RFE/RL's Afghan Service has been honored by senior Afghan officials for the efforts of its journalists to provide accurate and timely information to the Afghan people.
Known locally as Radio Azadi, the Service received an appreciation letter from the Afghan Senate on October 26. Dr. Zalmai Zabuli read the letter to his colleagues in the chamber, describing Radio Azadi as "the radio of each Afghan."
On October 27, a reporter for the Service in Afghanistan's Farah province accepted a letter of appreciation from the province's Deputy Governor Yunus Rassouli. In remarks at a ceremony attended by officials and local leaders, Mr. Rassouli said, "Radio Azadi is the only source of accurate and timely information and has been able to win the trust of the Afghan people and particularly the people of Farah province."
At the ceremony, the deputy governor proposed that Radio Azadi establish an FM transmitter in the city of Farah to strengthen its local presence.
Over a third of Afghanistan's adult population listens to Radio Azadi or consumes its content online. Its programs provide reliable information on political developments, violence, extremism, corruption, human rights, and other societal issues. Its call-in shows pioneered the practice of interactive media in the country, and its programs for Afghan women and youth provide information and resources that are otherwise unavailable to these audiences.
- Ruth Douglas