Please, shortly introduce yourself

I am Mohammad Zeinali, a graduate Telecommunications Electronics engineer, and Media Manager. I received a degree in Media Management from IRIB University.

What stimulate you to launch the Esteghlal Club network?

Before I decided to start Esteghlal Network, for 4 years, I have been the owner and manager of a media, and I have already run 2 TV channels in the field of industry and cooperation. We suggested that through a TV channel, the club could make a lot of money and becomes independent.

That time, Mr. Fathi was the CEO of Esteghlal Club, who put this proposal into consideration, and subsequently, I started my activity as the TV manager of Esteghlal Club, however, I have invested over 6 billion Tomans until the club’s TV channel was being brought up. Through this TV network that I have set up for Esteghlal Club, I have been so much experienced. First, I got familiarized with that kind of sport and well, I became a big fan of the club. This interest deepened my experiences, for example, what happens in the field of sports and how the media can help the club.

Can you tell us more about the monopoly of your job, technical issues, etc.?

At the time when launching the network, Esteghlal Club had a contract with Irancell, and the channel contents were broadcasted through the Irancell lens, but we were handling the infrastructure and sending the signal to Irancell lens and contents were then broadcasted from Irancell lens, but all services including Nodal and a studio were in our hand, and just after a year, we aired the channel on our own.

During that time, we had a TV program on the air every day. Once the scene and broadcast directors, the stage secretary, and the cameraman are absent, many kinds of problems may occur, and we feel the lack of manpower. Because I was very interested in my job and I was a technician, somehow, it made me pursue each of these jobs and receive professional training, which means that I can boldly say that it is very rare for a person to be qualified in media management, and be a media manager and at the same time can professionally perform photography, directing, sound recording, editing, etc.

In the network organization, the technical part is very important, that you can spread broadcasting systems through the Internet. I have learned the technical part and hosting servers from my friends and I could perform the preservation and other parts of the work on my own. I was able to be a better manager by having wide control over all the details of the job, and a good manager should have vast knowledge and be able to provide the right services. For instance, a photographer is not likely to do some photography that I can recognize its flaws.

How do you see the position of the Esteghlal network in the next ten years?

To answer this question, if Esteghlal Club is transferred to the private sector, I think the club network will reach a better position. This club has many fans, several million fans from inside and outside the country, and there is a content production network which is crucial. What’s more, is the user who wants to see the TV program, so the network of Esteghlal Club can go much better with a lot of progress, which, of course, can be welcomed by the managers and authorities of the club.

If you were to go back in time, would you still make the same decision about your future?
Yes, if I am pushed back to the past, I would start doing the same thing again, because I love the work related to media and I understand the media adequately. I worked on it for many years, and my first participation in a live TV show was 20 years ago. I have allocated all these 2 decades for media and had a close connection with it, so I studied media management and gradually became interested in other relevant aspects.

As the last words…

I haven’t experienced the stress that I tolerated in media management in any of the related works, as you know I am also a pilot, however, in that, I have not endured as many stresses as in the work of media management. those who have worked at a wide range know that live programs are so risky and very difficult.

What I want to say is that art and media are no simple jobs and I suggest that those who are interested in this field step in and work on a trial basis with an agent so that if that initial excitement vanished, and yet they had the interest and courage, then enter the field.

But when they pursue and study higher education, they think that it is not demanding, because they didn’t have any experience in working before. But when they start their career, the rough conditions make them tired. I believe that they should first get rid of their excitement as an intern, and if they are still interested in pursuing this job, then good luck to them.