Kurdish is a group of languages, or a single language, spoken by Kurds in the geo-cultural region of Kurdistan and the Kurdish diaspora. Kurdish varieties constitute a dialect continuum, and many of these varieties are not mutually intelligible, belonging to Western Iranian languages in the Indo-European language family. The main three dialects or languages of Kurdish are Northern Kurdish, Central Kurdish, and Southern Kurdish.
MBC Group, formerly known as Middle East Broadcasting Center, is a Saudi state-owned media conglomerate based in the Middle East and North Africa region. Launched in London in 1991, the company moved its headquarters to Dubai in 2002 then moved to Riyadh in 2022.
Roj TV was an international Kurdish satellite television station broadcasting programmes in the Kurmanji, Sorani and Hewrami dialects of the Kurdish language as well as in Persian, Zaza, Arabic, and Turkish.
Kurdistan Region is an autonomous administrative entity within the Republic of Iraq. It comprises four Kurdish-majority divisions of Arab-majority Iraq: the Erbil Governorate, the Sulaymaniyah Governorate, the Duhok Governorate, and Halabja Governorate. The KRI is bordered by Iran to the east, by Turkey to the north, and by Syria to the west. It does not govern all of Iraqi Kurdistan, and lays claim to the disputed territories of northern Iraq; these territories have a predominantly non-Arab population and were subject to the Ba'athist Arabization campaigns throughout the late 20th century. Though the KRI's autonomy was realized in 1992, one year after Iraq's defeat in the Gulf War, these northern territories remain contested between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Government of Iraq to the present day. In light of the dispute, the KRI's constitution declares the city of Kirkuk as the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. However, the KRI does not control Kirkuk, and the Kurdistan Region Parliament is based in Erbil. In 2014, when the Syria-based Islamic State began their Northern Iraq offensive and invaded the country, the Iraqi Armed Forces retreated from most of the disputed territories. The KRI's Peshmerga then entered and took control of them for the duration of the War in Iraq (2013–2017). In October 2017, following the defeat of the Islamic State, the Iraqi Armed Forces attacked the Peshmerga and reasserted control over the disputed territories.
Kurdistan TV is the first satellite television station in Iraqi Kurdistan that started broadcasting in 1999. It belongs to the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and is based in Erbil, Kurdistan Region.
Kurds have had a long history of discrimination perpetrated against them by the Turkish government. Massacres have periodically occurred against the Kurds since the establishment of the Republic of Turkey in 1923. Among the most significant is the massacre that happened during the Dersim rebellion, when 13,160 civilians were killed by the Turkish Army and 11,818 people were sent into exile. According to McDowall, 40,000 people were killed. The Zilan massacre of 1930 was a massacre of Kurdish residents of Turkey during the Ararat rebellion, in which 5,000 to 47,000 were killed.
The mass media in Iraq includes print, radio, television, and online services. Iraq became the first Arab country to broadcast from a TV station, in 1954. As of 2020, more than 100 radio stations and 150 television stations were broadcasting to Iraq in Arabic, English, Kurdish, Turkmen, and Neo-Aramaic.
Saorsat is a free-to-air satellite service in Ireland. The service launched on 3 May 2012.
Kurdsat Broadcasting Corporation is a satellite television station in Kurdistan Region, Iraq, broadcasting since 8 January 2000. It belongs to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and is based in Sulaymaniyah.
Hadi TV is an International television channel with a Muslim religious focus, producing programs mainly focusing on the Twelver school of thought. It has been named after the name of 10th Imam Ali al-Hadi and duly called Hadi TV. It is first multilingual Islamic channel to broadcast programmes in more than 15 Languages including English, Urdu, Arabic, Persian, F.Dari, Hausa, Swahili, Pashto, Azeri, French, Turkish, Russian, Kurdi, Thai and Malay languages. The channel is serving a combination of edutainment and infotainment for the community around the world. Hadi TV is producing programs from Pakistan and other countries. In April 2017 telecasting of this channel was banned in Jammu and Kashmir, India by the Central Government of India.
Relations of Kurdistan Region of Iraq with foreign states and organizations are conducted by the Kurdistan Region. Political stability and a rapidly developing economy have given the KRG the opportunity to pursue a foreign policy independent from the central government's. The KRG's primary body for directing its foreign affairs is the Department of Foreign Relations (DFR). The DFR's foremost objectives are to raise the global profile of the Kurdistan Region, improve the Region's international ties with various governments and international organizations, and present emerging business opportunities in the Kurdistan Region to regional and international actors.
Rudaw Media Network, is a major media broadcaster in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq.
Nalia Radio and Television (NRT) claims to be the first ever independent media network in the Kurdistan Region. The corporation claims to be independent, It was formed in 2010 by freelance journalists who launched the first ever independent media network, funded by Nalia company.
Kurdistan 24 (K24) is a Kurdish broadcast news station based in Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, with foreign bureaus in Washington, DC. The service was launched on 31 October 2015. Noreldin Waisy is the founder and former general manager of Kurdistan 24.
Ronahî TV is a Kurdish television channel focusing on Kurds around the world. The channel was launched in 2012 and broadcasts from EU countries and Syria. Its headquarters are in Qamishli.
Kurd Idol is the first international franchise in Kurdish television history. Kurd Idol reality singing competition that is part of the Idols franchise created by Simon Fuller and owned by 19 Entertainment and FremantleMedia. Kurdsat acquired the production and broadcast rights for Kurd Idol. The series aims to find new solo recording artists from across the Kurdish diaspora and the winner would be decided by viewers' votes through the Internet, telephone and text messages. To project is aimed to select the Kurdish singers from the historical Kurdistan region and diaspora.
Daniel Madland is a Kurdish singer and television host in the Iraqi Kurdistan region.
Noreldin Waisy,, is an Kurdish political analyst and journalist. He helped found the Kurdish media broadcasting outlets Rudaw and Kurdistan 24. He served as the general manager of Kurdistan 24, based in the Kurdistan's capital Erbil, from 2015 to 2019. Waisy currently serves as the press secretary to Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.
Waar TV is a Kurdish broadcasting station, based in Duhok,Kurdistan Region, Iraq. institution was founded in 2013 and in 2019, it began its publication with new management and policy. Waar is owned by Palo Broadcasting and Media Company which consists of Waar Channel, Waar Radio, and several social networking platforms called Waar Media. Waar focuses on cultural, social, and artistic aspects and has a humanitarian and Kurdish message. The channel aims to raise social awareness and protect coexistence, social peace, and environmental conservation. Waar tries to preserve the authenticity of Kurdistan society through its production of series, music, and documentaries.
