Original version

BBC World Service East Asia

Witness History

Podcasts

Factual: Life Stories

Factual: History

History as told by the people who were there

History as told by the people who were there.

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service News Internet

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

Witness History: Afghanistan's battle of the airwaves

Documentaries

Witness RK Radio Stn.jpg

05/08/2021 GMT

Afghanistan's battle of the airwaves

BBC World Service - Witness History, Afghanistan's battle of the airwaves

When the Taliban fell in 2001 Afghans could listen to music and news again

When the Taliban fell in 2001 Afghans could listen to music and news again. Arman FM radio was set up to cheer up the nation after years of war and repression.

When the US led invasion of Afghanistan ousted the repressive Taliban regime in 2001, it was no longer illegal to listen to music or news on the radio.  Afghan businessman Saad Mohseni returned to his home town of Kabul to launch Arman FM, a new radio station which played modern music and comedy programmes amongst other things which had been banned under the Taliban. He tells Rebecca Kesby why he wanted to help rebuild the cultural life of Afghanistan, how one radio station expanded into a multimedia company, and how persistent security problems have impacted his staff.

(Photo:  Afghan radio DJ, Seema Safa, talks on Arman FM radio station in Kabul in 2014.  WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP via Getty Images)

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Witness History

Afghanistan's battle of the airwaves

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service East Asia

About BBC World Service