Taliban suspends BBC FM broadcasts across Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities have suspended FM radio broadcasts by the BBC – an AIB member – disrupting an important route to independent news and information for audiences across the country.

The BBC confirmed the suspension on 13 October and said it was working with the authorities to resolve the situation. A spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture cited alleged repeated violations by the broadcaster, but did not specify what these were. No timetable for restoring FM broadcasts has been announced.

According to Afghanistan International – a TV and digital broadcaster based in London that provides programming to the country – an interview with a former Taliban governor in a recent BBC documentary marking the anniversary of the fall of Kabul was among the reasons for the Taliban’s dissatisfaction.

In the interview, Abdullah Sarhadi, a Taliban governor, acknowledged for the first time that he was responsible for the destruction of the historic Buddha statues and said he did not regret the decision.

The BBC says it is continuing to provide independent reporting in Pashto, Dari and English through shortwave and medium wave radio, online services and satellite distribution. The suspension affects its FM network, while other routes to BBC journalism remain available in the country.

The BBC’s Afghan service has operated since 1981. Its news and other programming reaches more than one fifth of Afghanistan’s adult population each week, according to the broadcaster. Its output also includes educational programmes for girls excluded from secondary schooling. This audience figure represents the BBC’s whole audience in the country, rather than the number directly affected by the FM suspension.

What this means

The suspension narrows access to independent information and illustrates the vulnerability of international broadcasters’ local transmission networks to decisions by national authorities.

For international broadcasting, it also reinforces the importance of maintaining diverse ways to reach audiences. Shortwave, medium wave, satellite and digital services provide alternative routes when FM distribution is interrupted. However, their continued availability cannot be assumed to replace FM’s reach or convenience for every listener particularly since the number of those people listening to short wave in countries like Afghanistan – where the domestic broadcaster RTA does not transmit its output on shortwave – is likely to be low. The immediate challenge for the BBC is both to seek the restoration of its FM services and to help Afghan audiences find its remaining platforms.