BOMD provides training in two disciplines of study: Broadcast Maintenance and Broadcast Operations.

Broadcast Maintenance. In the field of Broadcast Maintenance, BOMD conducts three courses of instruction.

The Basic Television Equipment Maintenance Course (BTVEM), which now includes the formerly separate Electronic Fundamentals Course (EFC), provides entry-level instruction on the basic principles of electronics and the critical maintenance and repair skills for all aspects of television systems. The initial portion of the course covers the fundamentals of DC and AC circuits, solid-state devices, transistor amplifiers, basic and advanced digital circuits, and circuit and connector fabrication. The rest of the course then continues with fundamentals of television, use of test equipment, and maintenance and repair of monitors, receivers, cameras, audio systems, video tape recorders, broadcast studio equipment, computer-embedded systems, and radio and television transmitters, to include a field training exercise that tests these skills in a simulated forward-deployed environment.

Broadcast Operations.  In the field of Broadcast Operations, BOMD trains officer and enlisted active duty, Reserve, and National Guard and civilian students in three distinct disciplines - Broadcast Writing and Announcing Skills, Radio Operations, and Video Operations - through five courses of instruction.

The Basic Combat Correspondent (BCC) is offered in two versions: BCC-60 for Army students and BCC for all other services. It provides the knowledge and skills needed for broadcast journalists to support public affairs journalism, visual information video, and broadcast missions throughout the Armed Forces, training students to assume the roles of military broadcasters in AFN outlets, and on ship, post, base or station public affairs offices and visual information production offices. The course provides instruction in the theory and principles of external and internal information, release of information to the public, research methods, detailed and complex instruction in radio and video operations, broadcast writing, voice and diction and the use and practical operation of the electronic news gathering system during both peace and wartime missions. Army students attend the 60-day BCC-60 while Air Force, Navy, and Marines students attend the 77-day BCC. Air Force students must pass a voice audition as a prerequisite for attendance. For more information, please see the paragraph on voice auditions below.

The Electronic Journalism Course (EJC) is an entry-level introduction to Electronic Journalism. It places emphasizes on training the principles and techniques needed to produce television news stories. Students learn broadcast writing, interviewing techniques, storytelling strategies, shot composition, video sequencing, camera operations, lighting and editing

The Intermediate Electronic Journalism Course (IEJC) provides advanced storytelling training. The student is immersed in the components of effective storytelling including shot composition, use of natural sound, working with audio, color temperature, light control, direction, and effect lighting, broadcast writing, and nonlinear editing strategies that allow the student to apply theory into compelling stories. Mastery of basic camera operations, nonlinear editing and broadcast writing is required of potential students who should have at least one year of recent electronic news gathering experience prior to the course start date. All graded exercises are shot in the greater Washington, DC - Baltimore area and students will find their own stories.

The Broadcast Management Course (BMC) provides the student with the knowledge and skills needed to perform duties as a broadcast manager at a DMA affiliate. Students learn about station administration and organization, broadcast law, ethics, personnel management, support agreements and working with commanders at all levels to support the commander's internal information mission. Students receive briefings from Defense Media Activity leadership who cover policy and regulatory requirements as they relate to station operation, program acquisition, distribution, and contingency operations. Individuals slated for an assignment as an Operations Manager, Maintenance Chief, or Station Manager or Detachment Chief at an AFN station and those assigned to senior leadership positions within a Broadcast Operations Detachment or Mobile Public Affairs Detachment are ideal candidates for course attendance.

The following five training videos cover the basics of the electronic journalism craft. You will need Windows Media Player to view them.

• Foundations of Photojournalism (27.5MB) This is the cornerstone of the set and covers the basics, including shot composition, aesthetics, sequences, audio collection, steady video and other priciples that are considered the building blocks for shooters and editors.
• Start to Finish (15.9 MB) In this video we segment the process of how to tell a story.. from start to finish. What makes a story good and how to approach it.
• Axis and Continuity (11.3MB) What is the 180 degree rule? In this video, we discuss what the axis is and how to maintain continuity in screen direction.
• Lighting (11.9 MB) Let there be light! Yes, light can be a great thing, and you should not fear lighting for the video - you should embrace it! This project revisits the purpose of light, color, temperature and effect lighting so lighting can be fun and easy for everyone.
• Depth of Field (12.8 MB) What is it? We look at things that affect Depth of Field. Like camera to subject distance as well as where your aperture is set. We also explore some of the tools on the camera that allow you to affect the Aperature.

Voice Auditions ensure prospective students can be trained as broadcast announcers in the limited time available during DINFOS training. All Air Force broadcast candidates - active duty, National Guard or reserve - must pass a Voice Audition before they can be enrolled in the Basic Combat Correspondent Course (BCC or BCC-60). Since the audition is an official academic prerequisite and cannot be self-administered, recruiters, PA specialists, or retraining NCOs must contact the Broadcast Operations and Maintenance Department Academic Director by email or by phone at (301) 677-3188, DSN 622-3188 or (301) 677-4464, DSN 622-4464 for the DINFOS Voice Audition script.

For information on how to submit a Voice Audition, download the DINFOS Voice Audition Letter of Instruction. For guidance on how to record an audition, listen to the DINFOS Voice Audition audio instructions. Please contact DINFOS if you have questions about either.

BOMD uses "The DINFOS Broadcast Writing Style Guide" to highlight several key broadcast writing principles. The DINFOS guide is based on a number of broadcast texts, most notably Merv Block's "Writing Broadcast News--Shorter, Sharper, Stronger." To provide comments on the style guide, contact the Broadcast Operations and Maintenance Department Academic Director by email or by phone at (301) 677-3188.

The department supports Mobile Training Team and Total Army Involvement in Recruiting (TAIR) requirements.

Former students seeking assistance from BOMD instructors can contact the Academic Director by email or by phone at at (301) 677-3188, DSN 622-3188 or (301) 677-4970, DSN 622-4970.

Defense Information School
Broadcast Operations and Maintenance Dept.
6500 Mapes Road
Fort Meade, MD 20755-5620
Fax: (301) 677-4274