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ATN celebrates 20 years of service and commitment to the Afghan people

Founded in 2005 with the vision of creating a truly national broadcaster, ATN has grown into a household name, reaching millions of viewers and listeners inside Afghanistan and in the diaspora.

Published

4 months ago

August 26, 2025

Ariana News

Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN), Afghanistan’s largest privately-owned broadcaster, is marking its 20th anniversary this year — two decades defined by resilience, service, and a deep commitment to the Afghan people.

Founded in 2005 with the vision of creating a truly national broadcaster, ATN has grown into a household name, reaching millions of viewers and listeners inside Afghanistan and in the diaspora.

Over the years, the network has become known not only for its credible news coverage but also for its investment in education, health awareness, culture, and especially sports.

“From the very beginning, we set out to serve Afghanistan — not just with entertainment, but with programming that empowers people, strengthens communities, and gives Afghans a sense of pride,” said Dr. Ehsanollah Bayat, Founder of ATN.

“Twenty years later, our mission remains the same,” he said.

A lifeline in times of crisis

ATN has consistently played a vital role during times of national disaster and tragedy, acting as both a source of reliable information and a bridge to the outside world.

After the devastating earthquakes in Herat province in October 2023 — which claimed more than 2,500 lives and displaced thousands of families — ATN deployed teams on the ground to document the destruction and convey the urgent needs of survivors.

“Our cameras were there in the rubble,” recalled an ATN journalist who reported from Herat.

“We interviewed mothers who had lost their children, families sleeping in the cold without tents, and communities crying for help. By broadcasting those voices, we were able to rally Afghans at home and abroad, as well as international organizations, to step in with aid.”

This humanitarian role is not new for ATN.

During floods, droughts, and health crises, the network has dedicated airtime to raising awareness, sharing life-saving information, and mobilizing support.

“When disaster strikes, ATN has always been there for the people,” Dr. Bayat said.

“Our responsibility extends far beyond news — it is about being a lifeline,” he added.

Championing Afghan sport

No broadcaster has done more to promote Afghan sport than ATN. The network’s coverage and investment has helped many teams and even put Afghanistan’s futsal team on the international map – which in turn has inspired a new generation of athletes.

Cricket, however, has been the crown jewel of ATN’s sports programming. Long before Afghanistan became a global cricketing powerhouse, ATN was one of the first media outlets to back the national team, broadcasting its early matches and celebrating its meteoric rise.

“Cricket brought Afghanistan joy at a time when joy was scarce,” said an ATN executive.

“We believed in the team when few others did, and today they are one of the most exciting teams in the world. That journey is part of ATN’s history too.”

Investing in knowledge and health

Alongside news and sport, ATN has also championed social causes, covering educational programs, health campaigns, and cultural shows that highlight Afghan identity and traditions.
From COVID-19 awareness campaigns to ongoing public service announcements on maternal health and literacy, the network has used its reach to improve lives.

“We see media as a tool for nation-building,” said Dr. Bayat. “Our commitment to education and health is an investment in Afghanistan’s future,” he said.

Looking ahead

As ATN turns 20, its leadership says the journey is only beginning. With technological advances transforming media consumption, the network continues to expand its digital platforms in order to reach younger audiences while maintaining its values of credibility, independence, and service.

“In a world of misinformation, Afghans need trusted voices more than ever,” Dr. Bayat said. “ATN will continue to be that voice — a voice for the people, by the people, and with the people,” he said.

For millions of Afghans, ATN has been more than a broadcaster. It has been a source of pride, a bridge in times of hardship, and a companion in everyday life.

Twenty years on, the network remains committed to its founding promise: to stand with Afghanistan, no matter what challenges lie ahead.

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US pauses green card lottery program after Brown University shooting

Published

2 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Ariana News

President Donald Trump suspended the green card lottery program on Thursday that allowed the suspect in the Brown University and MIT shootings to come to the United States.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a post on the social platform X that, at Trump’s direction, she is ordering the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to pause the program, the Associated Press reported.

“This heinous individual should never have been allowed in our country,” she said of the suspect, Portuguese national Claudio Neves Valente.

Neves Valente, 48, is suspected in the shootings at Brown University that killed two students and wounded nine others, and the killing of an MIT professor. He was found dead Thursday evening from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials said.

Neves Valente had studied at Brown on a student visa beginning in 2000, according to an affidavit from a Providence police detective. In 2017, he was issued a diversity immigrant visa and months later obtained legal permanent residence status, according to the affidavit. It was not immediately clear where he was between taking a leave of absence from the school in 2001 and getting the visa in 2017.

The diversity visa program makes up to 50,000 green cards available each year by lottery to people from countries that are little represented in the U.S., many of them in Africa. The lottery was created by Congress, and the move is almost certain to invite legal challenges.

Nearly 20 million people applied for the 2025 visa lottery, with more than 131,000 selected when including spouses with the winners. After winning, they must undergo vetting to win admission to the United States. Portuguese citizens won only 38 slots.

Lottery winners are invited to apply for a green card. They are interviewed at consulates and subject to the same requirements and vetting as other green-card applicants.

Trump has long opposed the diversity visa lottery. Noem’s announcement is the latest example of using tragedy to advance immigration policy goals. After an Afghan man was identified as the gunman in a fatal attack on National Guard members in November, Trump’s administration imposed sweeping rules against immigration from Afghanistan and other counties.

While pursuing mass deportation, Trump has sought to limit or eliminate avenues to legal immigration. He has not been deterred if they are enshrined in law, like the diversity visa lottery, or the Constitution, as with a right to citizenship for anyone born on U.S. soil. The Supreme Court recently agreed to hear his challenge to birthright citizenship.

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Dozens of U.S. lawmakers oppose Afghan immigration freeze after Washington shooting

Published

4 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Ariana News

Sixty-one members of the U.S. Congress have urged the Trump administration to reverse its decision to halt immigration processing for Afghan nationals, warning that the move unfairly targets Afghan nationals following a deadly shooting involving two National Guard members.

In a letter addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the lawmakers said the incident should not be used to vilify Afghans who are legally seeking entry into the United States. They stressed that Afghan applicants undergo extensive vetting involving multiple U.S. security agencies.

The letter criticized the suspension of Special Immigrant Visa processing, the termination of Temporary Protected Status for Afghanistan, and broader travel and asylum restrictions, warning that such policies endanger Afghan allies who supported U.S. forces during the war.

“Exploiting this tragedy to sow division and inflame fear will not make America safer. Abandoning those who made the courageous choice to stand beside us signals to those we may need as allies in the future that we cannot be trusted to honor our commitments. That is a mistake we cannot afford,” the group said.

The U.S. admitted nearly 200,000 Afghan nationals in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Thousands of Afghans who worked with the U.S. military and their families still wait at military bases and refugee camps around the world for a small number of SIVs.