Info:
The Islamic Radio and Television Union, created and funded by the Islamic Republic, consists of 210 Muslim media outlets from 35 countries, its website says. Most of these outlets are officially regarded as foreign media, although funded by the regime. As well as relaying propaganda, they constitute a fake news world network that helps to suppress the freedom to inform. They mainly carry the same news reports as the Iranian state media;
Iran invests about $400 million of the IRGC’s budget in the Islamic Radio and Television Union, a group of stations that includes Hamas and Hezbollah-run channels;
The Iranian Islamic Radio and Television Union (IRTVU) is being designated by the U.S. Treasury Department pursuant to E.O. 13848 for being owned or controlled by the IRGC-QF. IRTVU, a propaganda arm of the IRGC-QF, and IUVM aided Bayan Gostar in efforts to reach U.S. audiences. In addition, IRGC-QF outlets amplified false narratives in English, and posted disparaging propaganda articles and other U.S.-oriented content with the intent to sow discord among U.S. audiences;
Treasury designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the IRGC-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), and Bayan Rasaneh Gostar Institute (Bayan Gostar) pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13848 for having directly or indirectly engaged in, sponsored, concealed, or otherwise been complicit in foreign interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Since at least 2015, Bayan Gostar has served as a front company for IRGC-QF propaganda efforts. In the months leading up to the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Bayan Gostar personnel have planned to influence the election by exploiting social issues within the United States, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and denigrating U.S. political figures. As recently as summer 2020, Bayan Gostar was prepared to execute a series of influence operations directed at the U.S. populace ahead of the presidential election;
The Iranian regime’s disinformation efforts have targeted a global audience through a variety of covert media organizations. Disinformation campaigns run by the Iranian regime focus on sowing discord among readers via social media platforms and messaging applications, and frequently involve mischaracterizing information;
Iran plays a crucial role in militia media efforts as well. Beyond providing the initial seed money for many of the outlets in question, it helps coordinate their messaging through regular meetings with Iraqi network directors at the Tehran-based Islamic Radio and Television Union. In May, for example, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) boasted that twenty Iraqi channels had broadcast Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s Qods Day speech. Whenever militia channels air such content, a host of “social media armies” disseminate it across multiple platforms, paying top dollar to boost it online. Another pernicious effect of these practices has been to challenge Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani’s religious and nationalist authority while boosting Khamenei’s narratives. This includes undermining the 2014 fatwa in which Sistani asked Iraqis “not to form armed militias” and urged them to join the formal security forces instead. As he put it, “all arms should be under state authority.”;
Iran’s political influence in Iraq is operated by Islamic Radio and Television Union (IRTVU), and Iranians and their proxies boast and are not afraid to speak openly about it. A large number of observers, especially those who know about the Iranian media and press institutions that fall under the umbrella of the Islamic Radio and Television Union (IRTVU), realize the extent of Iran’s influence on Iraq through the media. Iran was able to exert its influence over the media though providing generous offers to open a satellite channel or media outlets to whoever demands it along with the financial and media rewards;
Aletejah and Asia TV are members of the Tehran-based Islamic Radio and Television Union, Aletejah is connected to an Iraqi military outfit call the Hezbollah Brigades (not linked to the Lebanese militia-cum-political party), Almaseera is connected to the Shia Houthi rebels in Yemen and a recent report on France 24 created waves by bringing into question the independence of Al Mayadeen from the interests of the Iranian and the Syrian regimes. Asia TV’s Qanbar says that his station receives no support from Iran and asserts further, “We have never been told what to say on our station.”. The station’s output is guided by a particular Iraqi vision of the Middle East that is perhaps best encapsulated by one of their flagship shows, Qalb al Aalam, or Heart of the World. The program focuses on the historical, cultural, political and economic relationships between Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. Qanbar expands on the relationship with Iran saying, “We are in the camp of the Iraqi’s. The Iraqi establishment, including Sunnis, Shias and Kurds, now all have good relations with Iran. What’s more, we have a strategic relationship with the United States. That is very disturbing to the countries of the Gulf.”;
In 2007, Iran created the “The Islamic Radio and Television Union (IRTVU)” in the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance . This organization is designed to provide Union members with technical support and homogenize their ideological and political message. IRTVU currently has more than 200 radio and TV stations, the most powerful among them is Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) with its extensive financial and technical resources. IRIB operates several foreign language satellite TV channels, including the English Press TV, Arabic Al-Alam and Hispan TV in Spanish language. Hezbollah’s Al Manar and Al Mayadeen (launched in 2012) are the powerful members of IRTVU, providing staff and technical support to other Arabic Language TVs of the “axis of resistance“ specially the Beirut based networks such as Al-Masirah and Al-Sahat affiliated with pro-Tehran Houthi rebels in Yemen or Al-Nabaa which broadcasts anti-Saudi programs.
IRTVU currently has tens of radios and satellite television stations in Iraq affiliated with Iran proxies. The most prominent among them are: Al-Ghadeer for the Badr organization, Etejah for Kata’ib Hezbollah, Al-Ahd for Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, Al-Forat affiliated with Ammar Hakim and Al-Nujaba for Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba. There are several TV stations for different factions of the “The Islamic Dawa Party” such as Al-Masar TV, Beladi TV and Afagh TV. Some of these networks have specific stations for different cities like Baghdad, Karbala or Basra. Many of these Iraqi TVs are directly run by Quds Force operatives in Iraq and receive technical and staff support from Hezbollah’s networks.
IRTVU has several satellite TV stations operating in the Palestinian territories including “Quds” TV and “The Palestine Today” which are under the Iranian control and the very powerful Al-Aghsa TV station belonging to Hamas, which receives technical and financial support from Tehran. The Union has also a large number of radio and TV stations which broadcast religious programs. Iran’s Al-Kawthar is the leading network among them. IRTVU holds annual conferences in Iran with the latest event taking place in the city of Mashhad. During each annual event, there is also a media market for films, documentaries and other media products which have been pre-approved by the IRTVU and are labeled as Halal Media.
During IRTVU’s annual conference in 2015 in Tehran, the participants were received by the Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In his speech, he emphasized the importance of their activities and declared: “Today, (global) arrogance has created a great media empire. They distort and cover up news and they tell lies. This way, they promote their policies… We should do something in the face of this dangerous empire and this large media mafia that is in the hands of American and Zionist capitalists and cartels.”. The media empire created by Tehran is fast becoming a dominant player in shaping public opinion in the region. Far from being ordinary news outlets, these television and radio stations promote sectarian and violent policies across the region. They have supported the slaughter of Syrian people by Assad and its Iranian allies, helped Hezbollah to tighten its grip on Lebanon and assisted Tehran proxies in dominating Iraq. They spread anti-Western and anti-Semitic hatred throughout the Islamic world and fuel terrorism and violence. They are the propaganda arm of the Quds Force and its proxy militias, most of whom are considered terrorist organizations;
Industry:
Spreading propaganada
Also Known As:
IRTVU
Country:
Iran
Address:
Tehran, Iran
Beirut, Lebanon
Kabul, Afghanistan
Person of interests:
Director Hojjatoleslam Ali Karimian