Country Reports on Terrorism 2012

observations, suggestions, and questions to VOA. Every TV and radio reporter has a Facebook
page and responded to viewers comments. The Service also provided interactive programming
with Pakistani-Americans and Pakistani college students.
The Pakistan/Afghanistan Border Region. VOA’s Deewa Radio’s daily nine-hour broadcast to
approximately 40 million Muslims in Pakistan, and the border regions of Pakistan and
Afghanistan, provided accurate and timely news in an area dominated by state-controlled media
and Taliban-run Mullah Radio. The Service launched a one hour “Radio on TV” broadcast,
providing news, analysis, health, and other issues relevant to internally displaced persons
(IDPs). Daily talk shows enriched the audience’s understanding of U.S. perspective towards
Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Muslim world by engaging top experts with U.S. think tanks and
universities. For example, Deewa’s daily program ‘Sweet Woman’ is engaging educated girls
and household women on issues ranging from women rights to the arts.
Deewa’s network of 27 stringers report provide extensive daily coverage of the Federally
Administered Tribal Area, including live reports from camps that house internally IDPs.
With its extensive network of local reporters, RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal (Torch) provided
breaking news and in-depth coverage on medical, educational, and cultural issues affecting the
region's youth, including the impact of the destruction of schools by terrorists and the need to
ensure that children are vaccinated for polio. The Service emphasized interaction with its
audience through regular call-in shows.
Bangladesh. VOA’s Bangla Service reported on events in both Bangladesh and the United
States, and provided coverage of Ramadan/Eid celebrations in Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, and
in the Bangladeshi-American community in the United States. Bangla Service coverage of U.S.
events included remarks by President Obama, members of Congress, administration officials,
and Muslim leaders. The Service produced a special web feature on the haj that included remarks
from those participating in the pilgrimage. VOA Bangla also covered the Ahmadiya
Community’s Annual Conference in Pennsylvania; the Islamic Society of North America’s
annual conference in Washington, DC; and the Bishwa Iztema congregation in Dhaka,
Bangladesh.
CENTRAL ASIA
Kazakhstan. RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service was delivered primarily through its internet platform
but also provided two daily hours of radio programming. The web strategy attracted a younger
audience to this bilingual (Kazakh and Russian) site, providing opportunities for interactivity
and exploration of new genres such as video reporting. In early 2012, the Kazakh Service
distinguished itself with its coverage of the deadly unrest in the town of Zhanaozen, where in
December 2011, police killed at least a dozen protesting oil workers. The Service got a
correspondent into Zhanaozen before the Kazakh government imposed a media blackout. The
coverage of the tragedy became a primary source for media outlets including The New York
Times, BBC, and Reuters.
Kyrgyzstan. RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service (Radio Azattyk) was one of the most trusted sources of
news and information in Kyrgyzstan, especially during periods of political turmoil. The Service’s
two TV shows were broadcast during prime time hours on National TV with a combined weekly
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