An unprecedented 82 per cent of Afghans
surveyed in the capital Kabul listen to BBC World Service
broadcasts in Persian and Pashto every week, according to the first
media survey in that country since the Taleban left power in
2001.
The survey, conducted by independent market
researchers last month [December 2002], showed that BBC World
Service is the leading broadcaster in the Afghan capital, beating
all local and international broadcasters on both radio and
television. It is an unprecedented level of market penetration for
an international broadcaster.
Since the fall of the Taleban, access to
newspapers, television and local radio has been growing and market
competition has increased. In Kabul, several new newspapers have
started up. Afghans are now able to watch television, which was
banned by the Taleban.
In an extra boost to the BBC, the survey
found that BBC World - the international television news and
information channel - is the leading international television
broadcaster in Kabul, with 15 per cent of the weekly television
audience.
"These survey results are
excellent," said Baqer Moin, head of the BBC's Persian and
Pashto language services.
"The results confirm many anecdotal
reports which reached us even during the Taleban days which
indicated that BBC World Service is Afghanistan's favourite radio
station".
"Even more importantly, this survey
confirms that BBC World Service is respected and trusted by Afghans
for its objectivity and accuracy," he
adds. "This is a great boost as we start to extend our
FM transmissions to other cities over the next few
months."
The survey is the first independent
research to be conducted for BBC World Service in Afghanistan since
the Taleban fell in 2001.
The survey showed:
- There was almost universal awareness of
BBC World Service - 98 per cent in Kabul;
- 82 per cent of all Afghans in Kabul listen
to the BBC World Service, mainly on the new 88.9 [MHz] FM frequency
which began in June 2002;
- 44 per cent of BBC listeners in Kabul
listen to Pashto broadcasts;
- 40 per cent of BBC listeners in Kabul
listen to Persian broadcasts;
- 19 per cent of BBC listeners in Kabul
listen to both Pashto and Persian broadcasts;
- 91 per cent of Afghans in the survey said
they turn to the radio for news;
- 88 per cent of Afghans in the capital
perceive BBC World Service as a high-quality, trusted source of
relevant information.
The survey shows that Afghans are very
interested in Afghan affairs and regional events and have a greater
interest in international affairs than people in most other regions
of the world. Four out of 10 Afghans say that they are very
interested in events in neighbouring countries.
Afghan's hunger for news has been
stimulated by 23 years of war, a heavily censored domestic media
and interest in the current transitional phase of government in the
country.
