Ariana Television

Ariana Television Network (ATN) is a privately-owned television network headquartered in Kabul, Afghanistan. Established in 2005 by Afghan-American Ehsan Bayat, the channel began international broadcasting the following year. ATN is recognized as one of the prominent television channels in Afghanistan, with terrestrial coverage spanning across 33 out of 34 provinces in the country.

History:

ATN was launched in the summer of 2005 and commenced international broadcasts in 2006. In 2014, the channel introduced a new logo and also launched its sister channel, Ariana News, which focuses on broadcasting news round-the-clock.

Programming:

ATN offers a diverse range of social, cultural, political, and entertaining programs aimed at showcasing authentic Afghan culture. Some of its 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.

A popular cooking show on ATN is "59-Minute Duel," where two rival cooks have exactly 59 minutes to prepare a three-part course for judges, based on a unique ingredient provided each week. Other notable programs include "Mehmān-e Man," "Yādeman," "Yoz-Ma-Yuz" (Uzbek), "Bouy-e Māh," "Darman," "Techpedia," "Saat-e-10," "Musafir," "Sobh-o-Zendagi," and "Marā Bebakhsh" (Dari translation of Turkish drama "Beni Affet").

Former notable programming includes "Top 5" (a music show), "Ariāna dar Nim-e roz" (a talk and cultural show), "Haqiqat" (The Truth, an investigative political show), "Khanda Hāy-e Girya Dār" (a comedy show), and "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" (Afghan version of the British game show).

In addition to original programming, Ariana Television Network has also aired various Indian soap dramas, some of which have gained high popularity in Afghanistan.

Notable Incident:

In 2008, Ariana Television Network gained international attention when Mohammad Nasir Fayyaz, a journalist and presenter of ATN's political debate show "Haqiqat" (The Truth), was detained by Afghan authorities. Fayyaz, known for his critical stance towards members of the country's cabinet, was detained by the National Directorate of Security (NDS) while presenting the show. Despite the incident, Fayyaz was eventually released without charge and continued to host "Haqiqat."