Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 16
By Temkin Jafarov - Trend:
The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, the IRIB, as part of structural reforms, decided to close a number of its news offices in foreign countries due to their inefficient work, the Iranian news website tabnak.ir reported Jan. 16.
Reportedly, large funds are allocated for IRIB's news offices abroad, but many of them work ineffectively.
IRIB decided to keep its offices in only four countries, the US (New York), the UK (London), Syria (Damascus) and Iraq (Baghdad), the report said.
Several TV channels belonging to the IRIB were also closed as part of the structural reforms.
From now on, IRIB will cover the developments in the world using the video footage from Al Alam and PressTV channels, or citing the TV channels of the countries, where the covered developments take place.
In this case, IRIB will in special cases send its crews to foreign countries.
Earlier, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appointed Mohammad Sarafraz as the new chairman of the IRIB, thus replacing Ezzatollah Zarghami, who has held the post for 10 years.
Iranian media reported that Sarafraz, after taking the office as the IRIB head, held a series of reforms.
IRIB's news office in Azerbaijan has operated since 1992.
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