(Contributed by Peter, Annabel & Diamond Bond)

Early on a Saturday evening a convoy of cars, led by Canon Derek, set off for the studios of Sat-7 Pars, one of the family of Sat-7 satellite television channels that broadcast Christian programmes. Sat-7 Pars transmits in Farsi (also called Persian) to an audience in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. As the broadcast is transmitted via fibre optic cable to a satellite in Slovenia anyone with a satellite receiver can watch thus reaching the Farsi speaking diaspora. The programmes are also uploaded to YouTube making them accessible to anyone on the planet with internet access.

We were soon pulling up at the studios after a short journey as they are located in the suburbs of Limassol. Anyone thinking Universal Studios or something similar would certainly be unable to identify the studios of Sat-7 Pars. They are located in an unassuming villa with no outwards sign of what lies within. There is no bristling array of antennae, nor any signs of any satellite dishes.
We were given a very warm welcome by all the staff of the studio. We were there for a guided tour of the studios and also to observe the live airing of their show called Dandelion. A show aimed at an audience with an age range from 15 – 30, although it was noted callers were often outside the age range, indicating the popularity of the programme. The Sat-7 Pars studio also produce other programmes and are kept busy every day. Each member of the Sat-7 Pars staff introduced themselves. Most of the staff is Iranian with a few Europeans assisting on the technical side. Throughout the evening the Sat-7 Pars staff responded to our questions and made the evening interesting for us. The children and a few of the adults appreciated the kind hospitality shown by partaking of a few delicious Iranian sweets.

It was apparent upon entering the studios that great innovation has been exercised in squeezing the various sets and technical equipment into the villa. Not one square inch of space is wasted. The studios are spread over the three floors of the villa. In the basement area, the former garage, there is the “green screen” studio. There we were given a demonstration of how the green screen works. Angelos and Luke stood in front of the green screen and by the wizardry of video technology we saw them transported to standing by a pool and standing outside without their ever moving! We also now know what happens if you wear a green shirt when in front of a green screen. You disappear!

The ground floor of the villa is sectioned into a number of studios where the various programmes are made. The sets are moveable that allows maximum use of the space available. The kitchen area on the ground floor is where the live programmes phone calls are received. On the upper floor is the Director’s station in a room filled with screens and wires. This room is the heart of the operation where the Director controls the camera operators. The studios control all the phases of production, pre-production, the programme itself and post production editing.

Shortly before the staff had to turn their attention to the live programme Canon Derek led us all in prayer for the show, the members of Sat-7 and the audience of the show. As the show time approached we as guests had to melt into the background whilst the activity increased. There was an air of nervous tension in the ten minutes before going on air giving time for a quick rehearsal, testing of the equipment and synchronization of timing. Clearly the timing is most critical for a live show with a countdown to going on air. As soon as the live transmission started the tension eased and each of the staff settled into their jobs with great professionalism. We observed a tight knit team at work who were cool and calm and the hour long live transmission went off without hiccup.

The live programme was hosted by Nikoo who belied her young age by demonstrating the maturity and confidence of a well-seasoned television presenter. She had written her own script for the programme. This show was on the subject of anger management, anger of others and anger in ourselves, and how to deal with situations where there is anger. She made frequent reference to the Bible during the programme. Derek guesses that “never let the sun go down on your anger” in Ephesians may have been one reference, and that the Sermon on the Mount and Proverbs may have been others. It was also a phone in programme with callers from many parts of Iran who described their experiences of meeting anger and dealing with their own anger. The host certainly has to multi task knowing which camera to look at, listening to the Director through an ear piece, responding to phone calls and delivering her script. This would be intimidating for many but seemed to be natural for her.

We all need to remember the sacrifices and courage shown by the Sat-7 Pars team and their audience. The Iranian members of the Sat-7 Pars team will never be able to return to their homeland under the present regime and the audience in Iran has to watch in secrecy. Even ownership of a satellite dish is prohibited and it is dangerous to become a Christian.

Once the live transmission was over you could see that there was a sense of celebration for another successful programme. Truly a very interesting and enlightening evening that was enjoyed by all.

For further information, visit  www.sat7.org.  Sue Smith plans to organize another visit when a live Children’s Show is up and running that would be suitable for members of Junior Church and their families – more information will be available nearer the time.