This study adopts a documentary research approach to examine the establishment and development of radio and television facilities operated by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) in Isfahan, from the pre-revolutionary period to the inauguration of the Isfahan Provincial Television Network. It traces the establishment, relocation, and expansion of IRIB facilities within Isfahan’s historical urban context and examines their role in extending public broadcasting services and producing media content relevant to local and regional audiences. The study draws on official documents, historical reports, archival materials, and expert interviews.
The findings indicate that Isfahan’s first radio station was established in 1328 SH at the Officers’ Club on Ostandari Street. It was subsequently relocated to Farahabad Barracks, Shamsabadi Street, and Azar Street. The establishment of transmission facilities at Marshinan in 1354 SH, Habibabad in 1361 SH, and Kuh-e Panjeh in 1373 SH transformed Isfahan’s broadcasting infrastructure from a centralized urban system into a geographically distributed regional network. Following the Islamic Revolution, the Khaju complex, formerly the site of the wool-spinning and weaving factory, was repurposed as a center for IRIB’s broadcasting and production activities. The conceptual analysis identifies three principal factors that shaped the spatial distribution of these facilities: the securitization of space, the transition from industrial to media use, and regionalization.
Extended abstract
As an influential institution in cultural and social transformation, provincial broadcasting has played a significant role in expanding public access to information and producing media content relevant to local audiences. Adopting a documentary research approach, this study examines the sites, buildings, and transmission and broadcasting facilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) in Isfahan, from the pre-revolutionary period to the inauguration of the Isfahan Provincial Television Network. It traces the historical development and spatial expansion of IRIB facilities in Isfahan and analyzes their contribution to the dissemination of information and the development of local and regional programming. The significance of this subject lies in the fact that broadcasting facilities are not merely physical spaces housing technical equipment; they also embody the political, social, and technological transformations and power relations that have shaped different historical periods. Accordingly, the study addresses the following central research question: How did IRIB facilities in Isfahan emerge, relocate, and expand over time, and what factors shaped the selection of their locations?
Material and method
This study employs a documentary and historical research approach. Data were collected from multiple sources, including official documents held by the National Library and Archives of Iran (Sākmā), the archives of the Isfahan Provincial Broadcasting Center, historical reports, library resources, and oral interviews with former experts and managers of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). The documentary sources examined include a report on the installation of loudspeakers by the British Consulate on Chaharbagh-e Abbasi Street (1322 SH); a document recording the renaming of the General Department of Publications and Propaganda as the General Department of Information and Radio; a document concerning the prevention of police radio operations (1330 SH); documents relating to the relocation of studios; records concerning the acquisition of the Pashm-Baf factory; and documents pertaining to the transfer of land and buildings to IRIB. In addition, interviews were conducted with technical engineers, legal experts, and retired IRIB managers, with relevant interview material cited in the main text. The data were analyzed through chronological reconstruction and conceptual analysis of places, guided by the concepts of centralization, the securitization of space, the transition from industrial to media use, and regionalization.
Findings
The findings indicate that Isfahan’s first radio broadcasting unit was established in 1328 SH at the Officers’ Club on Ostandari Street. Its programs were transmitted via a 75-kilowatt transmitter operated by the Isfahan Army Division. Following the coup d’état of 28 Mordad 1332 SH, Radio Isfahan’s studio was relocated to the Farahabad military barracks. In 1333 SH, it was moved again, this time to a site housing wireless communication equipment. In Farvardin 1337 SH, a rented house on Shamsabadi Street, formerly known as Shahnaz Street and located adjacent to Sina Hospital, was designated to accommodate the various departments of the General Department of Publications and Radio. In 1339 SH, the Endowments Administration allocated a plot of land on Taj Alley, off Azar Street, to Radio Isfahan. A new building was subsequently constructed on the site, comprising a radio studio, four administrative offices, and twelve residential rooms. In 1337 SH, a 1-kilowatt medium-wave transmitter was installed on Bozorgmehr Street, extending Radio Isfahan’s daily broadcasting schedule to six hours.
In 1341 SH, new studios equipped with Ampex recording equipment and a 10-kilowatt transmitter began operating, extending daily broadcasting time to sixteen hours. In 1350 SH, radio and television services were merged to form the National Iranian Radio and Television (NIRT). During this period, a plot of land at the site of present-day Saadi Park, formerly known as Kourosh Park, was allocated for the construction of a broadcasting facility after being transferred to the broadcasting organization by the incumbent mayor.
In 1352 SH, Isfahan Television began broadcasting its Second Channel using a 50-watt transmitter operating on Channel 8. The signal was relayed through the Oil Company’s microwave link, which connected the sites at Darvazeh Shiraz and the sugar factory. In 1354 SH, the Marshinan station was established approximately 100 kilometers east of Isfahan in cooperation with the Air Force. The transmitters serving the First and Second Television Channels were subsequently relocated to this station. In 1357 SH, two 5-kilowatt transmitters were installed at Marshinan. Following the 1979 Revolution, the Habibabad transmitter was commissioned in 1360 SH, and a medium-wave radio station was established there in 1361 SH. On 16 Dey 1373 SH, the Kuh-e Panjeh station became operational with 2-kilowatt transmitters.
The present-day building of the Isfahan Provincial Broadcasting Center, located on Chaharbagh-e Khaju Street, formerly housed the Isfahan Wool Spinning and Weaving Factory, commonly known as the Pashm-Baf factory, which was established in 1314 SH. The factory went bankrupt during the 1340s SH. In 1349 SH, NIRT won the auction to acquire the factory complex, and the final deed of ownership transfer was executed on 23 Khordad 1356 SH.
Following the Islamic Revolution, the entrance to the factory was taken over by the Construction Jihad Organization (Jahād-e Sāzandegī). In 1361 SH, following mediation by the provincial governor’s office, the northern section of the site was transferred to the broadcasting organization in the first phase of the handover. On 3 Azar 1362 SH, the entire complex was transferred to the organization. The transport unit and the maintenance units responsible for television and FM transmitters were the first departments to relocate to the Khaju complex. The radio production unit was subsequently moved from Azar Street, followed by the television production units.
Discussion and conclusion
A conceptual analysis of the sites occupied by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) in Isfahan reveals that these locations reflect the city’s political, social, and technological transformations over the past century. The gradual relocation of broadcasting facilities—from the Officers’ Club and Farahabad Barracks to Azar Street and Saadi Park, and ultimately to the Khaju complex—illustrates their progressive integration into the urban fabric and the transition from military-controlled spaces to civilian broadcasting facilities.
Security considerations, particularly in the aftermath of the coup d’état of 28 Mordad 1332 SH and during the Iran–Iraq War, were among the principal factors shaping the location and relocation of IRIB facilities. The establishment of transmission stations in the elevated areas of Marshinan and Kuh-e Panjeh, together with the use of Habibabad as a refuge for personnel during the war, underscores the importance assigned to physical security and communications security in the development of Isfahan’s provincial broadcasting network.
The conversion of the former Pashm-Baf factory into the Khaju complex illustrates the transition from industrial to media use, transforming a bankrupt industrial facility into a center for broadcasting production and transmission. This transformation also reflects the complex power dynamics between state institutions and organizations established during the early post-revolutionary years. The establishment of transmission stations at Marshinan, Habibabad, and Kuh-e Panjeh marked a turning point in the development of broadcasting in Isfahan, extending signal coverage beyond the urban center to reach wider regional audiences. This expansion reflected a broader coverage strategy aimed at reaching the largest possible population across Isfahan Province and neighboring provinces. It also coincided with the division of Iran into eight technical regions in 1355 SH, indicating the emergence of a more systematic approach to the geographical organization of broadcasting at the national level.
Taken together, the sites associated with broadcasting in Isfahan—from the installation of the first loudspeaker at the British Consulate on Chaharbagh-e Abbasi Street to the extensive Khaju complex—provide valuable insights into the region’s political, social, and technological history. Tracing this historical trajectory can inform urban planners and media administrators in planning future facilities that respond to local identities and foster stronger connections between broadcasting institutions and the public.