Kambiz Hosseini facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kambiz Hosseini
|
|
|---|---|
Kambiz Hosseini in 2011
|
|
| Born | August 1, 1975 Rasht, Imperial State of Iran
|
| Nationality | Iranian-American |
| Alma mater | Azad University Portland State University |
| Occupation | Playwright, television and radio host, political satirist |
| Known for | Parazit Five in the Afternoon Poletik Paradox (weekly podcasts) |
Kambiz Hosseini (Persian: کامبیز حسینی) was born on August 1, 1975, in Tehran, Iran. He is a famous political satirist, actor, and host for TV and radio. He is known for making people laugh while also talking about serious topics.
Kambiz hosts a podcast series called Paradox on Radio Farda. He also hosted Poletik, a funny news show, and Five in the Afternoon, a weekly podcast about human rights in Iran. From 2009 to 2012, he created and hosted a very popular TV show called Parazit on Voice of America.
Contents
Kambiz Hosseini's Early Life
Kambiz Hosseini grew up in the Iranian cities of Rasht and Mashhad. He studied acting and writing for plays in both Iran and the United States. He has written, directed, and acted in many plays and shows for radio and TV.
In 2000, Hosseini moved to the United States. He eventually settled in Washington D.C.. Before starting Parazit, he worked for Radio Free Europe. He was also an art critic for Voice of America.
Kambiz Hosseini's Career in Media
The Parazit TV Show
Parazit means "Static" in Persian. This name was chosen because the Iranian government often tries to block satellite TV signals. The show quickly became very popular in Iran and among Iranians living abroad.
The Washington Post newspaper called Parazit "The Iranian Daily Show." They also called Kambiz Hosseini the "Jon Stewart of Iran." Jon Stewart hosted a famous American show called "The Daily Show."
In 2011, Kambiz Hosseini even appeared on Jon Stewart's show. Jon Stewart said that Parazit was "like our show, but with real guts." This meant it was brave to make fun of serious topics.
Parazit became one of the most-watched shows on Voice of America. Important guests, like former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, appeared on the show.
Parazit was also very popular online. It had over 1,000,000 fans on Facebook. Its videos online were watched over 1,000,000 times. Because shows like Parazit were so popular, the Iranian government banned websites like Facebook and YouTube. They were worried about people learning more about the government's actions.
Kambiz Hosseini has been featured on many news channels. These include CNN, FOX News, PBS, NPR, PRI, and CBC.
The Five in the Afternoon Podcast
Kambiz Hosseini's weekly podcast is called Five in the Afternoon. It shares news and updates about human rights in Iran. The podcast is in the Persian language.
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran supports and produces the podcast. It started in January 2013. New episodes come out every Friday at 5:00 p.m. Iran time. Kambiz received an award for this podcast. It was called The Reporters Without Borders Award.
Each episode of the show includes a summary of the week's news. It also has funny comments about society. The "last word" part is where Hosseini talks directly to his listeners. Five in the Afternoon also features interviews with important Iranian people. The questions for these interviews often come from his audience on Facebook.
The first podcast by Hosseini was downloaded over 150,000 times. People can listen to the podcast on soundcloud.com every week.
The Poletik News Show
After the huge success of Parazit, Hosseini started a new show. It is a satirical news show called Poletik. This show is based in New York.
Awards and Recognition
Kambiz Hosseini received The Reporters Without Borders User Award. This award honors people who speak up for freedom of expression. It specifically recognizes those who support freedom of information around the world.
I dedicate this award to my audience, who have supported me passionately and constructively from the time I started my career. They are the ones that make this happen and my major source of inspiration and admiration, the people of Iran.
In 2012, Hosseini won a Bronze Medal for Parazit. This was at the New York Festival's Best Television and Films show. Parazit was honored in the comedy and satire group. He also won Voice of America's "Gold Medal Award" for Parazit. This is the highest honor given by the agency.
In 2015, Hosseini received a Silver Award for his Five in the Afternoon radio program. He won this award at the New York Festivals: World's Best Radio Programs. He was recognized as the host and creator of the show.
Activism for Human Rights
Kambiz Hosseini has also spoken up for human rights. On May 11, 2011, he spoke to a special committee in the US Senate. He shared his personal thoughts and asked for better human rights in Iran.
