Top Afghan TV network stays on-air despite fear of Taliban

After the Taliban were toppled, Tolo rose to become Afghanistan's biggest independent TV network, and even hosted presidential election debates

As Taliban fighters entered Kabul on the evening of August 15, executives at Afghanistan's biggest independent TV network had a tough decision to make: stay on-air or go dark.

Tolo kept broadcasting, but like the rest of the country's TV and radio stations, it now faces a tough and uncertain future under the Taliban, whose return has sent fear coursing through the media.

During their 1996-2001 regime, TV and most entertainment were banned, and there was no media to speak of.

"As a 24/7 news operation, we didn't even have one hour to take a break and rethink."

The Taliban leadership has asked Afghan media to operate as usual.

But many Afghans, including in the media, are not convinced.

"Everyone is having sleepless nights, but what the viewer is experiencing is not that different."

The Taliban victory has plunged Afghanistan's independent media into crisis.

The Pajhwok news agency said many shut down because of the financial crunch caused by the Taliban takeover.

RSF said only 76 women journalists are still working for outlets in the Afghan capital -- a huge drop from the 700 reported last year.

There have also been reports of intimidation, harassment and violence.

They stood behind the anchor's desk holding assault rifles as their commander read out a statement urging viewers to not be afraid of the group.

"Because of me, my family will be threatened by the Taliban," she told diplomats in Qatar on Wednesday.

The cataclysmic changes follow two decades of explosive growth for independent Afghan media.

And Moby Group's flagship Tolo TV and Tolo News -- the most-watched channels in Afghanistan -- embodied that cultural revolution.

Most dramatically, Tolo and other Afghan networks gave space and opportunities to women, who were shut out from public life, education and workplaces by the Taliban.

Tolo's Najafizada told AFP the entertainment arm of the company has already pulled back on some content.

The Taliban have yet to issue any formal directives to the media, and outlets have mainly relied on self-censorship to avoid upsetting the Islamists.

The Moby Group is considering options to operate from overseas if there is a crackdown on Tolo.

Meanwhile, the company is on a hiring spree to try and fill the gap left by the dozens of staff who left after the fall of Kabul.

"This brain drain will take us another two decades to build that sort of capacity, sadly."

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