Al-Bayan, denoted as البيان in Arabic, served as the official radio station of the Islamic State, operating from Iraq and owned by the extremist group. The station, broadcasting at 92.5 on the FM dial, employed a news-talk format and transmitted content in Arabic, Kurdish, English, French, and Russian languages.
Hailing from Mosul, Al-Bayan’s programs earned recognition for their “highly professional and slickly produced” nature, drawing occasional comparisons to NPR and the BBC in terms of tone and quality. The station’s coverage of ISIS military operations was found acknowledgment in major news outlets such as the Associated Press and The Washington Post. However, its broadcasts ceased after the group lost significant territory in Iraq and Syria.
Following this setback, ISIS revived its broadcasts under the name “Radio Al-Tawheed,” originating from Sirte, Libya.
The inception of Al-Bayan Radio dates back to late 2014, initially focusing on newscasts and expanding its programming in April 2015. The station offered a diverse range of content, including nasheed, Quran recitations, speeches, Fiqh, language instruction, and interview shows. Regular news bulletins and field reports from Al-Bayan correspondents in Iraq and Syria were integrated into the programming. English-language news bulletins featured an American-accented male newsreader, delivering datelines in the Islamic calendar.
In early 2016, Al-Bayan introduced an Android application, circumventing traditional app stores by distributing the APK file through platforms like the Internet Archive and onion websites. Social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook, and Telegram were utilized for widespread dissemination.
Recent developments indicate that Al-Bayan, being a significant propaganda tool for ISIS in Mosul, faced operational disruption. Iraqi jets bombed the station, halting broadcasts effective immediately. The radio station, deemed “one of the strongest” propaganda tools, played Islamic anthems encouraging support for the extremist group. The broadcasts urged listeners to oppose the government and promoted terrorism under the guise of jihad.
A former resident, aged 27, highlighted the multifaceted approach employed by ISIS to disseminate its extremist ideologies, with Al-Bayan radio station being one prominent means. The resident, fearing reprisals, chose to remain anonymous.
