Radio Zamaneh is a new Iranian broadcasting station based at the Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. This independent non-partisan radio station aims to be a medium for the unheard voice of [the] young. Broadcasting in the Farsi language via Internet, satellite and shortwave, Radio Zamaneh brings news and analysis, educational programmes as well as music and entertainment.
Internet broadcasting started on the 4 August 2006 while satellite broadcasting started on 7 September and shortwave broadcasting started on 11 September 2006. Radio Zamaneh broadcasts 24 hours a day via satellite. The core of its current affairs and cultural programme is broadcast 4 hours a day through shortwave [6245 kHz]. Daily shortwave broadcasts start at 19:00 Amsterdam time (20:30 Tehran time). [1700-2100 UT]
Financial support for establishing Radio Zamaneh comes from various private and public sources including the Dutch Government. On the basis of an amendment by the Dutch Parliament for substantial support of free media for Iranians in 2004, the Dutch government agreed to fund a selection of new media initiatives by Iranian journalists. Radio Zamaneh was one of these initiatives.
Press Now is the co-initiator of Radio Zamaneh and supports the radio station financially and technically, by way of training and advice. Press Now is an international NGO supporting independent media in regions of conflict and countries in transition.
The director of Radio Zamaneh is a well-known former senior BBC producer, Mehdi Jami. He is a blogger and multimedia journalist working both for radio and online interactive. Mr Jami works mainly with young writers, journalists, bloggers and program editors, such as Massoume Naseri. She was a former journalist in Tehran working for the popular youth magazine Chelcheragh until two months ago joining Radio Zamaneh.
Radio Zamaneh is a highly interactive medium with listeners being commissioned to make reports and reviews. Technical facilities on the Internet make it possible for listeners to record their own programmes and send them to Radio Zamaneh. This radio station is the first Persian radio station with a leading idea in Citizen Journalism.
Radio Zamaneh intends to increase and intensify working relations with online bloggers. The Iranian blogosphere is representing one of the largest web communities in the world. They are considered the preserve of young urban Iranians both inside and outside the country. Their voices are not heard by the mainstream media, neither in itself nor in West-based Iranian media. Radio Zamaneh will serve as a platform for Iranian bloggers and reflect their grassroots opinions and views.
(Source: Press Now via Ron Howard, CA in DX Listening Digest)
Andy Sennitt adds: This station has been in the planning stage for the last couple of years. It has nothing to do with Radio Netherlands, though we did informally give them some technical advice.
Dutch government ready to fund independent Iranian radio station
