Deewa Radio, Voice of America's popular Pashto language news service to the volatile border region of northwestern Pakistan, has launched a new television program that is now being broadcast on direct to home satellite TV.

The first of the daily one-hour TV programs to the Federally Administered Tribal Area was broadcast Monday from the VOA studios in Washington and simulcast on radio and Asia Sat 3, which can be received in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

VOA Director David Ensor said “”The one-hour simulcast of Deewa news on satellite TV will help VOA expand its audience in this critical region, which lacks impartial sources of information.”

In addition to Deewa, VOA produces a wide range of Urdu, Dari and Pashto language programs for the region that are broadcast on radio, television and the Internet.