Pashto Media - Pashto Radio

Pashto Radio

Radio Kabul is the official radio station of Afghanistan. The first radio transmitters were installed in Kabul in the 1920s. King Amanullah Khan installed a 200 watt Russian transmitter operating at AM 833 kHz at his Kabul Palace in 1925. The transmitter was replaced in 1931 by King Nadir Khan, and was upgraded during Zahir Shah's reign in 1940 when a new 20 kilowatt transmitter was installed in its place, operating at 600 kHz.

In the meantime, Radio Pakistan, Peshawar started its programs in 1935. The first word broadcasted from the station was Kalma-e-Tauheed. Radio had great importance at the time because there were limited newspapers and no televisions, people listened to radio not only for news but for entertainment purposes as well. Radio has an important role in the lives of the Pashtun people. Since the literacy rate is low among them, every family has a radio set in their house. Even the women in rural areas are informed and entertained by radio.

Stations like FM Boraq and FM 101 are heard in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The private radio stations usually discuss the problems of youths, and as a result of which they listen to it and owing to this, these private stations get more funds as compared to the stations supervised by the government. Radio Pakistan in Peshawar played a huge role in the development of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Not only does it broadcast entertainment programs but also programs related to the development and welfare of the province. For instance, it broadcasts programs for women development, for health, education, for children, agriculture and so on. Pakistani FM radios which promots Pashto partially or fully:

• Arman Fm 98.1 in Kabul
• Radio Afghanistan in Kabul
• Radio Azadi FM 100.5 in Kabul
• Kabul Rock FM 108.0 in Kabul
• FM 91.00 Radio Khyber from Khyber agency
• FM 92.2 Radio Pakhtunkhwa
• FM 92.6 Radio Aman Mardan
• FM 93.00 Radio Dilber, Charsadda
• FM 96.00 Swat
• FM 102.00 Bannu / North Waziristan

Radio stations from international religious organizations are also broadcast into the region. These stations tend to focus on community issues with programs about education, children, health and reconciliation.