The Iraqi Kurdish opposition group of Change List will launch a terrestrial TV station in multi-ethnic Kirkuk in the near future, broadcasting programmes in Kurdish and Arabic, Rozhnama weekly of Wisha media company owned by Change List leader Nawshirwan Mustafa reported on 24 November.
The report quoted the director of the terrestrial TV station, Aso Jamal Mukhtar, as saying the station would start test transmission in the next few days, adding that people in the city of Kirkuk and its surrounding area can view the TV’s programmes.
Mukhtar said the new station, named Gorran (Change), would broadcast 12 hours a day, like the majority of the existing terrestrial stations. He said the station would use UHF system to broadcast programmes initially in Kurdish and Arabic. Mukhtar said most of the staff of the station was recruited locally.
The report quoted a Kurd, a Turkoman and an Arab from Kirkuk saying they were looking forward for the station’s launch. This comes as Kurdish parties prepare for the 2010 national parliamentary elections. The Change List will take part in the vote independently.
(Source: Rozhnama, Sulaymaniyah, in Sorani Kurdish 24 Nov 09 p 7 via BBC Monitoring)
