"Afghans have taken to local media like fire to dry grass."

"'Salam Watandar' programs go out by satellite from Kabul to dozens of stations that have sprouted since the fall of the Taliban eight years ago. Those independently owned outlets, in turn, add their own programs to fill out their schedules. Music -- extremely popular after years in which the repressive fundamentalist regime banned it -- fills much of the day, along with storytelling and poetry, a proud tradition in the region since the time of Rumi in the 13th century. 'Afghans have taken to local media like fire to dry grass,' said Kathleen Reen, a onetime journalist and vice president for Asia at Internews, an NGO that receives support from the U.S. State Department and numerous foundations. 'Afghanistan has such a rich, vibrant, independently minded media that has spread across the country and continues to grow.'" James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 6 November 2009. Posted: 11 Nov 2009 Permalink Print