The Iranian parliament has decided to lift the largely ineffective seven-year ban on satellite dishes, allowing public access to most foreign television channels. The bill is now pending the approval of the Islamic republic’s Guardian Council, before entering into force.
While the reformist MPs insisted the measure meant to allow the state to regulate the inevitable encroachment of Western broadcasts, hardliners said it would "legalize sin," reported AP. Currently there are approximately half a million illegal satellite dishes in Tehran alone, and as many as two million stationed throughout the country, according to unofficial estimates. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
