PRESS RELEASE - Washington, D.C., September 29, 2006
The Voice of America (VOA) launched the first full news hour of a new radio broadcasting service to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region this week. In the coming months VOA Deewa (Light) Radio will expand to 6 hours of daily news programming. "VOA Deewa's first hour-long daily newscast marks the beginning of a new Pashto language radio program specifically designed for the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region," said VOA Director David S. Jackson. "This is an area that is facing significant challenges ranging from ethnic and political strife to poverty and health issues, so it's critical for them to have access to accurate and unbiased news and information." The first hour of VOA Deewa Radio offers local, regional, and international news as well as features on topics such as politics, economy, health, education and sports. Special features are also planned, including an on-going series on Muslims in America and "Who We Are," an informative series about life in the United States. In addition to the one-hour News Hour, Deewa Radio has begun broadcasting 10 minutes of regional and global news at the top of the hour for four hours every evening, followed by contemporary Pashto popular music on a 24-hour, 7-day per week basis. Over the coming months VOA Deewa Radio will expand to 6 hours of news and information tailed for listeners in the Pashto-speaking region. VOA Deewa Radio programs can be heard in select cities on FM 100.5 and on shortwave from 1300-1400 UTC on 11510 kHz (26.06 meters) and 15645 kHz (19.18 meters). Deewa's News Hour runs from 1300-1400 UTC (6:00-7:00 p.m. local time) with 10-minute news bulletins at the top of the hours between 1400-1700 UTC (7:00-10:00 p.m. local time). Programs can be heard online at www.voadeewaradio.com.
(Source: Fred Waterer/ODXA)