Iran's Satellite Channel Blocked in U.S.

Iran Focus: a pro-MEK website

Officials working in Iran’s state television and radio broadcasting corporation, IRIB, are anxiously seeking clarification for why one of its international networks, Jam-e Jam, has stopped broadcasting into the United States.

Iran’s state-run news agency, IRNA, reported on Saturday that the Jam-e Jam’s office in the U.S. had said that its program had been uplinked for airing from New York, but that they could not confirm why the service was cut-off as it was beamed down into the U.S.

The disruption had been taking place since Wednesday unexpectedly, IRNA, quoted the head of the Jam-e Jam office in the U.S. as saying, adding that the management was investigating the issue.

The report said that IRIB broadcasts outside mainland U.S. were working fine.

The TV station Salam, which aired Islamist programs had already been suspended in the U.S., it said, adding that Washington had increased pressures on reporters from Iran’s state media.

Last week, U.S. authorities froze the bank account of IRIB’s office in New York on terrorism charges, after it was determined that the organisation was an official organ of the Iranian government. READ MORE

In the past, IRIB correspondents in a number of countries have been detained on suspicion of spying for Tehran while working under the pretext of news production. Iraq recently arrested IRIB’s chief correspondent in Baghdad on espionage charges.