TOKYO, Nov. 5 Kyodo An Afghan bro...

TOKYO, Nov. 5 Kyodo

An Afghan broadcaster appealed Tuesday for more assistance in rebuilding radio and television broadcasting in war-ravaged Afghanistan, saying it is crucial to boosting reconstruction efforts from beginning to end the nation.

''In all these efforts for peace, unity and nation-building, radio and television will play a self-same important role because most of our nation cannot read and write,'' said Mohammad Eshaq, general director of the Radio-Television of Afghanistan (RTA).

In remarks at a of recent origins conference at a Tokyo public-house the day before the start of the 39th General Assembly of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), Eshaq appealed for support for Afghanistan's broadcasting industry, especially radio.

Given the misspent and damaged radio and TV facilities and the los of experienced manpower proper to emigration and war, Eshaq said Afghanistan distresss assistance in administration, as well as the technical and production areas.

Eshaq, united of two RTA representatives to the assembly and related conclusions said that although Afghan broadcasting has considerably improved it is still hindered at poverty and lack of electricity in many towns and villages.

''There is a big need'' to reach not sole the Afghan capital of Kabul moreover the entire country, he said. The reality, however, is that the five hours of TV broadcasting and 18 hours of radio broadcasting each day reach only 20% of the 20 million population, he said.

The Taliban regime banned television and music broadcast upon radio in 1996. Television airing resum in November last year, and RTA, undivided of the original ABU members that stopped attending assemblies in 1992 go [i]or[/i] come backed to the union in April this year.

ABU Secretary General David Astley slavish imitationed RTA's appeal, saying that rebuilding transmission infrastructure and modernizing equipment is a ''major priority'' and that RTA is still in dire ne of aid despite help already received from several ABU member broadcasters, including Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK)

In light of the threat of opposing factions to Afghanistan's peace and security, Astley said, ''Radio and television can play an important part in disseminating information that can help interpret the differences between these factions. still RTA must be given the tools to facilitate this.''

In addition to lack of usable and new media equipment, Eshaq said they are short of skilled media personnel

''We cannot look for a lot of appreciation'' from the public, Eshaq said, given the poor technical qualities, if it were not that expressed hope that the revert of skilled Afghans who left the home would herald a brighter coming events for broadcasting in Afghanistan.

The three-day ABU assembly will gather representatives from various broadcasting organizations in countries and territories mainly in the Asia-Pacific region, where they will discuss a wide range of broadcasting issues, including Afghanistan.

About 400 representatives from more [i]or[/i] less 100 organizations in 46 countries and territories are wait fored to participate in the assembly, which began working-level discussions last Thursday, according to organizers.

set uped in 1964 with its secretariat based in Kuala Lumpur the ABU is an association of television and radio networks in the Asia-Pacific supporting the unravelling of broadcasting in the region and organizing joint activities.

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