Iran: BBC Farsi TV pursues a complex social agenda.

Text of report by Iranian news website Farau on 14 January

Fararu- The voice of the Farsi service of BBC radio was the first voice that Iranians heard from big boxes each of which were as big as today's TVs. At that time and due to the rivalry between Germany and Britain to infiltrate inside Iran the Germans swiftly responded by forming the Farsi service of Radio Berlin. In this way residents of Tehran who had only recently enjoyed the arrival of electricity at their homes sat every night to listen to the voices which were broadcast from Berlin or London through radio waves to Iran. This all happened years before Radio Iran was set up with a budget of 80,000 Toman in Qasr wireless building on 24 April 1940. From 14 January the Farsi service of BBC TV will peek though Iranian houses via satellite dishes. It is interesting that the BBC which six decades ago pioneered the radio presence in Iran is now setting up a Farsi TV channel long after other media- most of which are in the opposition camp of the Islamic Republican system - started their presences in Iran.

Farsi service of BBC Television starts from 14th January

The Media officials and figures of the ninth government have received the BBC with waves of warnings and abhorrence. Their reaction is important because the government has not reacted that way so far against the Iranian TV channels based in Los Angeles and even the VOA [Voice of America] which clearly work …