[custom_adv] Manoto is an international free-to-air Persian language general entertainment channel launched in October 2010, owned by Marjan Television Network. It is based in London and its programs include documentaries, films, series, news and reports. Marjan Television Network was established by Kayvan Abbassi and Marjan Abbassi. [custom_adv] Manoto's funding comes from venture capitalists, according to a 2011 report on human rights and information access in Iran by the Foreign Policy Centre, a UK-based independent think tank. [custom_adv] The report did not name the venture capital firms behind the station. However, many Iranian analysts believe that the channel is promoting Iran's ousted monarchy purposefully. [custom_adv] Kayvan and Marjan Abbassi, the UK-based Iranian couple who launched Manoto 1, in 2010, stay out of the media spotlight. They and other Manoto 1 officials have usually declined to comment for their company and TV channel despite repeated requests for interviews. [custom_adv] Manoto's viewership rates are difficult to determine; however, anecdotal reports about the channel's ubiquitous popularity suggests that it has gained rapidly in market share to rival more established satellite channels like BBC Persian and VOA Persian TV. [custom_adv] According to a BBC report in 2008, these channels may be watched by at least 30 percent of households inside Iran. Iranian TV has suggested Manoto TV is financed by The Pentagon. [custom_adv] Befarmaeed Sham (Befarmāid Ŝām) (English: "Come Dine with Me"), is the Iranian version of the original British cooking show Come Dine with Me, in which participants host dinner parties and compete for the title of best cook and entertainer. [custom_adv] A television presenter (or television host, some become a "television personality") is a person who introduces or hosts television programs, often serving as a mediator for the program and the audience. Nowadays, it is common for people who garnered fame in other fields to take on this role, but some people have made their name solely within the field of presenting—such as children's television series or infomercials—to become television personalities. [custom_adv] Some presenters may double as an actor, model, singer, comedian, etc. Others may be subject matter experts, such as scientists or politicians, serving as presenters for a programme about their field of expertise (for instance, David Attenborough). Some are celebrities who have made their name in one area, then leverage their fame to get involved in other areas. [custom_adv] Examples of this latter group include British comedian Michael Palin who now presents programmes about travel (such as Around the World in 80 Days), and American actor Alan Alda, who presented Scientific American Frontiers for over a decade. [custom_adv] Another example would be American stand-up comedian Joe Rogan, who is a commentator and post-fight interviewer in UFC. Prior to entering politics, former U.S. President Donald Trump served as a presenter for live shows such as Saturday Night Live and his own show The Apprentice, after being famed for his exuberant lifestyle and business finesse.
