Legal Capacity of Broadcasting Privatization in the Islamic Republic of Iran

According to Articles 44 and 175 of the Iranian Constitution and the Parliament’s statutory approach, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) holds the monopoly of broadcasting radio and television programs. This paper examines the privatization capacity of IRIB. The most important obstacles for the realization of such a capacity include the Guardian Council’s interpretation of Articles 44 and 175 of the Iranian Constitution, articles like the Statute of the Organization and Resolutions of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution. However, after having reviewed the mentioned articles and through the analysis of the Guardian Council’s interpretations, the authors came to the conclusion that privatization or at least removing such a monopoly could be possible.