JORDAN: SPECIAL BBG TRAINING FOCUSES ON BROADCASTING

UNCLAS AMMAN 001518 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/PPD AND NEA/ELA BBG FOR LOU LANTNER, WILLIAM TORREY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGES: OIIP, KPAO, PREL, JO SUBJECT: JORDAN: SPECIAL BBG TRAINING FOCUSES ON BROADCASTING SKILLS AT JRTV ¶1. (U) The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) Office of International Media Training arranged for a one-week workshop June 14-18 on Basic Broadcasting Reporting Skills at the offices of Jordan Radio and Television (JRTV). The training was provided under a ten-year technical support and maintenance agreement between BBG and JRTV, which allocates $50,000 in training programs annually to JRTV through 2017. ¶2. (U) The training was led by William Torrey, Operations Director of BBG's Office of Marketing and Program Placement, and facilitated by Louis Lantner, BBG's Director of International Media Training. Sixteen JRTV employees participated in the workshop held in the station's training facility. Torrey developed training material for the JRTV workshop, drawing upon his radio and television broadcasting career, including as a reporter and news anchor, and his teaching experience at The American University in Washington and other institutions in the greater Washington, DC area. ¶3. (U) Basic Broadcasting Reporting Skills was the stated subject of the seminar, as worked out in advance with JRTV. However, most of the 16 participants wanted more, as they included editors and technicians as well as writers, readers and editors. Torrey modified his material daily, to the appreciation of the participants and the executive leadership of JRTV. ¶4. (U) The penultimate session required the participants to interview one another on video or audiotape. Torrey then demonstrated how to edit the interviews on a laptop computer. Participants applauded after each of the several final packages was presented. ¶5. (SBU) During the weeklong training, Torrey, Lantner, and the JRTV trainees were given an extensive tour of the JRTV campus. Included in the tour was a stop at a JRTV office, staffed by four employees, who noted that their job was to monitor JRTV products for their quality. From their comments, it was clear that the employees were also responsible for reviewing the editorial content. ¶6. (U) THE FUTURE: This training workshop proved to be an important first step on the ground for the expected cooperation and coordination between BBG and JRTV over the next nine years. The two parties are communicating about ways to benefit from the $38,000 remaining in this FY's budget, possibly with a training program in the U.S. and another in Jordan. Visit Embassy Amman's classified website at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ BEECROFT