Satellite TV, Islamic Regime's Red Line

Iranian blogger, Farnaz Ghazizadeh, Rooz Online:

Hardline Daily Keyhan has warned Mehdi Karrubi, the powerful cleric who made a futile bid for Iran’s presidency, that he may join the other isolated clerics that have opposed the Islamic regime for the past 27 years if he insists on launching his own satellite television network. READ MORE

Karrubi, former Majlis (Parliament) speaker and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidential rival has decided to not only organize a new political party but also launch a satellite television that is going to broadcast in Dubai while some of its programs will be produced in Iran, according to news reports. In its recent editorial, Hossein Shariatmadari, editor in chief of hardline Keyhan newspaper, warned Karrubi that launching a new television station meant that he has alienated himself from the whole Islamic system. Behruz Afkhami, a well-known Iranian film maker and former Majlis MP who is helping Karrubi launch the "Saba" satellite television is quoted saying that the station will consider Karrubi's own redlines. Keyhan's ultra conservative Shariatmadari has scorned Karrubi and questioned him if he claims superiority over Ayatollah Khomeini to draw his personal redlines in the pillars of the revolution.

It seems that the censorship that was exercised by Iran's official radio and TV network that has the widest public reach has prompted the Karrubi protests and decision to launch an independent broadcasting system.

Immediately after his protests over the rigged presidential elections of June 2005 and requests to intervene were ignored by Khamenei, Karrubi resigned from his government positions including membership in the powerful Expediency Council that is lead by Hashemi Rafsanjani. He also resigned as Secretary General of the Majmae Rohaniyune Mobarez (Association of Militant Clerics), where Khatami is also a senior member and which recently elected Khoeniha to replace Karrubi.

He recently acquired licenses to publish three publications but is impatient in his wait to get approval for his satellite TV. There are wide expectations that well-known figures in Iran's arts and entertainment world will be drawn to Karrubi's new television station since they fear the new ultra conservative Minister of Culture will eliminate reform policies which had partly eased their cultural activities. Karrubi is not finding enough investors to help him launch his satellite television, so he is doing it alone.

With public broadcasting in the monopoly of conservative hardliners and tight supervision by Iran's leader, the idea of an independent and private broadcasting is not a new idea in Iran. However, the legal and political barriers, and the different interpretations of Iran's constitution on the subject, no requests have yet been officially approved.

The challenge of broadcasting satellite television may turn out to be finding viewers since owning satellite dishes are not legally permitted in Iran, even though hundreds of illegal and banned television channels are aired into Iranian homes 24/7, and many Iranians defy the ban on installing satellite dishes in their homes. Despite these issues, Karrubi is not worried and is quoted to have said "if the Islamic system does not tolerate me, then who do they tolerate?" And so his quest inches forward.