Reza Ghotbi

Reza Ghotbi (Persian: رضا قطبی; full name Abdorreza Ghotbi Gilani, Iranian; 5 April 1938 – 26 August 2024) was a mathematician and telecommunications engineer who led the National Iranian Radio and Television from 1967-1978 during the reign of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.^[1]

Early life and education

A fervent nationalist from early childhood, while attending Firouzkouhi primary school, Ghotbi joined the grassroots Pan-Iranist movement (but not the Party) at age 11, a year prior to what the regulations allowed. A fervent admirer of Prime Minister Mosaddeq while also wholly devoted to the Shah, the feud between the two turned Ghotbi off politics altogether. By age 15, his focus was on his studies at Alborz High School, and sports and scouting. After high school, he left for France where he graduated in mathematics and telecommunications from the Ecole Centrale and the Telecom Paris. Once back in Tehran, Ghotbi married Shahrzad Afshar in 1968. The couple had two children.

Career

Ghotbi taught mathematics at the Aryamehr University of Technology (renamed Sharif University post-revolution). He was then retained by the Plan Organization (Sazman-e Barnameh) and assigned to develop a blueprint for establishing a national Iranian television. He intended to pursue his passion for mathematics at MIT in the United States after his assignment was completed but was asked to stay and lead the just established National Iranian Television (NITV). In 1971, NITV merged with Radio Iran to become the National Iranian Radio and Television (NIRT). From the start, Ghotbi recruited young and promising professionals and had them trained in media and technology. In a short time, he also built a television network that covered most provinces across the country. With a roster of highly qualified teams of experts on hand, and extensive educational and entertaining programs, NIRT quickly evolved into the prime broadcasting network in the region.

Within a year of the founding of NITV, Ghotbi was also asked to form the annual Shiraz Arts Festival under the patronage of Shahbanou Farah Pahlavi that was held from 1967-1977, and in later years, the Tous Festival in Mashhad and Festival-e Farhang-e Mardom (Festival of popular culture) in Esfahan.

Reza Ghotbi also established numerous research and production entities in association with NITV. These included Gorouh-e pazhouhesh-e Iran Zamin (Iran Research Group), Markaz-e hefz va esha'e-ye musiqi-ye Iran (Center for the Preservation and Propagation of Iranian Music), Madresseh-ye āli-ye cinema va television (College of Cinema and Television), Kargah-e musiqi-ye koodakan va nojavanan (Music Workshop for Children and Young Adults), Kargah-e nemayesh (Theater Workshop), Majalleh-ye Tamasha (Tamasha magazine), Entesharat-e Soroush (Soroush Publishing), and TelFilm, amongst others.

As the head of NIRT and the Shiraz Arts Festival, Ghotbi characteristically defied efforts by the security apparatus SAVAK to impose censorship in programming and hiring. Twice, he felt compelled to submit his resignnation to the prime minister on that account; his request was denied both times, affirming his position. His final resignation was accepted in 1978 shortly before Prime Minister Amouzegar was replaced by Jafar Sharif-Emami.

Later years

Ghotbi left Iran several months after the victory of the 1979 Islamic revolution. He resided in Paris for some years before settling in the United States^[2] but eventually moved back to Paris to be close to his children and grandchildren.

Ghotbi died of cancer in Paris on 26 August 2024 at age 86.^[3][4]