86 radio stations shut down in Afghanistan

As the rest of the world marked #WorldRadioDay on February 13, Afghanistan mourned the loss of as 86 radio stations which have halted operations over the past six months since the Taliban took control of the country.

Radio in Afghanistan began in the era of the former Afghan King Amanullah Khan in 1926. The first radio station was named Radio Kabul and broadcast in Kabul.

Although the media has technologically developed in a variety of ways, radio still remains one of the main sources of information in the country.

“We have a lot of memories from the radio. There was a time when restrictions were imposed on listening to the radio. When we were listening to the radio, we would task one individual to keep a lookout; we were listening to it in secret,” said Mangal, a resident of Wardak, while speaking to Tolo News.

Current financial and political issues are the main reasons for the collapse of the Afghan media and the recent political change following the fall of the republican government has severely affected the country’s radio sector.

Based on the statistics, over 300 different kinds of media organizations have been closed since the Taliban swept into power in August.

“Around 70 per cent of radio stations are closed in the country. The reasons are economic challenges and broadcasting programs–in the current situation. On the other hand, the government insists on collecting taxes from radio stations,” Shafiullah Azizi, head of the Zamzama radio stations told Tolo News.

“Our findings show that if the international community doesn’t provide financial support to the media, many of these radio stations will be closed within the next six months–this shows a collapse of the media in the country,” said Hojatullah Mujadidi, head of the Afghan Independent Journalist Association..