Ariana TV
| Ariana Television Network | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Launched | 17 August 2005 |
| Owned by | Ehsan Bayat |
| Picture format | SDTV |
| Audience share | 15% as of July 2010 |
| Slogan | A Window For Better Tomorrow |
| Country | Afghanistan |
| Headquarters | Kabul |
| Sister channel(s) | Ariana News |
| Website | www.arianatelevision.com |
For the American-based Afghan television channel, see Ariana Afghanistan
Ariana TV (Dari Persian: آریانا), officially shortened as ATN, is a private television network based in Kabul, Afghanistan. The network was launched by Afghan-American Ehsan Bayat (owner of Afghan Wireless Communication Company) in 2005 and started broadcasting internationally the following year. ATN is one of the leading TV channels in Afghanistan and has terrestrial coverage in 33 of 34 provinces in the country. Viewers in Europe and North America can watch ATN's programs via Hotbird and Galaxy 25 satellites.
The channel was launched in summer 2005 and aired internationally from 2006. In 2014 the channel had a new logo. That same year its sister channel Ariana News, broadcasting news all day, was launched.
ATN has social, cultural, political and entertaining programs focusing to show pure Afghan culture. Some long running shows include Entekhāb-e Binendahā (Viewer's Choice, a music show), Parwāna-hā (Butterflies, a children's show), Cinemā, Warzesh (Sports), Setārahā-ye Rangin (Colored stars, a music show) and the annual ATN Awards.
59-Minute Duel is a popular cooking show airing since 2011 in which two rival cooks have exactly 59 minutes to cook a three part course for the judges. Every week, a unique ingredient would be provided, and the meals had to be based around it. The prize is the title of "The Golden Chef", awarded to the winner after the scores had been given by the usually celebrity judges. On many occasions, the chefs would be an Afghan and a foreigner, such as a soldier from the American or British base.
Ariana has also been the product of a well known comedy character Motakhases, who appeared on the former Khanda Hāy-e Girya Dār comedy show and later on Hekāyat Hāye Motakhases.
Other airing programs of Ariana TV are:
Ariana TV has aired various Indian soap dramas, some of which achieved high popularity in Afghanistan.
Ariana TV gained international attention when Mohammad Nasir Fayyaz, a journalist and presenter of Ariana's hard-talk political debate show Haqiqat (The Truth in English), was detained by Afghan authorities on July 29, 2008. Fayyaz was critical of members of the country's cabinet at the time. He was detained by the intelligence agency National Directorate of Security (NDS) whilst he was presenting the show, and was released after one day but again returned to detention. Amnesty International warned the Afghan government to protect press and media freedom from the NDS. He was eventually released without charge and continued to present Haqiqat.
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