Afghan Television

This article details Television in Afghanistan.

Television was first introduced in 1964, when state-owned Radio Television Afghanistan established the channel RTA TV. After the completion of feasibility study under grant aidfrom Japan, construction work of the studio and transmitter buildings were finished by August 1978. During the 1980s, many Soviet programs were airing such as the children's show Nu, pogodi!.

In April 1992 President Najibullah was forced to resign, and the country was taken over by the various mujahideen forces. This period became the start of a civil war and the sudden decline of television in Afghanistan. Between 1996 and late 2001, television was strictly banned by the Taliban. It became a crime to sell televisions, satellite dishes, VCRs, DVD players or any other such entertainment devices. Anyone owning or using these faced prosecution and penalty. The national RTA TV was shut down. Despite the ban, some people secretly watched films and videos in their homes.

The northeastern area controlled by the Northern Alliance had access to television. In Badakhshan Province, a television channel financed by the Northern Alliance broadcast news and movies to approximately 5,000 locals in the city of Fayzabad.

After the toppling of the Taliban regime in late 2001, the administration of Hamid Karzai relaunched RTA TV. Within a few years, a number of other Afghan television stations began airing. One of these is Tolo TV, which was launched in late 2004 by the Moby Media Group. It became one of the first commercial stations in the country and laid the foundation for an accessible media outlet by offering a large library of shows. Tolo TV is currently Afghanistan's most popular television channel.

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