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Shamshad TV

Pashto-language television channel

Field	Value
name	Shamshad Media Network
logo	Logo Shamshad TV (Afghanistan).png
type	Satellite television network
country	Afghanistan
headquarters	Chaman-e-Hozori, Kabul, Afghanistan
owner	Fazel Karim Fazel
key_people	Abdul Karim Fazel
founded	2005
founder	Fazel Karim Fazel
launch_date	2006
website

Shamshad Media Network () is based in Afghanistan and Dubai. Shamshad Media Network is a private and an independent network based in Afghanistan, which began transmission in 2005.

Shamshad's broadcast area covers a large portion of the country where ethnic Pashtuns live and also covering isolated areas. Shamshad programs are mainly (85%) in Pashto language, providing educational TV shows, news, family dramas, musical shows, comedy programs, children's game shows, women empowerment programs, Islamic educational programs, political and current affairs programs, entertainment programs, sports programs, criminal incidents programs and programs to both local areas of Afghanistan as well as other countries via satellite, IPTV and local transmitters.

Shamshad TV was suspended per orders of the Taliban intelligence services on 18 October 2025; the reasons are unclear, but when Taliban agents entered the station, they ordered its operations to be suspended indefinitely.

Coverage

Shamshad TV installed towers to cover most remote districts around the country, especially in the south. Shamshad currently provides free-to-air services to viewers in Kabul, Logar, Kapisa, Parwan, Wardak, Nangarhar, Laghman, Balkh (Mazar-e-Sharif), Paktia, Khost, Kunduz, Herat, Kandahar, Helmand, Kunar, Baghlan, Ghazni, Nimruz, Farah, Zabul, Badakhshan and other provinces. Beside (free to air service) the main cities are also covered by cable operators. New transmitters have been installed in Spin Boldak and Torkham for terrestrial coverage across border in the tribal area. Furthermore, 90% area in the neighbouring Pakistani provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan is covered by cable operators.

Shamshad Radio

Shamshad Radio is a part of Shamshad SMN.

SMN (Shamshad Media Network) covered by:

Terrestrial (80%)
Cable Operator Major Cities
Satellite 57 Countries
Live Steam Major Cities
IPTV World Wide
Social Medial World Wide

Shamshad TV programs

Shamshad translates different dramas from Turkish; a fight drama against terrorism Sefket Tape (Dare Morchal), Team One (Shaheen), Mirna and Khalil (Mirna ao khalil), Iki Dunya Anasinda (Sahra), Yeni Gelin (Nawy) and various other drama series.

Shamshad also translates many drama series from Hindi; Karal Bagh (Karal bagh) a family issues based story, a love story based drama series Qabool Hai (Salgai), Be Had (Junoon) and Koch Rang Peyar ke (Da meni rang) a family-based love story drama.

Shamshad produces its own programs like Roon Sahar (morning show inviting different peoples from society to discuss social and political issues with them), Jor pa Khair (local music), Takkan (comedy program), cooking show, in Ghazal shpa (music show) inviting different musicians from all over the country, Khaza ao Tolana (special program for women asking about their life and working area), Tawda bahsona (a current affair show on daily basis) Deni Larkhowany (inviting Islamic scholars to discuss different issues and give solution to that problems) and different other programs.

Shamshad Film Production launched the first Full HD Pashto Created drama series Sola and Seyal (Sola ao seyal) around the world.

Logo

Shamshad Media Network logo is a decorative representation of the network's name written using Pashto. It was selected by the founder, Fazel Karim Fazel. It's the combination of two SS and three dots on the top, that represent Sheen in Pashto, and the two SS are Sham Shad.

Attacks

On 7 November 2017, Shamshad Media was attacked by armed gunmen and suicide bombers. A security guard was killed and 20 people were wounded. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack.

Taliban shutdown Shamshad TV

Main article: 2025 Afghanistan–Pakistan conflict

During the clashes, the Taliban shut down Shamshad TV, a private broadcaster in Kabul, accusing it of failing to "adequately" cover the recent border fighting with Pakistan and of not defending the "Taliban’s position." The suspension, following a direct order from the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence, has raised concerns about media freedom in Afghanistan. Shamshad TV, one of the few outlets providing relatively independent coverage of regional and political developments, was criticized for not aligning with the Taliban’s narrative. Media organizations such as the Afghanistan Journalists Center (AFJC) and the Afghanistan Media Support Organization (AMSO) condemned the move as blatant interference in the press and called for the reversal of the decision, stressing that such actions violate media independence and freedom of expression. Shamshad TV has yet to comment on the shutdown.

References

"Taliban Orders Shamshad TV Off Air, Reason Unclear". Afghanistan International.
(2017-11-07). "Gunmen storm TV station in Kabul". BBC News.
Abed, Fahim. (2017-11-07). "A Leading Afghan TV Station Is Attacked in Kabul". The New York Times.
(2017-11-07). "Kabul TV station defiantly resumes broadcasting moments after Isis attack ends". The Guardian.
(18 October 2025). "Taliban Close Private TV in Kabul Over Coverage of Recent Border Clashes". KabulNow.
(18 October 2025). "Broadcasts of Shamshad TV Suspended in Afghanistan". Khaama Press.
(19 October 2025). "Taliban bans Shamshad TV Broadcasts for not airing anti-Pakistan propaganda". Daily Pakistan English News.
(19 October 2025). "Afghan Taliban Suspend Broadcasts of Shamshad TV Over Refusal to Air Anti-Pakistan Content". GTV News HD.

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

television-stations-in-afghanistan pashto-language-mass-media pashto-language-television-stations 2006-establishments-in-afghanistan television-channels-and-stations-established-in-2006

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