:Radio Television Afghanistan

{{Infobox broadcasting network

| network_name = Radio Television Afghanistan
ملی

| network_logo = RTA Afghanistan Logo (2021–) blue.svg

| country = Afghanistan

| network_type = Broadcast radio, television and online

| available = National
International

| owner = Government of Afghanistan

| key_people = Yousef Ahmadi (Director General)

| founded = 1925 by Amanullah Khan

| predecessor =

| website = https://rta.af/

| webcast = https://www.rta.live/

}}

National Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA; {{langx|ps|{{Nastaliq|د افغانستان ملي راډيو تلويزیون}}}} Da Afġānistān Millī Rādīo Televizion, {{langx|fa|{{nastaliq|رادیو تلویزیون ملی افغانستان}}}} Rādīo Televizion-e Millī-ye Afġānistān, branded as ملی (meaning national)) is the public-broadcasting organization of Afghanistan, based in Kabul. This governmental organ has a national television station (Afghanistan National Television) and a radio station (Radio Afghanistan) as well as news media. As of August 16, 2023, Yousef Ahmadi serves as the acting Director General of RTA.{{cite news |url=https://pajhwok.com/2023/08/16/qari-yousuf-ahmadi-appointed-as-rta-acting-head/ |title=Qari Yousuf Ahmadi appointed as RTA acting head |work=Pajhwok Afghan News |date=16 August 2023 |access-date=2023-08-16}} His predecessor was Atiqullah Azizi, who held the position since September 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://protecttheresults.com/rtapashto/post/1438484315151679491|title=د افغانستان د ملي راډیو تلویزیون د لوی رییس عتیق الله عزیزي په مشرۍ د رهبرۍ لومړنۍ غونډه د چارو د... - rtapashto|access-date=2021-09-24|archive-date=2021-09-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924142731/https://protecttheresults.com/rtapashto/post/1438484315151679491|url-status=dead}}

History

Radio Afghanistan started with Radio Kabul in 1925 (1304 by the Afghan calendar), during the era of King Amanullah Khan. Two radio transmitters with the capacity of 400 watts were procured from the German company Telefunken, one of those has been installed on Koti Londoni near the bridge of Artel {{Citation needed|date=August 2011}} which subsequently started its operation and the second one had been transferred to Kandahar which on that period the musical programs and news were only being broadcast for few hours. Television broadcasting facilities and studios were constructed in 1976 with grant aid from Japan,{{Cite web |url=http://open_jicareport.jica.go.jp/pdf/12150827.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2019-04-14 |archive-date=2019-04-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414222002/http://open_jicareport.jica.go.jp/pdf/12150827.pdf |url-status=dead }} and the television broadcasts started on 19 August 1978.{{cite web| url=https://content.library.arizona.edu/digital/collection/p16127coll6/id/37525 |title=Taraki opens Afghanistan's TV station |work=The Kabul Times |date=20 August 1978 |access-date=31 January 2021 |page=1}}

Starting in 2002, the government started planning and attempting to reform RTA into a public service broadcaster. However this never came to fruition due to disagreements about the reform between president Hamid Karzai and other cabinet figures, despite the passing of several media laws. Eventually in April 2014, RTA was re-designated as an 'independent directorate', effectively meaning that the Ministry of Information no longer has direct control of the organization. Karzai's successor Ashraf Ghani also voiced his vision for RTA to become independent from the government.{{Cite web |last=Bjelica |first=Jelena |date=2016-05-01 |title="No Microphone for the President": Can Radio Television Afghanistan still become a public service broadcaster? |url=https://www.afghanistan-analysts.org/en/reports/context-culture/no-microphone-for-the-president-can-radio-television-afghanistan-still-become-a-public-service-broadcaster/ |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=Afghanistan Analysts Network - English |language=ps-GB}}

Structure

Radio Television Afghanistan has regional sub-stations for all provinces of Afghanistan which operate radio services, and in some provinces, basic television at a provincial level. They broadcast material produced at a provincial level, interspersed with news bulletins distributed by the Kabul-based news desk. These stations are usually closely affiliated with the provincial governors' offices. Broadcast content includes high volumes of government messaging.