Sunday, June 15, 2003
Afghan's first private radio station takes to the air waves
Agence France-Presse Kabul, June 15
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> From a house in one of Kabul's relatively unscathed districts, Afghanistan's
first commercial radio station is taking the city by storm with a mix of
music and chat by male and female DJs that would have had the Taliban
summoning the religious police.
Surrounded by posters of Western and Indian pop stars and footballers, Massouda Zalmai, 18, and her co-host Abdul Azim, 23, present Radio Arman FM's lunchtime show with a mix of friendly banter, gossip about rising Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi and more serious discussions on the dangers of smoking, interspersed with music.
Radio Arman FM 98.1 went on air April 16 as Afghanistan's first ever private radio station, serving up a mix of entertainment, information and education for the capital's millions.
The station broadcasts Afghan, Indian, Tajik, Uzbek and Western music 24 hours a day, with bilingual DJs using Dari and Pashtu, Afghanistan's two main languages.
Arman FM's format of music, gossip and chat has long been the staple of radio stations elsewhere, but the presenters' informal approach and use of colloquial Dari has drawn criticism from some listeners unused to hearing young men and women chat together on air even 19 months after the toppling of the puritanical Taliban.
Others among those who aired their views on state-run TV last week have accused the fledgling radio station of being unprofessional in recruiting young presenters with little or no training.
© Hindustan Times Ltd. 2003. Reproduction in any form is prohibited without prior permission