A brief history of the development of satellite channels in Iran

It was around 1991 when satellite dishes were first observed on roofs in Tehran. After approximately 25？years, 100 Persian satellite channels launched outside Iran are now broadcasting various programmes for Iranians. This article will provide a short account of Iran’s media environment. The main objective of this article is to examine the developments in Persian satellite channels, which are divided into three periods. The primary features of each will be scrutinized. It will be argued that although these channels have been banned by the Iranian government, they have initiated media pluralism in Iran