▁ 7 , ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁the ▁public ▁relations ▁office ▁of ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Int elligence ▁announced ▁the ▁arrest ▁of ▁seven ▁journal ists ▁described ▁as ▁" elements ▁of ▁a ▁counter - re volution ary ▁Z ion ist ▁satellite ▁station " ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁" o fficial ▁pay " ▁of ▁US ▁intelligence ▁organizations . ▁They ▁were ▁later ▁identified ▁as ▁working ▁for ▁the ▁US - fund ed ▁Radio ▁F arda . ▁Radio ▁F arda ' s ▁director , ▁Arm and ▁Most of i , ▁told ▁CNN ▁it ▁has ▁no ▁employees ▁inside ▁Iran . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Radio ▁F arda ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁as ▁a ▁joint ▁effort ▁of ▁R FE / RL ▁and ▁Vo ice ▁of ▁America ▁( VO A ). ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁the ▁Broadcast ing ▁Board ▁of ▁Govern ors ▁( BB G ) ▁decided ▁to ▁cons olid ate ▁all ▁of ▁Radio ▁F arda ' s ▁operations ▁under ▁R FE / RL . ▁Then ▁in ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁R FE / RL ▁assumed ▁sole ▁responsibility ▁for ▁all ▁Radio ▁F arda ▁programming . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁Radio ▁F arda ' s ▁S MS ▁system , ▁Facebook ▁and ▁Twitter ▁profiles ▁were ▁launched . ▁F arda ' s ▁audience ▁sends ▁thousands ▁of ▁voice , ▁text ▁and ▁e - mail ▁messages ▁and ▁comments ▁frequently ▁on ▁the ▁website ▁and ▁Facebook ▁page . ▁Radio ▁F arda ▁Facebook ▁page ▁has ▁over ▁ 2 5 , 0 0 0 ▁friends . ▁ ▁Following