United States Agency for Global Media

BBG networks provide unparalleled coverage of Iran agreement

July 14, 2015

Washington, D.C. — The networks of the Broadcasting Board of Governors were the first to break the news in Persian of the historic nuclear agreement that had been reached with Iran, providing one of the few sources of accurate, reliable and comprehensive news source in the country.

“I’m incredibly proud of the hard work that our journalists are doing in the Persian Services,” said André Mendes, Interim CEO and Director of the BBG. “The people of Iran deserve accurate and reliable information about what is being agreed upon in Vienna, and our networks are providing exactly that.”

Voice of America’s Persian Service was first among its competitors on all platforms to break the news at 10:00 a.m. Tehran time (1:30 a.m. EDT) that an agreement had been reached. The service has continued its live coverage throughout the morning, including the photo-op by the P5+1 signatories in Vienna at 3:15 p.m. Tehran time (6:45 a.m. EDT); statements by the EU and Iran at 3:20 p.m. Tehran time (6:50 a.m. EDT); President Obama’s statement from the East Room of the White House at 3:30 p.m. Tehran time (7:00 a.m. EDT); and Secretary of State John Kerry’s statement from Vienna at 3:50 p.m. Tehran time (7:20 a.m. EDT).

VOA Persian will continue broadcasting live throughout the day with guests in DC and London and with live reports from Vienna.

VOA is also providing important information on the next steps for the deal as well as reaction from U.S. presidential candidates and academic and civil society leaders. The network is also providing important backgrounder information such as profiles of primary players in the talks and an interactive timeline of key dates in the negotiations.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Radio Farda also provided live coverage of the historic agreement via its live blog and during live radio broadcasts from 3:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. Tehran time (6:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. EDT on July 13) that resumed today at 12:16 p.m. Tehran time (3:46 a.m. EDT) and will continue until 1:00 a.m. tomorrow Tehran time (4:30 p.m. EDT). The network is also providing important analysis including what the deal means for Moscow, and how the agreement could affect geopolitics in the Middle East.

Today’s announcement caps weeks of comprehensive coverage by Radio Farda of the negotiations in Vienna, including live reports from the scene during every news magazine show; thematic news magazines focusing on the impact of success or failure in the talks on such sectors as the economy, human rights, and education; and call-in shows and opinion segments that give Farda’s radio and digital audience the chance to express their personal views or ask questions about the negotiations. Farda’s coverage of the negotiations also included top of the hour video newscasts, aired as part of the VOA Persian video stream from the network’s new “virtual studio” in Prague.