THE ARRIVAL OF RADIO FARDA: INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING TO IRAN AT A CROSSROADS by Hansjoerg Biener* Abstract: On December 19, 2002, Radio Farda, the new U.S. external service in Persian, officially started regular broadcasts on shortwave, mediumwave and satellite. With the reformatting of existing services into a 24-hour news and entertainment channel, external broadcasting to Iran has recently received more attention. Iran, however, has always been the target area of various international broadcasting services.(1) In its first worldwide press-freedom index published on October 23, 2002, Reporters Without Borders ranked Iran 122nd among 139 countries surveyed.(2) So, the need for independent reporting seems obvious, while some question the need for embedding news and information in a music and entertainment format. This article examines the question in the broader context of international broadcasting to Iran, including clandestine and even religious stations. CLASSIC EXTERNAL resumed operation. The service almost BROADCASTING exclusively drew on native speakers Having been a major political factor some of whom had broadcasting both under Shah Reza Pahlavi and under experience in Iranian radio and Mullah rule, Iran has been a traditional television before 1979. In the 1980s, target area for official external services long before the arrival of e-mail, the both from neighboring countries like Farsi service received several hundred Iraq, Kuwait, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and letters per week in response to the Turkey, as well as the world’s broadcasts.(3) On October 17, 1996, superpowers. In the framework of Voice of America and Worldnet centralized USSR external broadcasting, launched a weekly, call-in radio and TV Radio Baku of the Soviet Republic simulcast in Farsi, the first regularly Azerbaijan only had a minor role as an recurring program to be produced in full external broadcaster, which did however at the VoA headquarters. VoA television include services in Azeri and Persian to today broadcasts two satellite shows to Iran. Although the external services Iran: “Next Chapter,” a weekly, hour- underwent some changes after long, youth-oriented show launched in independence, these broadcasts were 2002, and “Roundtable with You,” a kept. Currently the station broadcasts weekly 90-minute news and public some 165 minutes in Azeri (Guney affairs program. Azerbaijan) and 60 minutes in Farsi, Persian is one of the few regional transmitted regionally on two medium- languages of the world with broadcasts and shortwave frequencies. from the external services of all states The Voice of America (VoA) holding a permanent seat at the UN broadcast to Iran during Second World Security Council. In 1991, Radio France War (1942-1945) and in the 1950s and Internationale (RFI) en Persan (4) joined 1960s (1949-1960, 1964-1966). Soon the existing services of BBC London,(5) after Ayatollah Khomeini ousted the Radio Beijing (today China Radio Shah, the Farsi Service of the VoA International),(6) Radio Moscow (today Middle East Review of International Affairs, Vol. 7, No. 1 (March, 2003) 13 Hansjoerg Biener Voice of Russia),(7) and Voice of Marxist groups, others with Kurdish America.(8) After years of neglect, movements, and after the Revolution of French external broadcasting caught up 1979 with opponents of the Islamic with the major international services, but regime. While names and on air slogans followed its own strategies. It introduced are changing, these general points of a 24-hour news-oriented format into view are still present in underground their Service Mondiale long before the broadcasting. Most stations choose not U.S. reformatting of VoA English into to reveal their transmitter sites but it is VoA Newsnow. It concentrated on evident that most broadcasters use placing RFI programmed FM stations in facilities outside Iran, mainly in Iraq and the capitals of the world to reach the successor states of the former Soviet decision-makers, with the only foreign Union. language service aiming at a mass appeal Clandestine broadcasting to Iran being the Arabic service.(9) Although began in spring 1959, when a RFI has had an Arabic service since Communist “National Voice of Iran” 1988, it acquired the daytime started from Soviet Azerbaijan. In mid- commercial channel RMC Moyen Orient 1986 the programs were integrated into in 1996, which has a regular audience of half-hour Farsi and Azeri services of 12 to 15 million listeners in the Middle “Radio Station Peace and Progress” East. While RMC Moyen Orient (1964-1991), which claimed to be “a continues as a full-time service, its Paris voice of Soviet public opinion” (on air based staff is now also responsible for slogan) and was dissolved shortly after Arabic shortwave broadcasts. It should the collapse of the Soviet Union. Even be noted that Persian has also been on today there are several Communist or the schedule of “Deutsche Welle, the Socialist stations on the air, and Voice of Germany”(10) since 1962 and European listeners find it quite NHK Radio Japan (11) since 1991. intriguing listening to the While broadcasters are reluctant to “Internationale” still sung publish results of audience research in wholeheartedly after the demise of the detail, it is reported that BBC London, Communist regimes of Eastern Europe. Voice of America and Kol Yisrael Radio Nejat-e Iran signed on the air in (Voice of Israel) have the strongest 1982, supporting a movement headed by following among the international Dr. Ali Amini (1905-1992), a former broadcasters. During the Gulf war Prime Minister of Iran during the early between Iraq and Iran (1980-1988), 1960s.(13) In 1986, the name was Iranian authorities jammed Western changed to Flag of Freedom Radio. broadcasts. Later, it was only on special Produced by a staff of 20 to 25 in occasions (for example, when elections London, Flag of Freedom broadcast over were approaching) that jamming against 21,000 hours of programming in support Western stations was increased (January- of establishing a constitutional February 2000, June 2001). Clandestine democracy in Iran. In 1994, the station stations, however, have always been suddenly left the airwaves. Although jammed intensively. sites were never disclosed, judging from the frequencies, Flag of Freedom must CLANDESTINE BROADCASTING for a period have used an Egyptian No survey of international mediumwave transmitter. broadcasting to Iran would be complete Another station dating to the 1980s is without mentioning the large number of still present. In 1981, the Mujahidin-e clandestine broadcasts targeting both Khalq (National Liberation Army of minority groups and certain segments of Iran, who have a mixed history of Persian society since the late 1950s.(12) Islamism, Marxism, Secularism, armed Some of the stations were affiliated with struggle and terrorism since the 1960s) 14 Middle East Review of International Affairs, Vol. 7, No. 1 (March, 2003) The Arrival of Radio Farda: International Broadcasting to Iran at a Crossroads started broadcasting to Iran. Persian broadcasts on the Radio Voice of Broadcasting two separate channels on the Gospel from Ethiopia.(16) The approximately ten frequencies, its Lutheran shortwave station (1963-1977) transmitters are reported to be in a was the first international missionary border area of Iraq. The station is station almost exclusively broadcasting particularly known for its frequency programs produced by churches and hopping by some kilohertz to escape church councils (not individual massive Iranian jamming. missionaries or independent missions) Until the 1990s, clandestine stations based in the target areas. So, in 1962 a used unknown sites to broadcast their studio was built at a Presbyterian messages. After the end of the Cold War literature center in Tehran. Production many external services reduced their started in 1963 and broadcasting of half- schedules. With more and more time hour programs started in 1964. becoming available on privatized Transmission time was doubled in 1968 transmitters, opposition groups now also and remained at one hour daily until use 100-, 250- or even 500 kW- Radio Voice of the Gospel facilities transmitters formerly occupied by were nationalized by the Marxist regular external services. In 2000, Radio government of Mengistu Haile Mariam. Sedaye Iran (14) joined leftist Radio With a mix of 70 percent non-religious Internationale (Worker-communist information and 30 percent religious Party) (15) in using a high-power content, the program philosophy of shortwave station in Moldova. The Radio Voice of the Gospel is very program is affiliated with a satellite dissimilar to most international Christian radio station broadcasting to Iranians in programming aside from the Roman North American exile. It claims not to be Catholic stations Radio Vatican and connected to any party. The program is Radio Veritas Asia. also worth mentioning because it was the Today, Christian broadcasting in first customer buying airtime on French Persian and other languages spoken in transmitters in 2001. It broadcast up to Iran is completely organized by the four hours daily from high-power evangelical branch of Protestant transmitters at Issoudun formerly used Christianity. In 1971, a Radio Voice of by RFI. Christ began broadcasting on Protestant Given the millions of Azeri speaking shortwave station FEBA-Radio people in Iran, it is interesting to note the Seychelles. Using several shortwave (re-) appearance of the Voice of sites, Trans World Radio (TWR) and Southern Azerbaijan in January 2003. A Adventist World Radio followed in 1982 station of the same name was active in and 1996 respectively. Adventist 1996-1998, probably from a transmitter programs in Persian had already been in Israel. However, the station has only produced in Beirut from 1953 to 1956 minimal presence, as the new programs for broadcast via Radio Ceylon, but are only twice weekly. these broadcasts became unavailable when the station stopped selling airtime CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS to religious broadcasters. In 1996, the BROADCASTING TO IRAN Persian service was re-established using Although the arrival of Islam owned and leased facilities.