Impact Evaluation: Broadcast Media Capacity Assessment of Afghanistan 2007-2008

This report details the broadcast media operating in Afghanistan through early 2008. With an essential purpose of providing the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Afghanistan with a strategy for expanding and growing the overall media coverage, content, and professionalism, the Afghanistan-wide broadcast media assessment is also intended as a tool for journalists, radio and television stations, governments, producers, programmers, public relations practitioners, and members of the advertising industry.

Four members of the Louis Berger Group (LBG) Inc. Media Evaluation Team (the 3 authors, and 1 translator) were restricted from physically visiting most radio and television stations in the country due to security issues and extreme winter weather conditions, so the majority of data gathering was done via mobile phone . A questionnaire was developed and used to log geographic coverage of each radio and television station. Data gathered included approximate listenership, broadcasting hours, station strength, ownership, programming, sources of income, number of employees, male/female employment split, language, energy sources, potential population reach, and details of station successes, failures, and training and equipment needs.

I. An excerpt from the Executive Summary follows:
"Afghanistan's media landscape has mushroomed since the Taliban regime fell. Kabul has benefited the most. The best radio and television programs are produced in Kabul as most [non-governmental organisations] NGO's are headquartered in the capital so there is generous access to equipment and training. The major cities, Masar e Sharif, Hirat and Jalalabad are well behind Kabul in terms of equipment, training and program sophistication. The rural parts of the country are poorly served; service in many provincial districts representing about twenty five percent of the population cannot listen to radio because service is unavailable. Roughly thirty percent of Afghanis have access to television.

There are no broadcasters in Nuristan, a sparsely populated and mountainous province in the north bordering Pakistan. However, the Pakistani's have built major radio near the international border and are beaming their programs and political messages across the border into the region. In Nimroz, a province in the south shares a border with Iran. The entire province has just one radio station and one television station. Radio broadcasts two hour per day. The television station is mostly unavailable because the Iranians operate a powerful television station a few kilometres away on the same signal. That jams the Afghan signal. Since more than half the population of Afghanis have not seen the inside of a classroom, most take what they hear on radio or see on television as fact.

Afghanistan is keen for professional independent news, but continues to be fed antiquated journalism techniques and must rely on poor equipment. It's a country that for years listened to international radio broadcasts in their basements. Television was banned under the Taliban as were most radio stations. The media in the country has been broken and the evidence and disparities are obvious.

While the future of Afghanistan's fragile media is promising in a few spots much needs to be done. It is a country that still, seven years later, faces a strong challenge from the Taliban who are determined to drive the international community out the country. They are still a major force in large parts of the country and they have learned to effectively use the media to get their message out to the masses.

It is a country without a journalism or broadcast Code of Ethics. Anyone who wants to set up a radio or television station is free to do so without government interference and unfortunately, several have taken advantage of the lack of regulations..."

II. An excerpt from the Conclusion follows:
"In conclusion the broadcast assessment team re-capped the priorities as follows:

1- RTA (Afghanistan National Radio & Television) is the only national broadcaster with any type of infrastructure capable of reaching an audience larger than any other broadcaster. Due to weak management and government interference in its editorial policy, RTA hasn't been able to fully use its capacity. Compared to private broadcasters its audience numbers are poor. The population doesn't trust or believe RTA because of its government structure and relationship. The only solution is to transition the station to a fully-fledged public broadcaster. PSB (Public Service Broadcasting). The legislature passed the necessary legislation to create a PSB structure but President Karzai refused to sign the bill and sent it back to parliament last fall where it still sits.

2- Community radio should be encouraged and supported and plans to establish community television should also be considered. Community broadcasters are managed by members of the community; political, government and citizens. It is a healthy medium that brings stakeholders together. Given the challenge of Afghanistan's geographical make up and lack of electricity in many parts of the country the team recommends low power FM radio and television transmitters from 10 to 30 watts be employed. An investment in solar energy should be considered.

3- The BBC radio station in Bamyan operates exclusively on solar power. Solar negates the problem of a shortage of fuel for generators that are used to power many of the countries broadcast outlets.

4- A disproportionate number of broadcasters operate in the major cities. It is vitally important to deliver service to the rural parts of the country. Attention should also focus and target other regions sharing an international border with neighboring countries such as....There should also be an attempt to create a particular mechanism to assure balanced development of radio and television stations all over the country.

5- Women FM radio stations have been very successful and have won a place in the hearts of its listeners. These successful stations are mostly self-sufficient so they must be supported and strengthened. The media assessment team recommends that one all women radio station should be established in each province of the country. That creates a network and the ability for stations to trade and exchange news, current affairs and other programming. The team believes women should be encouraged to operate television stations with the same expertise used to operate their radio stations.

6- At the moment only the Afghan NGO Nai agency trains journalists. So we recommend that there is a need to create an additional fully equipped broadcast training center.

7- It is vital that the government work with the broadcast industry to create a Code of Broadcasting and Journalism Ethics...

It makes both practical and economic sense to concentrate on news and current affairs; information programming. Some stations are experimenting with English speaking shows which is noble, but also a mistake. It is imperative that they concentrate on serving their markets in their native language, Pashto and Dari.

Stations must cut back on their current affairs programming and documentaries as they are spread too thin. It is much better to produce one or two great programs rather than ten mediocre programs.

In conclusion, I [lead author and team leader Marc Gage] am overall very impressed with the enthusiasm local media outlets have shown. With a commitment to train the media there will undoubtedly be a significant improvement in the quality of media coverage offered in a variety of capacities....I am convinced that if adequate training and equipment are provided that the community will not feel alone in experimenting with democracy and that, in time they will come to understand that other nations have accepted and embraced similar changes following civil and social unrest, as is the case in Afghanistan. The strength of democracy lies in freedom of information, which is what an unbiased and educated media will provide."