Why Reality TV?

Bamyan Media's pilot program in Afghanistan

Almost every country has its version of a pop idol contest — what if social entrepreneurs became the popular heroes of a new generation?

Television is still the world’s most consumed medium. The reality TV genre has proliferated because it is popular with viewers and inexpensive to produce, giving it a vast reach — and making it a cost-effective way to reach millions of people with socially-responsible, empowering programming.

Reality TV: Untapped Potential

In reality TV, Bamyan Media sees a compelling and largely untapped potential for high-impact dissemination of knowledge and resources. This is an exciting practical application of the medium: connecting viewers, no matter their socio-economic status or even literacy level, to resources in their community, and sharing knowledge on a scale impossible for most NGOs or government programs.

Promoting Social Diversity

Our programming also serves as a platform for social change — with its selection of contestants and the development of episode topics and series plot, Bamyan Media works to promote cultural diversity, the status of women and minority groups, and healthy consumption and environmental practices. Bamyan believes in the power of popular media to influence behaviors and positively reflect society back onto itself.