The Persian service of All India Radio's External Services Division (ESD) is launching a multimedia website and mobile app to coincide with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Iran which begins tomorrow.
AIR is also starting a WhatsApp-based listeners' response forum for its Persian service where listeners from Iran can directly interact.
AIR has been broadcasting to Iran in Persian language since 1941 and it is one of the oldest services in which external broadcast is done.
The Persian service of late has been facing competition from other broadcasters like BBC, China Radio International, Radio Pakistan, etc which have started Internet and mobile-based services for Iran as the younger generation prefer listening to radio broadcast on Internet and mobile apps, an official statement said here.
Launching of Internet live streaming and mobile apps of Persian service through a world class multimedia web platform --airworldservice.Org/persian-- during the prime minister's visit to Tehran will go a long way not only in meeting the challenges from other broadcasters but also broaden AIR's listeners base, it added.
At present, Persian language broadcast of AIR is done for 1 hour 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 (SW).
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, literature, music and also contemporary partnership in the fields like trade, commerce, technology, medicine, research oil exploration, etc, the statement said.
Indian and Persian music of various genres also form a major part of the content, it added. The service is immensely popular among the listeners and receives close to 1,000 letters per month besides many emails.
