After the 1979 Revolution, pop music was banned and completely disappeared from the scene. Many emigrated to foreign countries, especially to Los Angeles in the United States, and many continued to sing in exile. Since then, several popular TV channels and radio stations operate outside the country, aired through various satellites.
These broadcast companies play an important role in promoting and connecting pop artists to living all over the world. In the 1990s, officials of the new government decided to produce and promote a “decent” pop music, in order to compete with the abroad and unofficial sources of Iranian music. Ali Moallem (poet) and Fereydoun Shahbazian (musician) headed a council at the IRIB that supervised the revival of domestic pop music.
