Taliban ban Voice of America, Radio Free Europe for one-sided broadcasts | World Data

The Taliban on Thursday banned the FM radio broadcasts streaming from Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) Afghanistan stations, saying that they’re stopped due to non-compliance with journalistic guidelines and one-sided broadcasts.

Taking to Twitter, Abdul Haq Hammad, who oversees broadcasting for the Ministry of Information and Custom of the incumbent Afghan administration, talked about, “Radio Azadi (RL), which started broadcasting after the American occupation, was stopped due to non-compliance with journalistic guidelines and one-sided broadcasts,” Khaama Press reported.

In line with a tweet from Hammad, the Radio Azadi broadcasts have been banned in 13 Afghan provinces.

Within the meantime, VOA moreover reported that a new directive from the Afghan Ministry of Information and Custom has positioned a ban on VOA’s broadcasts, environment friendly from December 1.

The Voice of America television program, typically referred to as Ashna TV, which had beforehand been broadcast on the Tolo TV, TOLONews, and Lamar TV channels, was suspended on March 27 this yr by the authorities in Afghanistan.

In line with the VOA, the ban bought right here a day after the Taliban’s ministry of data and custom talked about it had obtained complaints about programming content material materials nevertheless shared no specifics.

It’s unclear whether or not or not the ban will apply to totally different worldwide broadcasters which have used the similar system for FM broadcasts in Afghanistan.

“Afghanistan has press authorized pointers, and any neighborhood found repeatedly contravening these authorized pointers may have their privilege of reporting from and broadcasting inside Afghanistan taken away,” Abdul Qahar Balkhi, who seems to be just like the incumbent Afghan administration’s worldwide division, talked about in written suggestions to VOA.

“VOA and Azadi Radio failed to stay to these authorized pointers, had been found as repeat offenders, failed to point professionalism and had been resulting from this truth shut down,” VOA quoted Balkhi as saying.

Voice of America began airing radio functions in Dari and Pashto in Afghanistan in October 1980 and July 1982, respectively. Radio Azadi formally started broadcasting in Afghanistan in 2002.

There have been 547 media outlets in Afghanistan by way of the sooner administration, in accordance with Reporters With out Borders, nevertheless 219 print, aural, and visual media had been shut down after the current administration assumed power, in accordance with Khaama Press.

Since taking over remaining yr, the federal authorities has positioned numerous limitations on the media and journalists in Afghanistan, along with mandating female presenters t cowl their faces whereas on air.

Free press organizations have slammed them with pervasive media censorship and muzzling, harassing reporters, and depriving female media workers of the correct to employment, Khaama Press reported.