The Dari Service is one of the six language services in the VOA South and Central Asia Division. Dari, a multi-ethnic language has a potential audience of more than 20 million speakers in Afghanistan, Central Asia, Pakistan and Iran. It is the primary language of about 50 percent of Afghanistan's population and about 5 million in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The VOA broadcasts also are heard by some of the 200 thousand "guest workers" in the Gulf states, Turkey, western Europe and Canada.
Broadcast times and transmitters
0200-0230 UTC(6:30-7:00 AM in Afghanistan, 7:00-7:30 in Tajikistan)
1515-1600 UTC(7:45-8:30 PM in Afghanistan, 8:15-9:00 in Tajikistan)
1045-1100 UTC(3:15-3:30 PM in Afghanistan, 3:45-4:00 in Tajikistan)
1900-1930 UTC(11:30-12:00 Midnight in Afghanistan, 12:00-1:30 AM in Tajikistan)
Shortwave transmitters at VOA?s Kavala relay station send the programs to Southwest Asia
A. Morning Airshows: ( 10:00-10:30 PM, EDT)
Sunday: Daily Music: ( Mostly Afghan popular music)
Regional Round-Up: A review of regional events and developments as reflected in major U.S. newspapers and/or other international periodicals.
Monday: Daily Music
Abridged repeats of significant reports or interviews broadcast on the Evening airshows.
Tuesday: Daily music ( Repeats, if available or significant)
Wednesday: Audience Mail: A 5-5:30 mins. segment of listeners? letters supplementing the Audience Mail program broadcast on Sundays, 11:15 airshow Daily Music
Thursday: ? Youth?: This program, launched since January of this year, is aimed primarily at the younger generation in the target area. It combines brief, informative segments from centrally-produced material on sports, entertainment,music, education and other topics of interest to the young. Runs 6-7mins. Daily music.
Friday: U.S. Opinion Round-Up: Centrally-produced material reflecting U.S.Press views on current affairs. Daily Music
Saturday:English USA Lessons (Weekly) Daily Music
B. Evening Show
Sunday: Audience Mail (Weekly)
Monday: Economy & Construction, Science & Health (Alternates); In Search Of Family (Weekly)
Tuesday: English USA Lessons (Weekly); Afghan Music (Weekly)
Wednesday: Women And Life, Life In America (Alternates); Dari Literature (Weekly)
Thursday: Call-in Show (Weekly)
Friday: Friday Night Show (Weekly )
Saturday: Tajikistan Weekly Feature; US Press Review (On Afghanistan & Central Asia) (Weekly)
Editorial: Five per week
Dari Weekly Features
Evening Airshows ( 11:15 AM-12:00 EDT) (July 2001)
Sunday: Audience Mail (Weekly)
Responds to letters the Service receives from its listeners, which include mail from all parts of the world where Afghans can listen to VOA-Dari broadcasts. Though postal service in Afghanistan has been haphazard at best, a surprisingly large number of letters are received from inside the country and the volume is further increased since VOA opened a post-office box in Kabul in the past year. The total number of letters the Service received in the past year reached almost two thousand. The program, which runs 14-15 mins., also uses recorded voice actualities of listeners who call to ask questions, inquire about missing relatives or want to send greetings to their loved ones within the listening area.
Monday: Economy & Construction ( Bi-Weekly )
The program, running 8-10 mins, usually combines centrally produced material with reports from Dari stringer in Peshawar and interviews conducted by the Service to discuss a variety of topics ranging from economic infrastructure , education, health, agriculture, environmental protection etc., to clearing of landmines, floods, draught, narcotics trade and the like. While the program has a rather global scope its main focus is Afghanistan and the devastations of the past two decades of war. Science & Health ( Bi-Weekly ):
Discusses a wide range of scientific and medical topics and advances in these fields. Given the widespread health problems and the low level of medical care available in the target area, the program usually focuses on topics of immediate interest to the audience. Centrally-produced material is usually enhanced by interviews with U.S.-based Afghan experts and physicians who elaborate on the subject in the audience?s own language. The program runs 8-10 mins.
Looking for loved Ones (Weekly) This is a very successful public service for our listeners, who are looking for family members and friends. So far we have been able to locate more than a dozen family members and broadcast scores of messages of friends and family members.
Tuesday: Afghan Music: (Weekly)
The program usually features the music of Afghan artists in exile and is enhanced by interviews with the artists when possible. Recorded music of popular past singers and musicians are also featured. This program helps provide a cultural reaffirmation and a sense of shared identity for a fractured and disparate society and takes on additional significance because of Taliban?s total ban on music and other forms of artistic expressions in the large portions of the country which are under their control. English Lessons: (Weekly)
Adaptation of English USA series into a 5-6 min feature.
Wednesday: Dari Literature (Weekly)
Features modern as well as classical Dari literature and poetry and is usually enhanced by interviews with Afghan literary figures and today?s generation of writers and poets living in exile throughout the world ? many of them in the U.S. Runs 8-10 mins.
Woman & Life: (Bi-Weekly )
The program discusses the role of women and their achievements in today?s society . Given the dire situation of Afghan women under the Taliban rule, the program frequently focuses on their plight and is enhanced by interviews with Afghan emanicipated women and American women of repute ranging from politics to sports and entertainment. Centrally-produced material is usually adapted for use in the program. Runs 8- 10 mins.
Life In America:( Bi-Weekly):
Uses centrally-produced material to reflect issues of concern to ordinary Americans, events in American daily life, social trends and problems, achievements etc. Frequently, the program reports on activities of Afghans in America, their occupations, professional and business achievements and how they have adapted to the new society in general. Interviews with Afghans in America usually enhance the sound of the program. Runs 8-10 mins.
Thursday: Dari Call-in Show: (Weekly)
A wide variety of topics of immediate interest to the audience constitute this program which runs through the entire backhalf of the air show. Knowledgeable Afghans and scholars respond to questions from the listeners who call from all parts of the world. Dari-speaking Americans, when available, also participate as guests. Usually two guests are linked by telephone to the studio. Topics of discussion have ranged from politico/military situation and peace initiatives in the war-devastated country to drug trafficking, terrorism, draught, education, health care, population, culture, plight of Afghan women and children?to mention some examples.
Friday: ? Friday Evening?: ( Weekly )
A relatively light program combining highlights of centrally- produced material on entertainment, music, sports, art and other events and cultural activities with brief, informative segments on Afghan culture, traditions, literature, music and history. It is a fast-paced, multiple-voiced program with sound breaks delivered in relatively informal language enhanced by voice actualities of interviewees on topics of interest. The program, though relatively new, has gained wide popularity among the Dari listenership as reflected in much of the audience mail since the inception of this featurre. Runs through the entire backhalf of the airshow.
Saturday: Tajikistan Weekly Feature:
The program discusses events and developments in Tajikistan, Afghanistan?s neighbor to the north, where Dari is widely spoken and understood. It usually consists of a report or an interview about Tajikistan and an ? Americana? feature prepared weekly by a Tajik POV at the Dari Service. Dari stringer Khurshid Mastan?s reports from Dushanbe bring home to Tajik listeners news about developments and events in the country in their own language and dialect. The program also discusses Tajik culture, literature and music and features voice actualities of personalities when available.
US Press Review (On Afghanistan and Central Asia) (Weekly)
Morning Airshows: ( 10:00-10:30 PM, EDT)
Sunday: Daily Music: ( Mostly Afghan popular music) Regional Round-Up: A review of regional events and developments as reflected in major U.S. newspapers and/or other international periodicals.
Monday: Daily Music Abridged repeats of significant reports or interviews broadcast on the Evening airshows.
Tuesday: Daily music ( Repeats, if available or significant)
Wednesday: Audience Mail: A 5-5:30 mins. segment of listeners? letters supplementing the Audience Mail program broadcast on Sundays, 11:15 airshow Daily Music
Thursday: ? Youth?: This program, launched since January of this year, is aimed primarily at the younger generation in the target area. It combines brief, informative segments from centrally-produced material on sports, entertainment ,music , education and other topics of interest to the young. Runs 6-7mins. Daily music.
Friday: U.S. Opinion Round-Up: Centrally-produced material reflecting U.S.Press views on current affairs. Daily Music
Saturday: English Lesson Daily Music