IEA supports media outlets within legal framework

KABUL (Pajhwok): Marking the World Radio Day, the acting government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid has termed media role vital in governance and social affairs and pledged support to media in the framework of rules and regulations.

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) dubbed February 13 as the World Radio Day in 2011 and since then this day is marked in most countries.

 9 radios stopped functioning last year

According to a statement from the Afghanistan Independent Journalists Union (AIJU) on the occasion of World Radio Day, currently 257 radios are operational nationwide in which 1,880 men and 270 women are employed.

The statement said that in the past two years, 19 new radios had been founded 24 more radios have resumed their transmissions after a short break.

It added in the past one year, nine radios stopped their transmissions in different parts of the country in which 2 radios were still non-operational.

The statement said Radio in Afghanistan has a history of a hundred years, because it is easy to access, has many fans, and most of the radio listeners are villagers.

“AIJU supported and defends the rights of journalists and freedom of speech in Afghanistan and asks the government to cooperate with the media community in facilitating the access of journalists to information, the safety of journalists, the reduction of electricity costs, and the elimination of media challenges.”

IEA support media outlets: Mujahid

Zabihullah Mujahid, the acting government spokesperson, said Radio is one of the most effective and important tools among the media, and currently many radios are active in Afghanistan they operate well and doing good job.”

“We support the media in general, especially the radio, there are no problems in the media, and the Ministry of Information and Culture has provided services in this regard and is in close coordination with the media.”

Muhajar Farahi, deputy Information and Cultural Affairs Minister, in an audio message on the occasion of World Radio Day, said that radio has a lot of listeners nationwide and the IEA was committed to support media outlets.

He said currently 280 radios were operational nationwide.

UNAMA supports Afghan people right to freedom of expression

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on its Twitter handle wrote: “It’s difficult to imagine a world without radio,” - SRSG Otunbayeva during a tour of Killid & Mursal Radio in Kabul to mark #WorldRadioDay. She commended radio in #Afghanistan as vital source of news, education, public dialogue for nearly a century.”

Radio for the first time incepted in Afghanistan in 1924 in Kabul’s Pul-i-Artal, it was a local news and music radio and was without sound recorder system and had live transmission but in 1942 more radios with more facilities came into existence.

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