Radio starts airing programs in South Waziristan Agency
PESHAWAR, April 9, 2005, The first ever Radio Stations one each in North and South Waziristan agencies have begun airing a variety of useful programs in local dialect during their daily six -hour transmission covering large areas of both the tribal agencies. There are plans to establish the third radio station at Razmak in North Waziristan.
Apart from news, religious, educational, cultural and other programs, the radios regularly broadcast local events and weekly sports activities taking place in Waziristan region. Housed in a beautiful newly built small building with its sprawling lawn where a tall antenna has been installed, Radio Miranshah in North Waziristan Agency has especially been set up to educate the tribal populace and change their outlook through healthy programs.
The Radio Station has been built at a cost of Rs1.1 million and is equipped with latest communicational and broadcasting equipments. Although its transmission time is limited, yet its positive impact was being realized and acknowledged by local tribesmen particularly the educated segments.
The Radio with its six-hour daily morning and evening transmission has seven member staff including two producers, two engineers and seven general staff.
It is managed and supervised by the Media Cell FATA working under a Director General. A similar broadcasting station is also working at Wana in South Waziristan while efforts are underway to find a suitable site to establish a similar radio station at Razmak in North Waziristan.
At villages, bazaars, shops, restaurants and public places at Miranshah and its surroundings people could be seen either carrying or tuned to transistors keenly listening to news and information broadcast by the Radio Station. “It is indeed a great breakthrough in the conservative tribal polity”, says a college teacher at Miranshah Bazar.
We are living, he remarks, in an age of global information and quick communication and the broadcasting station in our midst is a great achievement in changing attitude and outlook of the people in this remote tribal region. In the absence of television reach to most of far-flung parts of the tribal areas, transistor still sways and is the lone source of information. It is a poor man’s tool of entertainment and most of people still depend on this easily portable small device.
Source: Frontier Post
Date:4/9/2005
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