-in-chief and now the broadcast is going on for a trial period, in the near future when we are able to attract the attention of media support organisations we will officially start the transmission.”

Feroz Ghafoori show satisfaction from the cooperation of the Faryab Information and Cultural Affairs Department, and said: “Some mafia media outlets which had monopoly over majority of projects and commercials during the Republic Regime were still active, asking the Information Department to stop these mafia media outlets and allow Radios that has more acceptance in the society get projects and commercials.”

He complained about the restrictions imposed and the lack of access to information from the local bodies, adding that local officials do not invite journalists and local media to news programs and conferences, and the news that should be delivered to the people through local media is given in the disposal of central and foreign media outlets.

Zabihullah Mohammadi, a technical employee of the Radio Tammana, said he worked in the Radio from the past five years but after the fall of Republic Regime Radio Tammana faced financial problems and stopped its programmes.

He said he monthly got 4,000 afs salary which is nothing but he understood the current situation of media outlets and hoped that these problems would be resolved and he would be given decent salary.

Ghulam Mohammad Baromand, editor-in-chief of Radio Yasra, said he established this radio in 2018 due to his interest in the media and after three months he stopped that Radio due to some problems.

He said after the takeover of the ‘Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’ (IEA) he renewed the Radio Yasra license.

He said from the past six months Radio Yasra broadcast trial transmission and would soon official start the transmission.

Referring to the advertisements revenue he said: “We have a monthly income of about 20,000 afghanis, the rest of the expenses of this radio are from my personal budget, until now no organization has been supported or funded but still I tried and increased the number of employees to create job opportunities for the youth, and if there is no support, I will stop the operation of the radio”.

Referring to the moral support of the Information Department, he said: “According to the government policy female employees performed their duties in compliance with government policy in Hijab and so far they are faced with no obstacle.

Adeba Sardash, an employee of Radio Yasra, said from the past one month she was doing a programme for three hours daily alongside another female employee.

Sardash said according to the designated principles she was doing here job and did not faced any problem from the government authorities but according to her some individuals in the society still had unhealthy thinking about women working in the media outlets.

She hoped that the government will facilitate job opportunities for women in the media so that they can serve the society in the information sector.

Meanwhile the Maimana private Radio after 12 years stopped functioning.

Mohammad Humayon Halimi, member of the Eshanch Association, said Radio Maimana was founded 12 years ago with the support of a number of cultural and civil society activist and mostly its transmission was in Uzbek language. The Radio had been closed due to financial problems, he added.

He said Radio Maimana was one of the most popular radios in Faryab during the Republic regime and had more than ten paid and honorary employees, its expenses were generated through advertisements; However, after the revolution, the advertisements were cut off and they could not pay the salaries of the employees, electricity and rent, so they were forced to stop the activity.

But Mawlavi Shamsuddin Mohammadi, head of the provincial Information and Cultural Affairs Department, said after the takeover of IEA five radios were functional in Faryab and the Radio and after sometimes Radio Maimana stopped functioning due to financial constraints. On the other hand two new radios had been launched and started its transmissions.

Mohammadi said currently six Radios, including National Radio, Radio Sehat which is funded by a private organization, Radio Tammana, Radio Mumtaz, Radio Afkar-i-Mardom and Radio Yasra which is newly lunched are functional in the province.

He added: “Media is the basic pillar of a country which reflected upon the activities and achievements of the government, media outlets should not be closed due to financial constraints.”

“We have discussed the issue of Faryab media outlets with the leadership of the province and the Ministry of Information and Culture. We will definitely support free media and extend cooperation in line with the government policy if possible,” he said.

Referring to the women employees work in the media, in compliance with the government policy some female employees are working in the media outlets and there is not restriction on them until they show compliance with the provided guidelines and wear Hijab.

Qutbuddin Kohi, head of the National Journalists Union for Faryab, termed the situation of private media outlets concerning and said during the previous regime besides National Television, Aina TV Aryana TV and Arzo TV were accessible on normaly. In addition, nine radios and over 20 weekly, monthly and quarterly print media outlets were functional.

Kohi added Radio Toyash, Sherin Tagab and the transmission of above mentioned television networks and print media outlets stopped during Republic regime and the National Television was also dysfunctional. The Radio Turkistan, Sawash and Maimana stopped functioning after regime change.

He said Radio Afkar-i-Mardom and Radio Yasra have recently started functioning and doing its trial transmission. The two radios will stop functioning if not supported, he said.

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