German broadcaster Deutsche Welle began production of the fourth series of its educational radio program “Learning by Ear,” this time for Afghanistan.
Launched in 2009, the interactive distance-learning program is supported by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany and available via radio and on the Internet.
With a team of more than 50 actors, reporters and technicians, the broadcaster is preparing more than 200 episodes aimed at young listeners between age 12 and 20.
The program, which is recorded in Dari and Pashto, the official languages of Afghanistan, now includes more than 6,000 minutes of content. It features a mix of in-depth reports, radio dramas and feature stories, says the broadcaster, and examines the challenges young people face in their everyday lives and offers practical advice.
According to DW, nearly one-third of the Afghan population regularly listens to its radio service in Dari and Pashto, most of them via DW’s partner station Ariana FM.
The broadcaster added that since the cooperation with Ariana FM began in 2007, DW’s listener base in Afghanistan has greatly increased. Ariana FM broadcasts during prime-time hours DW’s news bulletins, radio magazines and shows such as “Learning by Ear” in 33 of the 34 provinces in the country.
