BBC Monitoring

Text of report by Social Desk headlined "Iran's first internet radio will start operation on 1 Azar" published by Iranian newspaper Iran website on 11 October

The first internet radio station in the country, under the name of Iran Seda [Iran Voice], will launch on 1 Azar this year [22 November 2007], the same date as the blessed anniversary of the birth of Imam Reza [8th Shi'i Imam] - peace be upon him.

According to a report by Iran newspaper, Hamid Reza Sahragard, the director of the Iran Seda radio network, announced the news and went on to say: The Iran Seda station will be the first Iranian radio on the web. It will operate without adopting a specific direction and posture, aiming to spread Iranian culture across the world and interact with Farsi [Persian] speakers and with all who are interested in Iranian affairs.

Sahragard went on to say: In the initial stage, some nine services will be offered to the listeners by the radio station , specifically concerning the following areas: culture, ideology, politics, Koran and religious knowledge, science and technology, sports, social affairs, translation and mu! sic. The duration of the programmes broadcast on this internet radio will be shorter than the programmes on ordinary radio stations. The idea is that even people in countries that enjoy only the minimum of internet facilities will still be able to receive the radio station...

Source: Iran, Tehran, in Persian, 11 Oct 07