Moby Media Group
Moby Media Group is the largest media company in Afghanistan.[1] Moby Group is privately owned, with headquarters in Kabul and 15 bureaus throughout Afghanistan. The company also has an office in Dubai, where regional business is conducted.
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founder | Saad Mohseni, Zaid Mohseni, Jahid Mohseni, Wajma Mohseni |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Saad Mohseni (Founder and CEO) |
Number of employees | 400 (2011) |
| Website | Moby Media Group |
History
Moby Group was founded by Afghan entrepreneur Saad Mohseni with the start-up help of United States government money and with a cash injection from News Corporation, led by his friend Rupert Murdoch.[2] The company has partnered with Voice of America in Afghanistan, and the US government has continued funding some of its broadcasts.[3][4][5]
Saad Mohseni is an Afghan-Australian who returned to his native Afghanistan in 2002. Saad is founder and current chief executive officer of Moby Group. Based in the capital city of Kabul, as of 2010 the company employs over 400 staff across 11 businesses.
In 2015, the Taliban labeled TOLO TV a 'propaganda network'.[6]
In 2016, its subsidiary Lapis was paid AU$1.6 million for promoting a controversial "anti-refugee" film commissioned by the Australian Department of Immigration. The film was also broadcast on TOLO TV.[7][8][9]
Moby Group has offices in Afghanistan, UAE, Pakistan, and Ethiopia.
Group structure
The company has three divisions:
- Moby Media Group, with the broadcast brands TOLOnews, TOLO TV, Lemar TV, Arman FM and Tolo Music (Web), along with production, media distribution, talent management, print media and directories.
- Moby Technology Group, which operates technology companies Afghan ITT and 456 in the IT&T and Interactive voice response arenas.
- Moby People Group, which includes the advertising agency Lapis and the AndeshaGah Internet café chain.
See also
References
- ^ "Saad Mohseni Is Afghanistan's First Media Mogul". National Public Radio. Retrieved 2010-09-06.
- ^ Bowley, Graham (2013-07-27). "An Afghan Media Mogul, Pushing Boundaries". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
- ^ "VOA to Broadcast in Afghanistan on MOBY GROUP channels – ABU". Retrieved 2021-09-01.
- ^ Vogt, Heidi. "What an Afghan News Outlet's Early Encounters With the Taliban Tell Us About the Country's Future". POLITICO. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
- ^ Abi-Habib, Maria (2010-11-17). "U.S. Courts Afghans Through Television". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
- ^ "Taliban Target Afghan TV Networks". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
- ^ Gartrell, Adam (2016-04-02). "Former refugee paid to promote Dutton's anti-refugee telemovie". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
- ^ Drummond, Josh (2016-05-06). "You Will Not Make Australia Home: Watching 'Journey', Australia's terrible anti-asylum-seeker propaganda film". The Spinoff. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
- ^ Leivada, Danae (2016-03-29). "Australia Wants To Scare Away Migrants With A Movie". HuffPost. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
External links
- Moby Media Group