| Network Name: | VOA Persian |
| Country: | United States |
| Owner: | U. S. federal government |
| Parent: | Voice of America |
| Language: | Persian |
| Website: | Official website |
| Established: | July 2003 |
| Launch Date: | 18 October 1994 (TV) 22 November 1979 (Radio) |
| Servicename1: | Budget |
| Headquarters: | Washington, D.C. |
| Service1: | $23.78 million (FY2010) |
| Former Names: | VOA Persia Service |
Voice of America Persian News Network (VOA-PNN) is a governmental international broadcaster of the United States of America in Persian language. Its headquarters are in Washington D.C. It started to broadcast its programs on 18 October 1994 with a one-hour television program. Its radio programs started on 22 November 1979 with 30 minutes broadcasting per day.
The first manager of the VOA-PNN was Ahmadreza Baharloo. Later managers were Kambiz Mohammadi, Shila Ganji, Behrouz Abbassi, Behrouz Souresrafil, James Glassman, Hida Fouladvand and Ramin Asgard. The current manager of the VOA-PNN is Setareh Derakhshesh.[1]
As of July 2007, VOA-PNN broadcast 1 hour of radio programming a day, 7 hours a day of original programming for television, and a website.
In April 2007, VOA-PNN conducted a phone interview with Abdolmalek Rigi, the leader of Jundallah (which was later designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2010 by the U.S.) and introduced him as the leader of the "popular resistance movement". Following the event, Iran accused the U.S. of supporting terrorists by giving them the opportunity to speak. The New York Times Magazine quoted Mehdi Khalaji as "[VOA administrators] do not seem to be able to distinguish between journalism and propaganda. If you host the head of Jondollah and call him a freedom fighter or present a Voice of America run by monarchists, Iranians are going to stop listening". The act resembled the "hallmark of ideological objectivity" in VOA, and was criticized as an "irresponsible American embrace of violent regime change", according to Suzanne Maloney.