Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani has called on the state broadcaster to redefine its policies so its programs would appeal to all strata of the society.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting is expected to produce new and a variety of programs and act in a way that attracts audiences from all social strata," Larijani said in a meeting with the IRIB director, Abdolali Ali-Askari, in Tehran on Saturday.
"Iran is a very diverse society. IRIB programs should be tailored to cater to the needs of all, particularly the youth," the lawmaker was quoted as saying by ISNA. He said the parliament is ready to assist the state-owned organization in addressing its challenges and improving its performance.
Ali-Askari was appointed to the post last month in a decree by the Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who accepted the resignation of former IRIB head, Mohammad Sarafraz.
He met with President Hassan Rouhani later in the same month.
In the meeting the president stressed the need for the IRIB to maintain impartiality, saying leaning or bias toward or against any particular faction is unacceptable.
During Sarafraz's tenure, Rouhani had criticized IRIB on several occasions for lacking independence and allowing the conservative opponents of the accord to use it as an exclusive platform to reinforce their bias against the government's reform plans by spreading non-objective propaganda. Those opposed to the government and the nuclear agreement deal claim the pact conceded too much to the western side and that Tehran got a raw deal.
