Kabul building sites Music 00:00
BORMANN: Amid the dusty ruins of a plundered city, a building boom is creating order out of chaos. 00:10
Cash from overseas is bringing life back to Kabul. Theres more confidence, more vitality, and a hunger for one creature comfort that makes life complete. 00:19
Men around destroyed TV sets Music 00:30
BORMANN: During Taliban times this is where television ended up; all art and entertainment was banned. 00:36
Now, the box is back, thanks to a family set to become Afghanistans new media moguls. 00:46
Presenter in Tolo TV studio
This is Tolo TV, broadcasting around the clock in 12 cities across Afghanistan. 00:57
Saad shows station
SAAD: This is where we transmit from transmissions are controlled from this place. 01:03
BORMANN: And this is its founder, Melbourne stockbroker Saad Mohseni. He left Afghanistan as a child for an upbringing in Australia. Now hes joined a trickle of returnees back to help rebuild his country. 01:07
SAAD: Deep down we all felt we would come back at some stage. 01:23
Saad. Super: Saad Mohseni Tolo TV
Its an exciting place to be in, I mean its sounds really bizarre but its almost like being in New York or London, there are things happening, youre always busy. 01:27
Morning news meeting
BORMANN: At his morning news meeting Saad Mohseni encourages his staff to be bold, rigorous and without favour. And in a city with daily bombings, kidnappings and payback murder, that takes courage. 01:37
Saad: Who is going to go? Rabbani are you going?
Reporter: Until about ten people are killed, there will be no solution. 01:50
BORMANN: The big story of the day is a demonstration outside the home of a warlord.SAAD: The whole district has been very volatile of late 01:56
and it turned very violent, and its been going on for some weeks now. 02:02
Qais leaves on assignment
BORMANN: Covering the job is 19 year old cameraman Qais Ahmadyar, whos been shooting for just three months. 02:06
While many in his generation are watching television for the first time, hes making it, along with 300 other mostly young people at Tolo. 02:15
SAAD: You get beaten up, you get threats, people have been killed. 02:25
Qais leaves on assignment
Its a very difficult job, but nonetheless these young kids seem to carry on. 02:30
Edit room/studio Music 02:39
BORMANN: Tolo Television is truly a family affair for the Mohsenis. 02:46
Jahid in studio Brother Jahid also has a finance industry background in Melbourne, hes Tolos chief operating officer. 02:50
Music 02:56
Wajma with colleague
BORMANN: And having left Afghanistan when she was just four, sister Wajma has returned to run marketing and design. 03:01
Wajma.
Super: Wajma Mohseni Tolo TV
WAJMA: I think it was always a feeling I had . I mean being brought up in an Afghan household, hearing all the old stories from my parents, being brought up here, I always had a feeling that I would come back. 03:08
Its a different life here obviously, and its very tough and it has its moments, but you will not be able to find any experience like this anywhere else in the world. 03:23
Studio
Saad: Its a relatively small place 03:32
BORMANN: Tolos mission is to not only inform but entertain. In a conservative nation offending sensitivities is always a risk. 03:35
Panel show excerpt
But in a country not used to laughing at itself, humour has become a panacea. 03:44
SAAD: Two years ago it was almost impossible to ridicule a politician or a minister, 04:08
but they do it on a nightly basis and they have broken the spell, and its very important because some of the politicians are beginning to laugh at themselves as well. 04:14
Qais covers demonstration
BORMANN: Out on the road, news cameraman Qais Ahmadyer is in trouble. 04:22
The demonstration is getting out of hand, and as his video footage shows, it ends in running gun battles between protesters and the warlords militia. 04:36
Two onlookers are shot and killed, Qais is attacked and beaten, and his camera stolen. 04:51
Qais at station cleaning camera
Soon, hes back at the station dusting down a new one for the next story. At least he saved the tape for the nights news. 05:03
SAAD: We are obviously exposing corruption, we talk about drugs. 05:10
For us the danger is constant, we have to be wary of it, it doesnt change the way we operate, but we dont kid ourselves; this is a tough neighbourhood. 05:15
Armed security guard Music 05:23
Tolo studio
BORMANN: The Australian reared Mohsenis have moved in on the ground floor in an industry that promises to flourish under a new democracy. 05:31
Edit room
Saad: Most of these kids wouldnt have even used a computer up until 2002. 05:39
Music 05:43
BORMANN: As well as Tolo TV, they run a radio station, publish a magazine, and there are plans for a million dollar feature movie. This from a family with absolutely no media experience anywhere else. 05:47
News meeting
SAAD: We were relatively speaking, successful in what we did, 05:59
so that gave us the confidence, it gave us the contacts that gave us the ability to be able to operate businesses, so these are the things obviously have brought back with us. 06:02
WAJMA: So I really encourage other Afghans 06:10
to come out to help in the reconstruction process, and give a little back to the country -- a lot of these people didnt have a choice to leave. 06:12
Kabul Music 06:21
BORMANN: A nation with three decades of war and conflict behind it, is being informed and entertained once more, with the help of a new generation of entrepreneurs, schooled and skilled abroad. 06:31
Cameramen clean cameras And working with them on these dangerous streets, the youngsters of Afghanistans new age of television. 06:45
Music 06:52
Credits:
Reporter: Trevor Bormann
Camera: David Martin
Sound recordist: Nathan English
Editor: Garth Thomas 06:59
BORMANN: Amid the dusty ruins of a plundered city, a building boom is creating order out of chaos. 00:10
Cash from overseas is bringing life back to Kabul. Theres more confidence, more vitality, and a hunger for one creature comfort that makes life complete. 00:19
Men around destroyed TV sets Music 00:30
BORMANN: During Taliban times this is where television ended up; all art and entertainment was banned. 00:36
Now, the box is back, thanks to a family set to become Afghanistans new media moguls. 00:46
Presenter in Tolo TV studio
This is Tolo TV, broadcasting around the clock in 12 cities across Afghanistan. 00:57
Saad shows station
SAAD: This is where we transmit from transmissions are controlled from this place. 01:03
BORMANN: And this is its founder, Melbourne stockbroker Saad Mohseni. He left Afghanistan as a child for an upbringing in Australia. Now hes joined a trickle of returnees back to help rebuild his country. 01:07
SAAD: Deep down we all felt we would come back at some stage. 01:23
Saad. Super: Saad Mohseni Tolo TV
Its an exciting place to be in, I mean its sounds really bizarre but its almost like being in New York or London, there are things happening, youre always busy. 01:27
Morning news meeting
BORMANN: At his morning news meeting Saad Mohseni encourages his staff to be bold, rigorous and without favour. And in a city with daily bombings, kidnappings and payback murder, that takes courage. 01:37
Saad: Who is going to go? Rabbani are you going?
Reporter: Until about ten people are killed, there will be no solution. 01:50
BORMANN: The big story of the day is a demonstration outside the home of a warlord.SAAD: The whole district has been very volatile of late 01:56
and it turned very violent, and its been going on for some weeks now. 02:02
Qais leaves on assignment
BORMANN: Covering the job is 19 year old cameraman Qais Ahmadyar, whos been shooting for just three months. 02:06
While many in his generation are watching television for the first time, hes making it, along with 300 other mostly young people at Tolo. 02:15
SAAD: You get beaten up, you get threats, people have been killed. 02:25
Qais leaves on assignment
Its a very difficult job, but nonetheless these young kids seem to carry on. 02:30
Edit room/studio Music 02:39
BORMANN: Tolo Television is truly a family affair for the Mohsenis. 02:46
Jahid in studio Brother Jahid also has a finance industry background in Melbourne, hes Tolos chief operating officer. 02:50
Music 02:56
Wajma with colleague
BORMANN: And having left Afghanistan when she was just four, sister Wajma has returned to run marketing and design. 03:01
Wajma.
Super: Wajma Mohseni Tolo TV
WAJMA: I think it was always a feeling I had . I mean being brought up in an Afghan household, hearing all the old stories from my parents, being brought up here, I always had a feeling that I would come back. 03:08
Its a different life here obviously, and its very tough and it has its moments, but you will not be able to find any experience like this anywhere else in the world. 03:23
Studio
Saad: Its a relatively small place 03:32
BORMANN: Tolos mission is to not only inform but entertain. In a conservative nation offending sensitivities is always a risk. 03:35
Panel show excerpt
But in a country not used to laughing at itself, humour has become a panacea. 03:44
SAAD: Two years ago it was almost impossible to ridicule a politician or a minister, 04:08
but they do it on a nightly basis and they have broken the spell, and its very important because some of the politicians are beginning to laugh at themselves as well. 04:14
Qais covers demonstration
BORMANN: Out on the road, news cameraman Qais Ahmadyer is in trouble. 04:22
The demonstration is getting out of hand, and as his video footage shows, it ends in running gun battles between protesters and the warlords militia. 04:36
Two onlookers are shot and killed, Qais is attacked and beaten, and his camera stolen. 04:51
Qais at station cleaning camera
Soon, hes back at the station dusting down a new one for the next story. At least he saved the tape for the nights news. 05:03
SAAD: We are obviously exposing corruption, we talk about drugs. 05:10
For us the danger is constant, we have to be wary of it, it doesnt change the way we operate, but we dont kid ourselves; this is a tough neighbourhood. 05:15
Armed security guard Music 05:23
Tolo studio
BORMANN: The Australian reared Mohsenis have moved in on the ground floor in an industry that promises to flourish under a new democracy. 05:31
Edit room
Saad: Most of these kids wouldnt have even used a computer up until 2002. 05:39
Music 05:43
BORMANN: As well as Tolo TV, they run a radio station, publish a magazine, and there are plans for a million dollar feature movie. This from a family with absolutely no media experience anywhere else. 05:47
News meeting
SAAD: We were relatively speaking, successful in what we did, 05:59
so that gave us the confidence, it gave us the contacts that gave us the ability to be able to operate businesses, so these are the things obviously have brought back with us. 06:02
WAJMA: So I really encourage other Afghans 06:10
to come out to help in the reconstruction process, and give a little back to the country -- a lot of these people didnt have a choice to leave. 06:12
Kabul Music 06:21
BORMANN: A nation with three decades of war and conflict behind it, is being informed and entertained once more, with the help of a new generation of entrepreneurs, schooled and skilled abroad. 06:31
Cameramen clean cameras And working with them on these dangerous streets, the youngsters of Afghanistans new age of television. 06:45
Music 06:52
Credits:
Reporter: Trevor Bormann
Camera: David Martin
Sound recordist: Nathan English
Editor: Garth Thomas 06:59