VOA Broadcasting in Kurdish
VOA’s Kurdish service reaches its audience on radio, television and the Internet. In addition to shortwave and AM, the programs air on FM affiliates in several cities in Iraq (Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Kirkuk, Mosul, Baghdad, and Basra). VOA Kurdish also produces video reports that are streamed on both of its websites (Kurmanji and Sorani). The service’s audience consists of more than 30 million Kurds living in the Middle East and Eurasia and approximately one million Kurds living in Europe and North America. Audience research indicates that the broadcasts are popular among listeners in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.
Quick Facts
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Established: April 1992 Target Area: Iraq, Turkey, Iran and Syria Weekly Audience: 2.8% of Iraqis overall and 14.9% among Kurdish speakers
Radio Programming: 10 hours/day on week days and 6 hours/day on weekends. TV Programming: 3 hours, 10 minutes per week
Programs and additional features available at: and
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Programs and Features
TV
Kurd Connection – A 30-minute television/web program airing on Tuesdays and Fridays through affiliate NRT in Northern Iraq. It includes a roundup of news-related material and features of interest to the Kurdish region. The program is also distributed via the web and YouTube.
Washington Eye – A 40-minute weekly program airing on Wednesdays through affiliate NRT in northern Iraq. It presents Washington’s viewpoint on regional and global developments.
Mêvan û Mijar "Guest & Topic" – A biweekly magazine TV show for web focusing on current affairs of the Kurdish region and the U.S.
Heftreng “7 colors” -- A biweekly 30-minute magazine TV show in Kurmanji dialect on international art and culture airs on Sundays through affiliate NRT in northern Iraq.
Zayeley Dahenan “Echo of Invectiveness” -- A biweekly 30-minutes magazine TV show in Sorani dialect on international art and culture airs on Sundays through affiliate NRT in northern Iraq.
Facebook live - A 30-minute Facebook Live painting show on Tuesdays.
Radio
The daily radio shows offer extensive regional and international news coverage, interviews with experts and newsmakers, stringer reports and panel discussions with Kurds in the greater Middle East and in the diaspora,
Hello Washington on Friday – A 30-minute weekly current affairs program with expert guests taking calls from the Middle East and other areas of the world.
Life with Culture – A weekly 30-minute arts and culture radio/web program airing on Sundays in Sorani dialect.
Deng U Reng (Sound and Color) – Arts and culture feature in the Kurmanji dialect.
Rawanga (View) -- A roundtable discussion on Iran and Kurds in that country.
Tirej -- focuses mainly on Turkey Kurds and Syria in Kurmanji dialect.
Sense & Stance – a call-in program specifically on Syria