IRIB To Discontinue Shortwave Broadcasts

I received the email below from Iran's IRIB English Radio on April 3rd...

"Greetings

IRIB English radio has recently planned to broadcast its programs via
Internet and satellite and based on this plan, the shortwave broadcast 
of our radio will be unfortunately discontinued. As a radio hobbyist 
and an audience of IRIB English Radio based in Tehran, Iran, what do 
you think about this idea? Do you think we should take this measure 
and act as we have planned or you still prefer to follow our programs 
via shortwave radio? Please let us know and help us to make the best 
decision."

I replied to the email and let them know that shortwave is still a necessary
service to many around the world, as not everyone can always have access
to the internet. Besides that, shortwave signals are more difficult to block by
hostile governments than radio signals are. If you want to add your two cents,
email Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting at englishradio@irib.ir.

IRIB's Weird-Ass QSL Propaganda Jamboree

On August 11, 2012, at 0340 UTC, I heard the Islamic Republic of
Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) English language broadcast, Voice of Justice
on 13650 khz. E.W., of the blog Cobalt Pet suggested I email them
a QSL request, because they normally send out some pretty interesting
stuff. I emailed them at  englishradio@irib.ir, and within a few days,
received an acknowledgement by email, with an IRIB shortwave schedule
attached, letting me know my QSL would be mailed soon. So, in early
October, I find a large, heavy envelope from Iran stuffed into my mailbox.
It looked like it may have been opened and re-sealed (USPS? Homeland
Security?). Inside I found a pretty crazy array of Iranian propaganda.





















Besides  my QSL card, there was a 2012 calendar, a copy of "Islamic
Awakening" magazine, a copy of "ZamZam" (seemingly a children's
magazine), a thank you letter, a copy of IRIB's radio schedules and two
books, one of them titled "Islam, The West and Human Rights". I've
read a couple of dozen pages of the book, as well as some of "Islamic
Awakening".  No big surprises as far as the content. The main theme
seems to be that human rights do best under Islam, and that all people
should have all kinds of freedoms...but only within the confines of
presumably fundamentalist Islam. Oh, and the West is imperialist.
While I acknowledge that theUSA has a very bad track record with
Iran (we've helped overthrow their government at least once, and
supported the tyrannical Shah, among other blunders), the tone of
propaganda like this (and Radio Habana Cuba's) seldom ceases to
amuse me.

This book also has a full color, page-sized photo of the late Ayatollah
Khomeini a few pages into it. Creepy. The other book is called
"Spirituality and Politics From Imam Khomeini's Viewpoint". I haven't
done more than skim through this one, but I don't expect the content
to be much different. All in all, a fairly impressive QSL package, even
if I find myself largely disagreeing with the ideas it is trying to promote.