Photo: Douglas Wissing
Cultivating Afghanistan follows the Indiana National Guard’s Agribusiness Development Team, or ADT. In one segment, the ADT is in Taliban country to oversee one of its projects.
Bloomington, IND.) – November 16, 2010 – WFIU-radio received its second Spectrum Award from the Indiana Broadcasters Association (IBA) for Mini-Documentary or Series – Market Three. The award was given for the radio/online series Cultivating Afghanistan. Stories can be heard online at http://indianapublicmedia.org/news/cultivating-afghanistan/ WFIU had already received a Spectrum Award in 2009 for the first part of the Cultivating Afghanistan series.
Cultivating Afghanistan was a partnership WFIU spearheaded combining the resources of several IU departments, WFIU radio and online media, and writer Douglas Wissing. The departments included the Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center, IU’s Office of the Vice President for International Affairs, and Center for Languages of the Central Asian Region (CeLCAR). Author and journalist Douglas Wissing wrote and co-produced the series. Cultivating Afghanistan was edited by WFIU News Director Stan Jastrzebski with assistance from Assistant News Director Daniel Robison.
Douglas Wissing had extraordinary behind-the-scenes access as he covered the Indiana National Guard’s 1-19th Agribusiness Development Team (ADT) pursuing their dangerous mission in Khost Province, one of the Afghan-Pakistani border region’s most dangerous hotspots.
WFIU Station Manager Christina Kuzmych writes, “Both Cultivating Afghanistan series were a rare opportunity for WFIU, which doesn’t have the resources to send reporters overseas. Our supporters made it possible to launch this series and make it available to Indiana listeners.”
Each year the Indiana Broadcasters Association (IBA) recognizes superior performance and broadcast excellence with the Spectrum Award. Established as a venue for honoring professionals on the ‘front line’ of the broadcast industry, the Spectrum Award has become a highly coveted distinction among Hoosier broadcasters and is widely regarded as the state’s highest honor for broadcasters.
About WFIU
WFIU—Public Radio from Indiana University—broadcasts in Bloomington at 103.7 fm, with translators in Columbus at 100.7 fm, French Lick/West Baden at 101.7 fm, Greensburg at 98.9 fm, Kokomo at 106.1 fm, and Terre haute at 95.1 fm. WFIU is an NPR member station offering local and national news as well as Jazz and Classical Music.
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