Dubai Limits Persian Language Satellite TVs

Kamran Mizani, Rooz Online:

While the demand for Persian language satellite broadcasting television channels is on the rise, the government of Dubai has ended live satellite TV broadcasts of these stations. This comes at a time when a group of Iranian students and electronic specialists were on the verge of launching the ITC satellite television that would broadcast Persian language programs through satellites.

The ITC network was managed by Dr Sanjabi in Media City was in the process of negotiating the purchase the rights for satellite broadcasting when the Mokhaberat Ministry of Dubai informed him that the government had decided not to allow live Persian language broadcasts. On investigation, it emerged that the government of Dubai had made that decision after it had learned of the displeasure of the Iranian government over such broadcasts. READ MORE

Last year, the Iranian government held secret negotiations with the government of Holland and large Dutch investors and destroyed the possibility of launching an independent satellite television channel from there even after the Dutch Parliament had approved a budget for it. It has been reported that Iran had offered the Dutch government two large contracts in return for the TV ban. A few months later, the government of the United States fined Dutch banks with 80 million Euros for violating embargo provisions when it had made business deals with Iran.

Last month, the project to launch Saba satellite TV which is said to have been funded and operated by the influential Iranian cleric Mehdi Karoubi was killed under similar circumstances. Saba television had also opened an office in Dubai’s Media City and had planned to start broadcasting Persian language programs on December 21, 2005. It is reported that that project failed because the government of Dubai refused to provide the necessary services for the station after the Iranian government intervened and struck a deal with the Dubai government. Dubai is not alone in the decision not to allow live Persian language programs. The government of the United Arab Emirates had made a similar decision as well. It should be noted that Iran and the UAE are very large trading partners and the later is used by Iran as a gateway and intermediary for products that it cannot purchase directly from certain countries or manufacturers.