Announcing the changes, Mr. Iraj Gorgin, the Editor of the Prague-based Radio Azadi, or Freedom in Farsi, said Radio Farda would operate on a 24 hours a day, seven days a week, beaming to Iran and aimed primarily at attracting young Iranian listeners.

RFE/RL started its programmes in Persian in October 1998 with a meagre half an hour daily service, amidst strong opposition from the ruling authorities of the Islamic Republic, denouncing it as a "CIA plot" aimed at destabilising the Iranian theocracy in the one hand and scepticism, if not suspicions from many Iranian intellectuals and political analysts for any success on the other.

Due to an otherwise unexpected success, RFE/RL’s decision-makers increased the programmes to two and then to five hours a day, divided between a variety of programmes, from economy to science, new technologies to health, political round tables and music, of course.

Despite an official order banning Iranians to talk to Radio Azadi, the service, enlisting experienced Iranian correspondents in major capitals of the world and a dynamic, young staff in Prague, assisted by some veteran journalists, quickly enjoyed the co-operation of an impressive number of Iranian scholars, academics, intellectuals, artists and journalists both at home and abroad.

U.S. officials said their idea is to bring in an audience of Iranians under the age of 30 and to present America in an unbiased light that, over time, may improve attitudes toward U.S. policies.

The idea is based on "Radio Sawa", a U.S.-funded broadcast in Arabic, which U.S. officials say have won a strong following in the Middle East since they began in March but which some listeners like more for the music than for the news.

"This is a part of the world where we can't lead with policy and expect people to tune in ... because our policies are unpopular", said Norman Pattiz, a broadcasting executive who serves on the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) that oversees U.S.-funded radio broadcasts, including Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, Radio Sawa and Radio Farda, a joint effort of RFE/RL and the Voice of America (VOA).

"But if we lead with something that is attractive to an audience, and we use proven broadcast techniques and research ... then we can deliver a large audience to our news and public diplomacy message", he added.

Pattiz said Radio Farda's news would not be slanted and he argued a dispassionate presentation of U.S. policy would, over time, get a hearing from a population that now gets a "skewed" view of American policy from largely state-controlled media.

At first, the idea was to duplicate Radio Sawa, (Together, in Arabic), which broadcast 90 per cent of music against ten dedicated to news and information, but a survey showed a great differences between Iranian and Arab demands, particularly when the young generation is the target.

Radio Farda broadcasts will be available on medium wave (AM), short-wave, digital-audio satellite, and via the Internet. Until Radio Farda begins its programs, the RFE/RL frequencies will be used for 30-minute newscasts and 2 1/2 hours of music, Mr. Gorgin indicated. ENDS RADIO FARDA 21202