Rise of Rogue Radio

The use and abuse of FM radio for advocacy is widespread in many parts of the world. In East Timor, these were mounted on rumbling trucks moving from one part of the island to the other in order to air political messages. In Guatemala, they are utilised to strengthen gender voices in policy planning. In Nepal, these are cherished as development tools to empower the poor and marginalised. So, it is not really a big deal if in the NWFP, FM radio is deployed to fan religious extremism.

What is more worrisome is that the number of illegal FM radio stations in the NWFP is proliferating at such a rapid pace that illegal stations in the province have already outnumbered the licensed ones. If that is not enough, long lists of fiery and resourceful madrassahs and maulanas are queuing up to install FM stations at their respective command headquarters. FM stations, they believe, will help consolidate their grip over the hearts and minds of the people, and protect their sphere of influence from propaganda of the infidels, and the neighbouring clergy.

Not long ago, it was here that television sets and video shops were smashed, music and videocassettes were burned, and barbers were forced not to shave men’s beards. In such a rich mix of intolerance and bigotry the sudden rise of FM radio is a conspicuous development. Everyone knows that NWFP, and particularly the federal and provincially administered Tribal Areas, have undergone major upheaval in the past decades. The region served as, and has paid the cost of, being the launching pad of the Afghan war. Years of blind indulgence in a protracted war, mushroom growth of Taliban-producing seminaries, coupled with on-going events in Waziristan and along the Pak-Afghan border has turned the otherwise traditional tribal society ultra-religious.

Generally backward, women in tribal areas are perhaps the poorest of the poor. They seldom have access to basic education, social or medical facilities. Some of these are long festering issues, but much of it has to do with the way religious leaders have led the flocks lately. Apparently, a traditional society has been subjected to heavy doses of religious radicalisation, consequently the mantle of tribal leadership has gradually shifted from the tribal elders to the religious leaders. Unfortunately, the new leadership is not only motivated but has more resources and menacing sophistication then the traditional tribal leaders. The FM radio, like the use of internet and satellite telephones by Al Qaeda have become favourite tools in an increasingly Talibanised scene.

Calls for jihad, and not in the Islamic meaning of ’striving’ or ’struggle’ for goodness, but purely against the West, are the main themes of these illegal stations, where sermons often degenerate into allegations and abuse of various sects of Islam. Owned and operated by the clergy, they take liberty of getting into a war of words with their neighbouring counterpart on many occasions. Interestingly, women issues are the favourite topics, with clergy endlessly preaching women on multi-dimensional issues. In a country, where radio continues to be the most popular, and sometimes the only, means of entertainment for rural women, FM radio has provided something to enjoy in privacy to be carried with them into the kitchens, gardens and or wherever they are doing their daily chores. Reportedly, many listeners write to the clergy, others prefer to call the maulana.

The question which arises is how come there has never been a fatwa against illegal, tax-evaded equipment that is also causing losses to the national exchequer. Why this leniency regarding radio, when the clergy have issued fatwas in many areas to ban the use of television, film and satellite dish? Why then is a na mehram free to transgress the limits he himself advocates? Who allowed him to intrude the privacy of other families and address the women through this medium, interacting with them through phone calls and letters? Maybe the local tribesmen will think on these lines, one day.

Interestingly, many of the enterprising technicians of the province, known for their skills in crafting high quality guns, have turned to perfecting the art of producing indigenous FM radio equipment, one can now buy a whole station for as low as Rs 10,000 in the local market. The price of an imported FM station is over a million rupees. Recently an auction for the license of a single FM station fetched a whopping 30 million rupees in Peshawar. However, keeping aside this unique indigenisation success, if we continue to produce cheap FM stations at the current rate and then start using them without licenses to wage an internal media war, it is needless to say, we are all in for a long radical ride.

The Pakistan electronic media regulatory authority (Pemra) has issued over 80 licenses so far to private FM stations in the country. Peshawar University had the distinction of having the first campus radio; many other universities have also been granted FM licenses.

The development sector too, enthusiastically embraced the FM radio. Many organisations have been imparting capacity building programmes to the civil society in FM broadcast aimed at supporting development, governance, environment and livelihood objectives. FM stations played a commendable role in the relief and rehabilitation process following the Oct 8 earthquake.

Pemra has a job to do. There are over 100 illegal FM stations operating in NWFP alone, about half of them are located in the settled area. It should develop closer coordination with the local administrations of these areas and the law-enforcement agencies, without which illegal stations will continue to grow in number and strength. It should work with the association of independent radio (AIR) and other stakeholders. The authority needs to review its licencing policy.

The current approach of open auctioning has proved counterproductive. It may well earn some quick money, but the possibility of a licence falling into the hands of corrupt syndicates is rising. The exorbitant auction prices are beyond the reach of deserving civil society and private sector organisations. In someway, illegal FM stations, and all the nasty things it is doing to the society, are a direct consequence of unaffordable licenses.