On the night of January 8, 2026, the Islamic Republic fully shut down the internet, severed communication channels, and turned Iran into an islanded slaughterhouse. In the wake of a massacre on a scale that shocks even by the standards of the regime’s own bloody record, with thousands killed and tens of thousands arrested by many reports, the blackout did more than silence people. It imposed isolation, cutting off millions from one another and from the outside world.
To bring some light into this digital darkness and to break the imposed isolation, Radio Zamaneh made a decision that is both practical and deeply political: to return to radio.
This was more necessary than ever because this blackout has gone further than previous ones. In earlier shutdowns, the national intranet often remained available, allowing limited access to some domestic services and basic financial transactions. This time, even that channel was cut. In many places, landlines, SMS, and mobile networks were also shut down, pushing the country into a near-complete communications freeze.
Returning to the airwaves
The decision was made with urgency. A few days after the blackout, on Wednesday, January 14, 2026 (24 Dey 1404), colleagues in Amsterdam agreed that contact with people inside Iran had to be restored as quickly as possible. Two days later, it was clear the plan could be carried out. The first official broadcast went on air on Tuesday night, January 20, 2026 (30 Dey 1404).
Every night, Radio Zamaneh goes on air for 30 minutes. It opens with a curated selection of the day’s most important news, then turns to one feature drawn from our reporting on the ongoing uprisings, and closes with brief analysis.
How to listen
Since then, Radio Zamaneh has been broadcasting a nightly 30-minute news and analysis bulletin for audiences inside Iran, followed immediately by one repeat broadcast. The regular schedule is:
• Shortwave (SW), 49-meter band, 6010 kHz
• Every night at 23:00 Iran time (GMT +3:30), with a replay right after until 00:00
This bulletin is also available through Toosheh, the satellite-based distribution network, on the Yahsat satellite, frequency 11766, another route built for moments exactly like this, when the state tries to turn distance into a wall.
A signal that still reaches
The shutdown brought Zamaneh back to the oldest and most resilient form of connection: the airwaves. When access is taken away, the task is simple. Find another way to reach audiences. Returning as an independent radio signal in the middle of a blackout means refusing the regime’s basic wager: that if it can cut cables and block platforms, it can also cut relationships, break attention, and control what is real in its war over narrative.
One former political prisoner recently described this blackout as a form of solitary confinement, with one crucial difference. This time, the punishment is collective.
Zamaneh is back to carry news and analysis, to reflect your voices, and to insist that the wall of censorship will not hold. One message we received captured the point in a single line. A listener in Qom told Zamaneh’s colleagues they could hear Radio Zamaneh at night during the blackout. Proof that the air still travels, and that connection can be rebuilt even under pressure.
When the internet goes dark, Radio Zamaneh goes on air.
_____________________________________________________________________________
How can you help?
Under Law on Intensifying Punishments for Espionage and Cooperation with the Zionist Regime and Hostile States against National Security and Interests, approved on June 2025, anyone who cooperates with Radio Zamaneh, shares their work, or even sends them information can face criminal prosecution. It’s a direct attempt to cut off the flow of information between Iran and the outside world, and to isolate the people who still trust them enough to speak to this exiled newsroom.
This is exactly the moment independent journalism either gets funded, or gets silenced. Being named a threat by a government that fears accountability is a confirmation that their work matters. If you’re able to, please consider a donation today to help them protect their sources and keep reporting no matter what list they put them on.
_____________________________________________________________________________
This article was originally published by Zamaneh and is republished on NEMO’s blog with the appropriate permission. For more in-depth coverage of Iran, visit Zamaneh’s English-language website and subscribe to their weekly newsletter to stay up to date with their reporting.