This reality poses an existential question for the IRIB leadership, many of whom still operate with a cold-war mentality, investing billions of tomans in a state media machine increasingly out of sync with its audience.
Zarghami’s Public Mea Culpa — A Sign of Change?
Ezzatollah Zarghami, former IRIB chief and a key figure in the organization’s modern history, added fuel to the debate when he publicly admitted to past mistakes in his policies and decisions. Reflecting on his stance against Marzieh Boroumand’s film “Sweet Jam”, which he once criticized as subversive, Zarghami stated in 1404:
“I was wrong. My opinion has changed.”
His rare self-criticism was seen by many as an acknowledgment of deeper systemic problems within the IRIB — from political rigidity to creative censorship.
The Bikini Controversy — A Symbol of Institutional Disarray
Perhaps nothing illustrated the IRIB’s internal contradictions better than the “Bikini Controversy” of Farvardin 1404. During a broadcast on the IRIB’s Salamat (Health) Network, a documentary inadvertently showed women in bikinis on a beach — a scene sharply at odds with the Islamic Republic’s broadcasting norms.
Though quickly attributed to a technical oversight, the incident became a lightning rod for jokes and criticism, particularly as it coincided with sensitive Iran-US negotiations in Muscat. The affair highlighted a deeper truth: the IRIB’s sprawling bureaucracy and inconsistent supervision often lead to mistakes that erode its credibility even among loyal audiences.