Manoto 1

Manoto
Manoto TV official logo
Launched	October 28, 2010
Owned by	Marjan Television Network Ltd.
Picture format	16:9 (576i, SDTV), HD,720i
Country	Iran United Kingdom
Language	Persian English
Broadcast area	Europe, Northern Africa & Middle East (including Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan)
Affiliates	Manoto 2 (closed in June 2011)
Headquarters	London
Website	manototv.com
Availability
Satellite
Hotbird 13D	11137-H-27500-3/4
Eutelsat 7B	10721-H-22000-3/4

Manoto (Persian: من و تو Manoto‎‎, English: You and I) is an international free-to-air Persian language general entertainment channel launched in October 2010 that is owned by Marjan Television Network, which was established by Kayvan Abbassi and Marjan Abbassi. It is based in London and its programs include documentaries, films, series, news and reports.

Manoto's viewership rates are difficult to determine; however, anecdotal reports about the channel's ubiquitous popularity suggests that it has gained rapidly in market share to rival more established satellite channels like BBC Persian and VOA Persian TV. According to a BBC report in 2008, these channels may be watched by at least 30 percent of households inside Iran.

Manoto's funding comes from venture capitalists, according to a 2011 report on human rights and information access in Iran by the Foreign Policy Centre, a UK-based independent think tank. The report did not name the venture capital firms behind the station. However, many Iranian analysts believe that the channel is promoting Iran's ousted monarchy purposefully.

Kayvan and Marjan Abbassi, the UK-based Iranian couple who launched Manoto 1, in 2010, stay out of the media spotlight. They and other Manoto 1 officials have usually declined to comment for their company and TV channel despite repeated requests for interviews.

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