Voice of America Persian News Network


Voice of America Persian News Network is a governmental international broadcaster of the United States of America in Persian language. Its headquarter is in Washington D.C. It started to broadcast its programs on 18 October 1994 with a one-hour television program. Its radio programs started on 22 November 1979 with 30 minutes broadcasting per day.

Managers

The first manager of the VOA-PNN was Ahmadreza Baharloo. Later managers were Kambiz Mohammadi, Shila Ganji, Behrouz Abbassi, Behrouz Souresrafil, James Glassman, Hida Fouladvand and Ramin Asgard. The current manager of the VOA-PNN is Setareh Derakhshesh.

Programs

As of July 2007, VOA-PNN broadcast 1 hour of radio programming a day, 7 hours a day of original programming for television, and a website.

Original series

In April 2007, VOA-PNN conducted a phone interview with Abdolmalek Rigi, the leader of Jundallah and introduced him as the leader of the "popular resistance movement". Following the event, Iran accused the U.S. of supporting terrorists by giving them the opportunity to speak. The New York Times Magazine quoted Mehdi Khalaji as " do not seem to be able to distinguish between journalism and propaganda. If you host the head of Jondollah and call him a freedom fighter or present a Voice of America run by monarchists, Iranians are going to stop listening". The act resembled the "hallmark of ideological objectivity" in VOA, and was criticized as an "irresponsible American embrace of violent regime change", according to Suzanne Maloney.