Afghanistan National Television

Afghanistan National Television (Dari: تلویزیون ملی Telvizoon-e Milli Afganistan, Pashto: ملی تلویزیون Da Afganistan Milli Telvizoon) is the state-owned television channel in Afghanistan. It is part of the Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA) public broadcaster.

RTA
ملی
CountryAfghanistan
Broadcast areaAfghanistan
Europe
North America
Asia
HeadquartersKabul
Programming
Picture format720p HDTV
Ownership
OwnerRadio Television Afghanistan
History
Launched19 August 1978
Links
Websitewww.rta.org.af/eng (in English)
Availability
Terrestrial
OqaabChannel 3

History

Afghan television was launched on 19 August 1978, Afghan Independence Day, in a ceremony headed by Nur Muhammad Taraki. Since the beginning its broadcasts were in colour.[1]

In 1983 three new stations were commissioned in Kandahar, Jalalabad and Herat, however they started its broadcasts some months later. On 2 January 1985 the broadcasts started in Jalalabad while a new station in Badakhshan Province finished its construction. On 3 February 1985 a new station opened in Ghazni,[2] while the same month the broadcasts started in Kandahar and Herat.[3]

During the Taliban regime, Afghanistan National Television ceased operations when television was banned, and on 8 July 1998 they ordered the destruction of all TV sets.[4][5] After the Taliban were overthrown, television in Afghanistan restarted on 18 November 2001.[6]

Exclusive 2008 speech
RTA's logo until 12 March 2010
RTA's logo until late 2021

RTA became famous worldwide when Afghan President Hamid Karzai made a live speech to the world minutes after dozens of insurgents attempted to assassinate him at an Afghan military parade. The assassination attempt was thwarted by the Afghan National Army.[7] The scene of the attempt was also broadcast live to RTA viewers in Afghanistan and picked up by the international media.[8]

International launch

Afghanistan National Television became available in Europe, Middle East, North Africa Africa Asia Pacific and North America on 5 January 2008. The channel's broadcasting hours were 06:00 to 00:00 (local Afghan time), corresponding to 01:30 to 19:30 UTC. Later in 2008, RTA became a 24-hour channel, and this allowed viewers internationally to watch it at more convenient hours. As of 2018, it is no longer broadcast by satellite in Europe.[9]

See also

References
  1. "Taraki opens Afghanistan's TV station". The Kabul Times. 20 August 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  2. Foreign Report, 1985
  3. S. M. Y. Elmi (1988). "Afghanistan: A Decade of Sovietisation". Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  4. Moonis Ahmar (2006). Chronology of conflict and cooperation in Afghanistan, 1978-2006. ISBN 9789698550035. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  5. Zaherruddin Abdullah (8 July 1998). "Newest Taliban Edict Bans TV". Associated Press. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  6. "Afghan capital's TV back on air". Screen Digest. 2001. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  7. "The Times & The Sunday Times".
  8. Faiez, M. Karim; Chu, Henry (28 April 2008). "Attempt on Karzai rattles Afghans" – via LA Times.
  9. "Change Log - KingOfSat".
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