Many of the journalists and editors of PTV -- as the BBC refers to it-- are my old friends and colleagues and most of them have no TV background. But there is no need for panic, the BBC always offers the best (or one of the best) training programs. Almost all of the 70 PTV employees have now completed their courses on TV journalism. BBC Persian TV has only one rival: VOA Persian, news and feature programs run by VOA out of Washington. DC, but many experts believe the quality and content of the VOA programs do not meet BBC standards.
There appears to be a huge gap between the producers of VOA's PersianTV programs and the youth in Iran, who make up the majority of the population. Furthermore, VOA is considered to be one-sided and biasedin its reporting and pursues an approach toward Iran that is old fashioned.
The BBC works hard to keep a correspondent and an office in Tehran. But requests by its Persian service to open an office in Tehran has been rejected many times. The IR has also banned the BBC Persian website, which has "millions" of visitors each month, mostly fromIran.
I remember when I was dispatched to cover a demonstration against Khatami in front of Chatham House in London; When I asked anti-regime Iranians for a short interview, most of them answered with anger and disappointment at the BBC Persian Service and blamed it for supporting the regime.
I can understand their feelings, but I cannot understand why they expect the BBC to act as a subversive media outlet. But I also know that most of those same Iranians living abroad check the BBC Persian Service website everyday and get most of their information from there.
In Iran, the BBC appears to be more popular, in my survey that I conducted last year, more than 90% of students who asked to said they would welcome BBC PTV as a new source of news.
In this survey most of the students said they use the internet and Persian satellite TV to access the latest news on Iran and international issues or even entertainment, while also watching IRIB news programs.
While some experts like Massoumeh Torfeh correctly believe BBC Persian TV may face challenge to Iran’s media market, there are many factors that can workin its favor to woo viewers and catch eyes on this new channel, including trust, influence and having a good relationship in Iran, we can also count on young editors in BBC Persian TV.
But it is obvious that these factors are not enough. The BBC needs to cover the different needs of its audience. In my survey, a majority of students suggested a 50-50 breakdown between news and non political programs.
From this point of view, maybe no TV background of almost all of editors come out, if they don't involve more TV people especially those who came from Iran in editorial and gate keeping system.
BBC Persian TV has an eye on its Arabic channel, and another on its competitors. but may be the only answer for knowing, making and involving audience is focus on research and survey, The BBC Persian radio service generally has no more than a 5% audience, and the website is completely filtered in Iran. So the only way for the BBC to find its way into the living room of Iranians is through satellite TV. By some estimates, more than 60% urban households have satellite television, though it is illegal.
I will write more on BBC PTV, while some blatherers in some notorious websites in Iran published my name as one of three cavalier of this TV (while I am not involve in any part of it), but I like the promotion compliment of being a cavalier of media!
So thank you!
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Related:
The Paradox of Iranian Media
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3 comments:
I really wonder why as soon as a TV broadcasts TV programs with contents that may not satisfy the iranian regime it is blamed to lack the Standards of a professional TV or medium , VOA is welcomed into the houses of many Iranians due to its high-quality shows and programs ,,,I think you have forgotten that it is the Medium of The U.S government and is run by a high budget so it sure is professional and meets the standards of the Media around the World..now if this does not meet the standards of BBC ..it is a different story ..it is because BBC is not impartial, it is pro -regim ..at least pro-reformists and therefore this is a clever trick by supporters of the regim to say BBC is more professional than VOA ..if taking sides ( that does not seem to be the way most pro-regim Iranians claim it to be ) means to be unprofessional so I must say IRIB is the most unprofessional TV around the world!
It was interesting; nevertheless it is mostly believed that the local research (inside-Iran) will be helpful particularly when we are talking about a country like Iran and its complicating people. For Iranian who politic is one of the major parts of their life 'in every dimension', arguably it is not acceptable if you want to plan non-political programs. From my point of view as a media reviewer, for Iranian population the most delicious programs would be those with common language and hidden political aspect. Sociologically, we accept those programs which speak with us indirectly and exploring the real message of that is the actual job of the audiences, particularly for Iranian audiences.
Presient Ahmadinejad says some good things. His is, eg, the only country supporting starving, sick Palestinians. Israel is the apartheid state committing war crimes here. The UN-Israeli conflict is an abomination, a sign of the moral free zone inhabited by politicians like Sarkozy, Brown, Bush and others. Ahmadinejad could indeed win the moral high ground. His country should indeed have the right to clean, green nuclear power. Why should the colonial powers dictate otherwise? Israel would nuke Iran if it ever attacked Israel. However, Iran' s deplorable persecution and imprisonment without trial of Bahais make them no better than Israelis who kidnap and execute Palestinians. Iran must treat Bahais better than Israel treats starving Palestinian civilians, if President Ahmadinejad wishes to win the moral high ground within his reach. Just release them and let their kids study at university. Give them back their pension rights. Show that you treat Bahais in Iran them better than the Israeli treat the Pals in Gaza. Open the gates of Evin prison and release the Bahais imprisoned without trial this month and let them go free. You have not charged them. They are innocent. Why do you fear loyal, peaceful and true Iranian Bahais? It would improve Iran's public relations, at Obamas inauguration, to release them. Stand on the side of good, President Ahmadenejad and release them. Support the Pals. Condemn Israeli atrocities, but from a moral high ground. Be better than Israel and America. That is not difficult. Do not let the Imans mislead you: the Rabbis misled the people when Jesus came onto them. Release the Bahais.
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