The Persian Service of External Services Division of All India Radio is launching a multimedia website and mobile App to coincide with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's forthcoming visit to Iran.
All India Radio has been broadcasting to Iran in Persian language since 1941. It is one of the oldest services in which external broadcast was done by AIR. The Persian language Service has stood through the thick and thin of the relations between India and Iran and the many trials and tribulations that Iran has witnessed in the last few decades.
Presently, Persian language broadcast of AIR is done for 1hr 45 minutes in two transmissions of 45 minutes and 1 hour respectively in the morning and in the evening.
The broadcast is available on Shortwave. Programme menu of the Persian Service is reflective of the centuries old bond that India shares with Iran (Persia) in the fields of art, architecture, culture, heritage, literature, music etc and also the contemporary partnership and cooperation in the fields of trade, commerce, technology, medicine, research and development in oil exploration etc. Indian and Persian music of various genres also form a major part of the content. The service is immensely popular among the listeners and receives close to 1000 letters per month besides many emails.
The Persian Service of All India Radio was of late facing competitions from other international broadcasters like BBC, China Radio International, Radio Pakistan among others who have started internet and mobile based services for Iran as the younger generation prefer listening to radio broadcast on internet and mobile Apps.
Launching of internet live-streaming and mobile Apps of Persian Service through a multimedia web platform of international standard airworldservice.org/persian during the visit of the Indian Prime Minister to Tehran will go a long way not only in meeting the challenges from other broadcasters but also help in further broadening the listeners base of All India Radio. It is also pertinent to mention that AIR is also starting a WhatsApp based listners' response forum for its Persian service where listeners from Iran can directly interact.
