Broadcast Media & Technology Center

The Broadcast Media & Technology Center (BMTC) is housed within the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Office of Communications.

BMTC offers "full service digital production facilities staffed by award winning professionals with backgrounds in a variety of media," to USDA agencies and other federal departments. In its March 2005 report on video news releases (VNRs), the New York Times called BMTC "one of the most effective public relations operations inside the federal government." 

Growing Government "News"
For the USDA, BMTC produces "produces more than 90 TV news stories a year in the form of Video News Releases" and "over 2,000 radio news stories,"  or audio news releases (ANRs), in addition to public service announcements. The BMTC website says its ANRs cover "issues from food safety to international trade in a non partisan manner," while its VNRs cover "mission messages" in such areas as trade, biotechnology, food safety, conservation, small farms and marketing. 

According to the BMTC website, their VNRs are shown "on two nationally syndicated programs with targeted audiences of farmers and strong rural viewership, AgDay and U.S. Farm Report," as well as "a variety of commercial television station markets." Their ANRs are "particularly important to the many radio stations in rural areas ... that do not have a Washington correspondent." Recordings of radio features are mailed weekly to 675 radio stations; other stations download audio directly from the BMTC website. 

Budget
According to the Staff Chief of the USDA Office of Budget and Program Analysis, the following are BMTC's total budget (Diem-Linh Jones, "RE: Broadcast Media & Technology Center budget?" April 14, 2005 email sent to Diane Farsetta):
 * 1999: $2,291,000
 * 2000: $2,234,000
 * 2001: $2,533,000
 * 2002: $2,267,000
 * 2003: $2,870,000
 * 2004: $2,185,000
 * 2005: $2,829,000

The amounts for 1999-2004 are actual BMTC costs incurred and 2005 is an estimate.

Staff
The BMTC website lists 23 staff people:
 * David Black, Center Director
 * Anthony Bouldin, Multimedia Manager
 * Garth Clark, Production Manager
 * Margritt Mason, Resource Management Spec.
 * Patrice Taylor, Administrative Support Spec.
 * Sylvia Watts, Administrative Support Spec.
 * Ron Anderson, TV Production Specialist
 * Kevin Conner, TV Production Specialist
 * Kecia Farley, TV Production Specialist
 * Susan Gentilo, TV Production Specialist
 * Doug Halsey, TV Production Specialist
 * Larry Holmes, TV Production Engineer
 * Evangeline Minor, TV Production Specialist
 * David Kosling, TV Production Specialist
 * Elizabeth Conley, Teleconf. Audio Sys. Spec.
 * Dana Smith, Teleconf. Audio Sys. Spec.
 * Gary Crawford, Sr. Radio Reporter / Producer
 * Brenda Curtis, Sr. Radio Reporter / Producer
 * Kristi Pettis, Radio Reporter / Producer
 * Bob Ellison, TV Reporter / Producer
 * Patrick O'Leary, Sr. TV Reporter / Producer
 * Mike Johnson, Information Tech. Spec.
 * Mansy Pullen, Multi-Media Specialist

SourceWatch Resources

 * Mad cow disease
 * Mike Johanns
 * Fake news
 * Video news releases
 * Audio news releases