IRIB Ofogh

IRIB Ofogh, also known as Ofogh TV or the Horizon Channel, is a national Iranian television channel operated within the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) system. It is one of Iran's newer national television services and was developed as a channel centered on cultural, artistic, social, historical, religious, and analytical programming. Its editorial identity is associated with the discourse of the Islamic Revolution and with efforts to discuss Iranian-Islamic lifestyle, social awareness, national achievements, and contemporary domestic and international issues. The channel's launch took place in stages. IRIB leadership publicly announced the project in May 2014. Ofogh began experimental terrestrial transmission in Tehran on 3 June 2014, initially using an independent frequency and appearing as channel 22 through the Alvand transmitter, the third transmitter serving Tehran. It expanded from the test phase to national broadcasting on 24 December 2014 and was formally established on 27 February 2015. The station subsequently developed into a 24-hour service rather than a limited experimental outlet. Ofogh's programming began with documentaries, mixed-format shows, animations, and short clips. Its schedule later broadened to include programs addressing political, cultural, social, and economic subjects, as well as historical and religious themes. The channel's stated approach combines analysis with cultural and social interpretation. Its output includes studio discussions, interviews with experts, profiles of Iranian entrepreneurs and innovators, competition and entertainment formats, and documentary material. Programs such as Time, Elite Land, Seven Days and Seven Hours, and Innovators illustrate this mixture of current-affairs discussion, national-development narratives, cultural programming, and public-interest storytelling. The channel is overseen through IRIB's institutional structure. Although descriptions of its governance characterize IRIB as a statutory corporation independent from direct government intervention, Ofogh operates within the national broadcaster's supervisory framework. Some productions have been made with participation from nongovernmental organizations and institutions outside IRIB. The channel's management has included Sayyed Javad Ramadan Nejad, who was appointed during the channel's early development and was identified as its managing director. Mohsen Naji has been associated with television and mixed-format programming, while a separate thinking council was appointed in 2017 to provide strategic and editorial input. Ofogh is distributed through terrestrial transmission and digital receivers in Iran. Its programming has also been carried by the Badr 5 satellite, providing availability in Iran and parts of Asia. Online viewing has been offered through IRIB's live-broadcast infrastructure, the channel's website, and Iranian streaming services including Telewebion. The channel therefore combines the reach of a national broadcast service with online and satellite distribution. Its brand positioning is not that of a commercial entertainment network; instead, it functions as a public-service and ideologically oriented broadcaster whose content emphasizes Iranian identity, cultural themes, social issues, religious perspectives, national history, and interpretations of current affairs.

IRIB Ofogh was conceived as a new national television service within Iran's public broadcasting system. The first public announcement of the channel was made by Seyyed Ezzatollah Zarghami, then head of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, on 13 May 2014. The project was presented as an additional national-media channel with a distinctive cultural and analytical orientation. The station entered an experimental phase in Tehran on 3 June 2014. Its initial terrestrial transmission used an independent frequency and was carried through the Alvand station, identified as Tehran's third transmitter, on frequency 578 as channel 22. During this period the service broadcast trailers and promotional material for forthcoming programs rather than operating as a fully developed national network. Ofogh expanded its coverage on 24 December 2014, when it began national broadcasting. Its formal establishment followed on 27 February 2015. The channel's development therefore proceeded through three identifiable stages: public announcement, limited Tehran testing, and national launch followed by formal institutionalization. It later operated as a 24-hour channel. In its early design, Ofogh was intended to approach issues connected with the Islamic Revolution through analysis. The channel's programming subsequently incorporated a wider set of themes, including Iranian-Islamic lifestyle, social awareness, history, religion, culture, politics, economics, and artistic subjects. Its initial program mix included documentaries, combined or mixed-format programs, animations, and clips. Over time, discussion and interview programs were added, along with formats focused on national talent, entrepreneurship, innovation, and cultural exchange. The channel's organizational structure sits within IRIB's wider statutory broadcasting framework. Its activities are overseen by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, while some productions have involved nongovernmental organizations and institutions outside IRIB. Sayyed Javad Ramadan Nejad, previously associated with IRIB's documentary department and IRIB TV4, was introduced as Ofogh's director during the channel's formative period in June 2014 and was appointed to the managing role in July of that year. Mohsen Naji was identified as the director responsible for television and mixed-format programs. A thinking council was established in September 2017 after Morteza Mirbagheri, an IRIB vice-president, appointed members for a one-year term. The council included Nader Talebzadeh, Majid Shah Hoseini, Hamid Reza Ayatollahi, Hasan Khojest, and Mohsen Naji. Its membership reflected the channel's emphasis on editorial direction, analysis, cultural subjects, and public-discourse programming. Ofogh's notable programs demonstrate the evolution of its schedule. Time is a dialogue-based program associated with Nader Talebzadeh and addresses domestic and international political, cultural, and social issues with invited experts. Elite Land profiles Iranian elites and entrepreneurs in Iran and abroad. Seven Days and Seven Hours is a rally-competition format featuring artists from Iran and Lebanon and filmed in both countries; it was broadcast during Nowruz 1397. Innovators presents ideas, industrial projects, and research initiatives developed by young Iranians, with episodes covering fields such as transport, automotive design, medicine, and industrial design. Distribution has combined traditional and digital channels. In Iran, Ofogh has been available through terrestrial transmitters, including analog UHF transmission, and through digital receivers. Satellite distribution via Badr 5 has extended availability to Iran and parts of Asia. Online access has been provided through IRIB's live-streaming platform, the channel's own website, and services such as Telewebion. These distribution arrangements support its role as a national broadcaster while allowing access beyond the terrestrial footprint.

• 2017

  Thinking council appointed

  [1]IRIB Ofoghen.wikipedia.org

  IRIB vice-president Morteza Mirbagheri appointed members of an Ofogh thinking council for a one-year term.

• 2015

  Formal establishment

  [1]IRIB Ofoghen.wikipedia.org

  IRIB Ofogh was formally established on 27 February 2015 and developed into a national 24-hour service.

• 2014

  Channel project announced

  [1]IRIB Ofoghen.wikipedia.org

  IRIB head Seyyed Ezzatollah Zarghami publicly announced the planned launch of Ofogh on 13 May 2014.

• 2014

  Experimental Tehran broadcast begins

  [1]IRIB Ofoghen.wikipedia.org

  Ofogh began test transmission in Tehran on 3 June 2014 through the Alvand transmitter as channel 22, initially carrying program trailers.

• 2014

  National broadcasting begins

  [1]IRIB Ofoghen.wikipedia.org

  The channel expanded from its Tehran test to national broadcasting on 24 December 2014.

Iranian public broadcasting channel focused on cultural, artistic, social, historical, religious, and analytical programming within the discourse of the Islamic Revolution.

• Current-affairs discussion program

  Time

  A dialogue-driven program associated with Nader Talebzadeh. It examines current domestic and international political, cultural, and social issues through discussions with experts in relevant fields.

• Profile and documentary program

  Elite Land

  A program focused on the lives and work of Iranian elites and entrepreneurs, including people operating inside Iran and members of the Iranian community abroad.

• Competition and entertainment program

  Seven Days and Seven Hours

  A rally-competition format featuring artists from Iran and Lebanon. The production was filmed in both countries and was broadcast during the Iranian New Year programming period in 1397.

• Innovation and social-development program

  Innovators

  A program introducing ideas, research projects, and industrial initiatives developed by young Iranians. Featured subject areas include transportation, automotive and industrial design, medicine, and related creative or technical fields.

• 2014

  Adopted an analytical and cultural public-service formatStrategy

  Background

  The channel was designed as a national service addressing issues related to the Islamic Revolution while also covering Iranian-Islamic lifestyle, social awareness, culture, history, religion, and current affairs.

  Action taken

  Ofogh launched with documentaries, mixed-format programs, animations, clips, and analytical programming, later expanding into political, cultural, social, and economic subjects.

  Aftermath

  The resulting channel identity combined ideological and cultural programming with discussion, interview, documentary, innovation, and entertainment formats.

  Source

• 2014

  Transitioned from Tehran testing to national television serviceProduct launch

  Background

  Ofogh initially operated as an experimental Tehran channel beginning in June 2014.

  Action taken

  The service began national broadcasting in December 2014 and was formally established in February 2015.

  Aftermath

  Ofogh became a national, 24-hour IRIB channel with terrestrial, satellite, and online distribution.

  Source

1. 1IRIB Ofoghen.wikipedia.org
2. 2IRIB Ofogh official websiteofoghtv.ir