; 9 years ago 2007 07 08 owned by islamic republic of iran broadcasting picture format 576i 16 9 sdtv 1080i hdtv slogan news anew language english broadcast area india united states uk worldwide headquarters tehran iran sister channel s al alam news network hispantv website www.presstv.ir availability terrestrial jamaran ch43 uhf digital sd alvand ch34 uhf digital full hd satellite intelsat 902 middle east 11555 30000 2 3 v arabsat 5c africa middle east europe 3913 12911 5 6 v 3964 30000 3 4 r badr 4 middle east & africa 12054 27500 3 4 v badr 5 middle east & central asia 12303 27500 3 4 h 11881 27500 5 6 h nilesat 201 middle east 11823 27500 5 6 v paksat 1r asia & africa 4060 23000 5 6 h st 2 middle east & asia 11051 30000 1 2 v thaicom 5 africa middle east europe asia australia 3574 6510 2 3 h optus d2 australia new zealand 12519 22500 3 4 v intelsat 20 europe & africa 12602 26657 2 3 h eutelsat 3b europe 11605 11852 3 4 v ekspress am44 europe 11109 9479 3 4 h galaxy 19 north & central america 11960 22000 3 4 v streaming media live webcast free flash silverlight video on demand vod free livestation free play tv free ipad & iphone free app android free app windows mobile free app blackberry free app nokia symbian free app youtube channel presstvglobalnews until 2013 presstvbroadcast 2013 2014 videosptv 2014 liveleak channel presstv press tv stylised presstv is a 24 hour english language news and documentary network affiliated with islamic republic of iran broadcasting irib . 1 irib is state owned but independent of the iranian government in its management and is the only legal tv and radio broadcaster inside iran . irib s head is appointed directly by the supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei and is considered to be close to the country s conservative political faction . press tv is headquartered in tehran iran and has offices and bureaus around the world including london beirut damascus kabul and the gaza strip . it bills itself as a third alternative to what it considers to be biased western media and to sunni media attached to radical islamic terror groups ; critics consider it a shill for the iranian regime . contents 1 background 1.1 history of website and satellite tv launch 2 funding and management 3 coverage 4 controversies 5 removal from western and asian satellites 6 uk base 6.1 mayiar bagheri and uk licence revocation 6.2 removal from astra satellite 6.3 current presenters 6.4 former presenters 6.5 external contributors 7 current programmes 8 former programmes 9 see also 10 references 11 external links background edit press tv ceo mohammad sarafraz said in a june 2007 press conference that since september 11 western bias has divided the media into two camps those that favour their policies make up one group and the rest of the media are attached to radical islamic groups like al qaeda . we want to show that there is a different view . iran and the shi as in particular have become a focal point of world propaganda . from the media point of view we are trying to give a second eye to western audiences . 2 the network s official vision is to heed the voices and perspectives of the people of the world ; build bridges of cultural understanding ; encourage human beings of different nationalities races and creeds to identify with one another ; bring to light untold and overlooked stories of individuals who have experienced political and cultural divides firsthand . 3 sarafraz explained that our experience tells us that pictorial reflection of news and the use of images are more effective than discussion and analysis . 4 history of website and satellite tv launch edit the network s website launched in late january 2007 . 5 test satellite transmissions were conducted in late april 2007 . the channel launched on 3 july 2007 . 6 7 on 18 march 2009 press tv launched a new website with a modified graphical user interface . 8 press tv upgraded to 16 9 widescreen format on 17 november 2011 9 being the first iranian network to upgrade its feed to this format and the second international news network based in the middle east to do so after al jazeera english . funding and management edit press tv is state funded 10 and is a division of the islamic republic of iran broadcasting irib . irib is independent of the iranian government and its head is appointed directly by the supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei ; according to the guardian it is close to the country s conservative political faction especially the elite revolutionary guards . it is the only legal tv and radio broadcaster inside the country . 11 press tv s headquarters are located in tehran . as of 2009 the annual budget of press tv is 250 billion rials more than us 8.3 million . 12 coverage edit presstv shooting at university of johannesburg south africa press tv offers round the clock news bulletins every half hour a series of repeating commentary programmes and round table panel discussions as well as documentary style political films . in may 2009 press tv ceo mohammad sarafraz announced that press tv would provide viewers with more newscasts while cutting down on its news analysis programs . 4 press tv was created for the purpose of presenting news images and arguments especially on middle eastern affairs to counter the news coverage that appears on broadcasts such those of bbc world news cnn international and al jazeera english . 13 according to mediachannel.org the government aims to use press tv to counter what it sees as a steady stream of western propaganda against iran as well as offer an alternative view of world news . 14 by launching an english language television network to promote an iranian perspective of the world together with an arab language station the al alam news network the iranian government said it hoped to address a global audience exposed to misinformation and mudslinging as regards the islamic republic of iran . 15 the two networks focus on difficult issues in the middle east such as the united states occupation of neighbouring iraq and the shiite question . 16 currently viewers can watch press tv and the english arabic and spanish language versions of its sister networks ifilm and hispan tv on numerous free to air satellites worldwide . official satellite footprint maps 17 and satellite enthusiast maintained transponder change notifications 18 are also available and may at times be necessary to consult . controversies edit main article press tv controversies in 2012 the anti defamation league adl issued a report alleging that press tv has been broadcasting what the adl says are examples of anti semitic conspiracy theories and opinions . 19 the report criticizes press tv for interviewing or providing commentary space for a number of individuals such as david duke described by the report as american anti semites conspiracy theorists and holocaust deniers who help amplify the iranian regime s hateful messages . 19 the station has been criticized for anti americanism and uncritical embrace of conspiracy theories . for british journalist nick cohen the station is a platform for the full fascist conspiracy theory of supernatural jewish power 20 and for commentator douglas murray it is the iranian government s propaganda channel . 21 in a 2011 interview on press tv george galloway press tv s uk presenter and former british mp responded to cohen and others stating that press tv challenges the prevailing orthodoxy by providing an outsider perspective on the truth and a voice for the otherwise voiceless . 22 mehdi hasan of the new statesman has argued that engaging with iran no matter who is in charge in tehran is a prerequisite for peace and progress in the region . the very fact that press tv is iranian owned makes it the ideal english language platform on which to do so . 23 the bbc journalist linda pressly has described press tv as pro palestinian opposed to sanctions against iran and critical of western foreign policy . 24 nick ferrari a former presenter of one of press tv s shows told the times that press tv s news coverage had been reasonably fair until the 2009 election but not any longer . 25 removal from western and asian satellites edit in july 2013 press tv and other iranian channels were removed from several european and american satellites amongst others those of eutelsat and intelsat allegedly because of the iran sanctions even though an eu spokesman told the channel that these sanctions do not apply to media . 26 27 in november 2012 the hong kong based asiasat took iranian channels off air in east asia and in october 2012 eutelsat and intelsat stopped broadcasting several iranian satellite channels though the islamic republic of iran broadcasting managed to resume broadcasts after striking deals with smaller companies based in other countries . 27 uk base edit press tv began its activities in london during 2007 . roshan muhammed salih was press tv s london news editor and chief correspondent . 28 other london correspondents include amina taylor and eisa ali . citation needed mayiar bagheri and uk licence revocation edit in june 2010 channel 4 the british broadcaster transmitted a programme featuring maziar bahari a documentary maker and newsweek contributor who was arrested while covering the iranian presidential election in 2009 and held in custody for 118 days . he alleged that a press tv 10 second interview and confession had been preceded by torture and was given under the threat of execution . 29 bahari now a british resident complained to ofcom the regulatory authority for the telecommunication industries in the united kingdom . 29 in may 2011 ofcom ruled that press tv was responsible for a serious breach of uk broadcasting rules by airing the 10 second interview with maziar bahari accepting that it had been obtained under duress while he was held in a tehran jail . 30 press tv rejected ofcom s findings and accused bahari of being an mi6 contact person . 31 a fine of 100 000 was eventually imposed in november 2011 reversing an initial decision to revoke press tv s licence . 32 press tv responded the british royal family exercises an overarching power over all branches in the political system of the uk including the government and the parliament as well as on ofcom . 32 on 20 january 2012 press tv s licence to broadcast in the uk was revoked by ofcom . 33 34 the investigation into the bahari case had revealed the applying company s direct connection to tehran and that editorial control came from there . an invitation to change this in the licence had not been taken up by press tv . 35 the unpaid fine was not the reason why ofcom ended press tv s licence . 36 geoffrey alderman the british historian and occasional press tv contributor attacked the ofcom decision and called for it to be reversed . he described the action by ofcom as thoroughly deplorable as well as palpably cynical . 37 defenders of press tv including alderman and the broadcaster s legal representative farooq bajwa 38 have referred to a formerly secret american diplomatic cable dated 4 february 2010 . later released by wikileaks it says the british government was at time exploring ways to limit the operations of the irib s press tv service . this exploration was in response to the jamming by the iranian government of broadcasts by the bbc persian service and the voice of america also mentioned in the document 39 and mentioned by alderman . removal from astra satellite edit on april 3 2012 munich based media regulator de bayerische