CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq (Army News Service, Jan. 15, 2007) - What happens when the Multi-National Division - Baghdad daily radio show 'Cav Roundup' meets Apple's iTunes' People are able to listen to the most up-to-date information on what's happening on the ground through the eyes of MND-B Soldiers.
Cav Roundup delivers daily news and operational updates every weekday from the Iraqi capital. Army Public Affairs submitted the radio show and other Army products to iTunes to reach a larger audience, according to Lt. Col. John Robinson, director of the Media Services Division, Soldiers Media Center, Office of the Chief of Army Public Affairs.
"My intent was to make more approved Army products, such as the Cav Roundup, available on social sites on the Internet, such as iTunes," Robinson said.
The Cav Roundup is available on iTunes as a podcast. A podcast is a media file, typically audio or video, that is distributed by subscription over the Internet. The feeds can then be played back on mobile devices and personal computers.
"Doing this broadens our reach with quality Army products and it also makes more people aware of the kind of material they will find on the Army homepage," Robinson said. "It's important to (MND-B) Soldiers and their families because we are entering and developing a new and innovative way to explain their mission to the American public, as well as our global audiences."
A broadcast noncommissioned officer and a co-producer of the daily radio show, Sgt. Scott Pittillo said he thinks the venture will take the story of the MND-B troopers to more ears, minds and hearts.
"Putting the Army's story out there will give the public a more rounded perspective on the war and the Soldiers who fight in it," Pittillo said.
On a more personal level, a forward observer with Headquarters Company, Division Special Troops Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, Pvt. Aaron Reyes said that with the radio show on iTunes, Soldiers can make sure family members and friends can get more than the just the news they see on television.
"They can get a closer look at what were doing here and know that we're doing okay," Reyes said.
Although he can't determine the number of people who download the daily radio show on iTunes, Robinson said hits on the Army's homepage has grown dramatically since he began placing more material on other social sites.
(Spc. Jeffrey Ledesma writes for the 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs)
Social Sharing