Campaign’s Five in the Afternoon Wins Major International Radio Award
Human Rights Show Takes Silver Trophy at Prestigious NY Festival’s World’s Best Radio Programs Awards
June 23, 2015—The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran’s weekly radio show, Five in the Afternoon, won a Silver Medal at the celebrated New York Festival International Radio Program Awards on June 22, 2015. The award was given jointly to the Campaign and to Radio Farda, which broadcasts the weekly satirical human rights program.
“Five in the Afternoon shows that the call for human rights can be delivered with wit, intelligence, and joie de vivre,” said Hadi Ghaemi, Executive Director of the Campaign, “and when it is, it reaches millions.”
The Persian-language show covers the week’s human rights news and issues, and is delivered via the unique and irreverent voice of master political satirist Kambiz Hosseini. The show’s mission is to provide an alternative voice on human rights that can challenge the state-controlled media in Iran and expose the government’s widespread rights abuses.
Produced in New York by the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, the show is specifically designed to reach the people of Iran. It is broadcast over Radio Farda and posted online via social media networks, where it has reached millions of listeners in Iran.
“As you know, dictatorships do not tolerate much political, economic or artistic freedom but among all, the satire is harshly censored. And when it comes to criticizing leaders of a dictatorship in the language of satire, it is downright forbidden,” said Armand Mostofi, Director of Radio Farda, the Iran service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
“Five in the Afternoon is an exquisite political satire show,” Mostofi continued, “focusing on human rights; and Iranians, the target audience of this program, are very much fond of this type of show. Radio Farda is proud to cooperate with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran in carrying its valuable product on its waves and networks and delivering it to Iran and Iranians all over the world.”
Five in the Afternoon’s Silver Medal was awarded in the Category for “Best Regularly Scheduled Comedy Program.”
The New York Festival’s International Radio Program Awards for The World’s Best Radio Programs honors radio programming in formats by radio stations, networks and independent producers from around the globe.
