Amu Television
 | |
| Launch date | May 3, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters: | Virginia, United States |
Programming | |
| Language(s): | Persian, Pashto |
| Picture Format: | HDTV |
| Area served: | Worldwide |
Ownership | |
| Owner(s): | Eye Media Group |
| Key people: | Lotfullah Najafizada, Sami Mahdi, Mujeeb Arez, Sharif Amiry, Karim Amini, Siyar Sirat, Hasiba Atakpal |
Services | |
| Services | Television, Online |
| Products | Broadcasting, Web Portals |
| Website: | https://amu.tv |
Amu TV is an independent satellite television channel owned and operated by Eye Media Group. Providing content in Persian and Pashto, the channel was launched on May 3, 2023 to broadcast news and entertainment programs for Afghan society, promote press freedom, and support the rights of women and journalists in spite of the Taliban's restrictions on the media in Afghanistan.[1][2] Amu TV channel's satellite broadcast reaches 19 million Afghans inside the country, and its digital platforms engage millions more worldwide.[3]
Amu TV operates accounts on platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok. Amu TV has expanded significantly since its launch, producing thousands of stories and videos across multiple languages and reaching millions of users globally.
History
[edit]Following the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, the media landscape in the country faced challenges including censorship, persecution, and the closure of numerous media outlets. In response to these challenges, Eye Media Group launched Amu TV to continue providing independent news and entertainment to the Afghan population within the country and abroad.
Amu TV was founded by journalists such as Lotfullah Najafizada[4] and Sami Mahdi to address the need for diverse media content amidst severe media restrictions in Afghanistan.[5] The name reflects the Amu Darya River, representing connection and resilience.[6] While headquartered in Virginia, the network collaborates with contributors in Afghanistan, Europe, and North America.
Content and programming
[edit]Amu TV broadcasts a variety of content, including news, current affairs, entertainment shows, drama, and music programs. The channel produces six hours of original content daily, which includes daily news programs in Persian and Pashto that cover domestic, economic, world, and sports news, current affairs programs like Mawj and Didban Kabul that offer in-depth analysis and interviews on significant issues, weekly entertainment programs such as Gul Shanbe, Yad Yaar Mehraban, Jan-e Gap, and Eso-Pas-Amoso which feature social media reviews and celebrity interviews, and Turkish drama shows dubbed in Persian and Pashto that provide cultural and entertainment content. The network also airs daily music programs despite the Taliban's restrictions on music.
| Category | Program | Schedule | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entertainment | Gulshanba (گلشنبه) | Fridays | 9:00 PM |
| Eso Pas Amoso (ایسو! پس هموسو!) | Saturdays | 8:30 PM | |
| Jane Gap (جان گپ) | Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays | 8:00 PM | |
| Cartoon: Shaun the Sheep | Wednesday nights | 7:00 PM | |
| Turkish drama | Daily | 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM | |
| Politics | Mawj (موج) | Monday to Thursday | 10:00 PM |
| Did Bane Kabul (دیدبان کابل) | Monday, Tuesday | 9:00 PM | |
| Farsi News | Daily | 8:00 PM | |
| Pashto News | Daily | 10:00 PM | |
| Tomorrow's Hope (امید فردا) | Monthly | 7:00 PM | |
Reception
[edit]In a detailed profile of Amu TV by The Atlantic, Amu TV was described as "one of the most effective chroniclers of life under Taliban rule" due to its hybrid modus operandi.[7]
In 2023, Amu TV received the Democracy Award from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) on behalf of independent Afghan media for its efforts in promoting press freedom in Afghanistan.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ "Beyond the Taliban's media censorship: the story of Afghanistan's Amu TV". International Journalism Festival. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
- ^ Chiu, Joanna (August 1, 2022). "Exiled Afghan journalists living in Toronto and Virginia launch independent news platform Amu TV". Toronto Star. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
- ^ Lawson, Harvest Prude and Charlotte (May 4, 2023). "Covering Afghanistan in Exile". The Dispatch. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
- ^ "Lotfullah Najafizada". Atlantic Council. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
- ^ Lawson, Harvest Prude and Charlotte (May 4, 2023). "Covering Afghanistan in Exile". The Dispatch. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
- ^ "Beyond the Taliban's media censorship: the story of Afghanistan's Amu TV". International Journalism Festival. April 18, 2024.
- ^ "Inside the Virginia Newsroom Trying to Save Afghanistan from Tyranny". The Atlantic. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
- ^ "2023 Democracy Award—Journalism: Afghan Independent Media". NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY. November 14, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2024.