VOA Broadcasting to Pakistan/Afghanistan Border Region
VOA Deewa (which means Light in Pashto) provides news and information to the critical Pakistan/Afghanistan border region. The region lacks local independent sources of information on regional, international and U.S. perspectives on global issues. Military narratives, jihadi agenda and extremist groups are dominant in the state and private media market. VOA Deewa reaches this critical region via digital platforms, direct-to-home satellite TV, radio, and the Internet.
Quick Facts
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Established: October 2006 Target Area: Pashto-speaking region, Pakistan/Afghanistan border areas Digital/TV/Radio Broadcasts: 24/7 Digital newsroom 28 hours TV per week of original TV broadcasts (repeated in a 24-hour stream) via satellite, MWs, SWs medium and the Internet; 28 hours of music on radio punctuated with features. Programs and additional features available at:
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Instagram: Telegram: VOA Deewa
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Programs and Features
Direct-to-Home TV, a 24-Hour Stream – VOA Deewa launched a 24-hour “direct-to-home” TV stream on February 1, 2021, for its critical Pashto-speaking audience in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, including the newly merged tribal districts (FATA), Balochistan province, aswell as Pashtuns living in Karachi and elsewhere in Pakistan.This allows citizens in the region to see and hear Deewa and connects them with the world through news, features, interactive programs and segments on life in America.
Bibi Shireena (Caring Woman) (Pashto) – The two-hour morning TV (radio-on-TV, Sun-Thu, 6:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. Pakistan time) interactive program, produced by VOA’s Deewa service, engages women on subjects, such as girls’ education, women’s rights, gender equality, and other related topics, including finances, entrepreneurship, health, human rights and women’s empowerment. The show streams live on satellite TV, Meta and YouTube.
Loya Khyber Pakhtunkhwa -- A one-hour show via satellite TV and radio on current issues in the target region featuring newsmakers and video packages. The show goes on air at premier time at 8p local time in Pakistan.
Hello VOA -- A one-hour interactive TV show on politics, Afghanistan-Pakistan buzz, U.S. perspective on global issues, economy and society. The show features stakeholders representing civil society, activists, government and political party officials, on leading issues of the day 7:00pm-8:00pm (local time).
News and Current Affairs – An hour-long TV program airs at 10:00pm (local time) featuring video reports on latest news,as well as analysis on major issues of the day.
Song and Chat – The bi-weekly half hour TV music show provides a small window to Pashto music after the Taliban's ban on music in Afghanistan. Pashto music and artists are living in a state of fear in Pakistan since the Taliban’s comeback in neighboring Afghanistan. The Taliban’s ideology has far-reaching consequences for Pashtun regions in Pakistan where the group’s franchises have already disapproved music, calling it HARAM (forbidden) in Islam. The show features Pashtun artists, musicians and their best performances. (Pashto/Deewa)