An investment from In-Q-Tel led Hoffman's company, which makes software that analyzes foreign-language texts, to expand to Middle Eastern languages, and it now does business with a variety of federal agencies, including the NSA. He says that IQT is also well regarded in Silicon Valley because of its successful investing track record.

FORBES: Business In The Beltway

EST, it will become the first station to broadcast an English-language, 24-hour news channel from the Middle East, which it says will be watched in 80 million cable households.

FORBES: Al Jazeera In English

Besides BBC Persian, satellite channels include MBC Persia and Farsi1, which airs local-language versions of entertainment shows like "Malcolm in the Middle" and which is half-owned by News Corp.

WSJ: Censorship Inc.: In Skies Over Iran, a Battle for Control of Satellite TV