Broadcasting Operations and Maintenance Department (BOMD)

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

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

The Basic Television Equipment Maintenance Course (BTVEM), a 124-day course 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 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.

The Broadcast Radio and Television Systems Maintenance (BRTSM) provides, in 71 days, an advanced course of instruction for broadcast radio and television systems engineers. Students acquire the skills and knowledge to support studio production and broadcast missions of the Department of Defense and the Defense Media Activity (DMA). The course develops the professional broadcast radio and television maintenance specialist to the journeyman level of competence, exploring in-depth the principles and technological application of broadcast television systems, cameras, video tape recorders, computer and networking technology, non-linear editors, audio systems, broadcast studios, and transmission systems in studio and field conditions.

Broadcast Operations. In the varied field of military broadcast journalism, BOMD conducts four courses of instruction: two basic and two advanced.

The Basic Combat Correspondent (BCC) course, a 75-day, entry-level course, provides the knowledge and skills needed for broadcast journalists to support public affairs visual information, and broadcast missions throughout the Armed Forces, training students to assume the roles of military broadcasters in various locations worldwide including combat camera squadrons, American Forces Network stations, mobile public affairs detachments, Navy ships, public affairs offices and psychological operations commands, among others. 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 of electronic news gathering equipment during both peace and wartime missions. Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force applicants must pass the Voice Analysis as a prerequisite to enrollment. For more information, please see the paragraph on the Voice Analysis below.

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 principles 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 Depth of Field and why is it important? In this video, we discuss camera-to-subject distance settings, and explore some of the tools on the camera that allow you to affect the aperture.

Broadcast Management Course provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to perform duties as a broadcast manager at an American Forces Network (AFN) station. 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 on policy and regulatory requirements as they relate to station operation, program acquisition, distribution, and contingency operations. Individuals slated for an assignment as a section NCO, Operations Manager, Maintenance Chief, or Station Manager 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 Advanced Electronic Journalism Course (AEJC) provides advanced storytelling training during the 20 day course. The student is immersed in the components of advanced lighting, editing, and storytelling techniques emphasizing uncontrolled action, subject-in-action sound bites, packaging, shot selection and visualization, natural and prompted audio collection, advanced broadcast writing and scripting, and advanced post-production techniques. Prospective students must have a mastery of basic electronic news gathering skills, to include, writing, voicing, shooting and editing, and should be actively shooting news stories within the year prior to course attendance. All graded exercises are shot in the greater Washington, DC - Baltimore area and students will find their own stories.

Students must bring an example of their current work (e.g., an ENG story on a DVD or accessible online) produced within the last year to the class for peer and instructor review.

The Electronic Journalism Course (EJC) places emphasis on training Electronic Journalism (EJ) principles and techniques needed to produce television news and local command information spot assignments. During the 15-day course, students will learn broadcast writing, voice-over and stand-up reporting, EJ news coverage, operation of video cameras, lighting, site survey procedures and editing.

The Voice Analysis helps ensure prospective students can be trained as broadcast announcers in the limited time available during DINFOS training. All Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force broadcast candidates - active duty, National Guard or reserve - must pass a Voice Analysis before they can be enrolled in the Basic Combat Correspondent Course (BCC). Since the Voice Analysis 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 at BOMD-VA@dinfos.dma.mil, or by phone at (301) 677-3188, DSN 622-3188, for the DINFOS Voice Analysis script. View the Letter of Instruction for Preparing Defense Information School Voice Analysis Screening Packages.

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