Cablegate: Fy-2004 Iv Program: Sri Lankan Nomination For

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

010739Z Jul 03

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 001131

SIPDIS

STATE FOR ISABELLE ZSOLDOS/SEQUITA ROBINSON;
INFO: ECA/PE/V/G/N-ALICE SHIFFLETT; SA/PD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OEXC SCUL KPAO OEXC
SUBJECT: FY-2004 IV PROGRAM: SRI LANKAN NOMINATION FOR
MRP ON "TV BROADCASTING": APRIL 1-22, 2004
PROJECT NUMBER: E/VP-2004-0018

REF: (A) STATE 96274, (B) COLOMBO 0676

1. POST NOMINATES MR. M. P. ASOKA DIAS, NEWS DIRECTOR-
SIRASA, MBC AND MTV, FOR PARTICIPATION IN SUBJECT
PROJECT.

2. NOMINATION IS AS FOLLOWS:
START FIXED-FORMAT TEXT (PLEASE DO NOT EDIT):
: The following data is in a fixed format which enables
: automated processing in Washington and should not be
: edited except by means of the Post-EVDB software.
EXPORT-SOURCE: POST-EVDB
VERSION: 3.0.5
POST-EMAIL: rscmb@pd.state.gov
TRANSMITTING-POST: PAS Colombo
TRANSMITTING-POST-ID: 2929
EXPORT-TYPE: BIO DATA
START NOMINATION:
ECA-OFFICE: E/VP
PROG-AGENCY-NAME:
POST-PROJ-ID: 92
ECA-PROJ-NO: E/VP-2004-0018
PROJ-NAME: TV Broadcasting - April 1-22, 2004
START MEMO PROJ-DESC:

END MEMO PROJ-DESC:
PROJ-TYPE: Multi-Regional
PROG-TYPE: IV Group Projects
FY: 2004
DEPART-POST: 03/30/2004
SESSION-DATE: 04/01/2004
RETURN-POST: 04/25/2004
NO-OF-PART: 1
RANK-ORDER: 9
START MEMO POST-OBJ:
This nomination is in support of MPP goal on
"Democracy"
END MEMO POST-OBJ:
START MEMO POST-RCMD:

END MEMO POST-RCMD:
ECA-OFFICE-ID: 1027
PROG-AGENCY-ID:
PROJ-TYPE-ID: MRP
PROG-TYPE-ID: 31
NOMINATING-POST-ID: 2929
FUNDING-CNTRY-ID:
STATUS: N
ORIGINATOR: P
SUBJ-DISC:
START BIO:
PREFIX: Mr.
F-NAME: Mahamarakkala P.
M-NAME: Asoka
L-NAME: DIAS
SUFFIX:
POSITION-CODE: 0
PRINCIPAL?: Yes
M-ADDR1: 12 Richard de Soysa Media Housing Scheme
M-ADDR2: Talangama North
M-ADDR3:
M-CITY: Battaramulla
M-STATE:
M-CNTRY: Sri Lanka
M-ZONE:
M-ZIP:
M-PHONE: (94-1) 788-243
M-FAX:
M-EMAIL: asokadias@slt.lk
M-CNTRY-ID: CE
M-ADDRTYPE: H
GENDER: M
DOB: 12/02/1967
MAR-STAT: M
BIRTH-CITY: Moratuwa
BIRTH-CNTRY: Sri Lanka
CITIZ-CNTRY: Sri Lanka
RES-CNTRY: Sri Lanka
START MEMO POSITION:
News Director- Sirasa, MBC and MTV, 2002- to date
END MEMO POSITION:
START MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS:

END MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS:
START MEMO PREV-POSITIONS:
1997-2002 - Assistant News Director, MBC and MTV
1996-97 - Chief News Editor, TV, MTV Channel
1995-96 - News Editor, Sirasa FM and 'Yes' FM radio
channels
1990-95 - Journalist, 'Vidura," science weekly
END MEMO PREV-POSITIONS:
START MEMO US-TRAVEL:
None
END MEMO US-TRAVEL:
START MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL:
Bangladesh, Canada, India, Nepal and UK
END MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL:
START MEMO EDUCATION:
General Certificate of Education (Advanced Level)
examination, 1986
END MEMO EDUCATION:
START MEMO MEMBERSHIPS:

END MEMO MEMBERSHIPS:
START MEMO PUBLICATIONS:

END MEMO PUBLICATIONS:
START MEMO SPEC-CONSID:

END MEMO SPEC-CONSID:
FIRST-LANG: Sinhala
ENGL-READ: 4
ENGL-SPEAK: 4
ENGL-COMP: 4
START MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ:
This nomination is in support of MPP goal on
"Democracy"
END MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ:
START MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD:

END MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD:
START MEMO VIS-OBJ:

END MEMO VIS-OBJ:
START MEMO VIS-REC:

END MEMO VIS-REC:
NOMINATING-OFFICER: Bruce A. Lohof
START MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION:
Post has been quite successful and confident with media
coverage of numerous events with MTV and Sirasa
TV/Radio.
Sirasa TV is an independent channel managed by Maharaja
Broadcasting Corporation. Its newscast may be called
the trend setting local language telecast with 17 news
bulletins daily. Sirasa TV makes a good effort to give
unbiased information to listeners and is an extremely
popular independent television station in Sri Lanka.
It broadcasts mainly in Sinhala, the language used by a
majority of Sri Lankans.
Asoka's career development record is proof of his
potential. He began his media career as a freelance
journalist and joined Maharaja Broadcasting Corporation
for Sirasa radio at a later stage. He was also the
first local news editor at a private sector radio
station in Sri Lanka. Currently, he is the main news
Director for both Sirasa TV and Sirasa radio.

END MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION:
NOM-OFF: Public Affairs
SPEAKER?: No
NOTIFY-EMB: Yes
MEDIA?: No
HOME-STAY: Yes
HOME-HOSP?: Yes
E-I-TYPE:
NOMINEE-ID: 126
PERSON-ID: 130
BIRTH-CNTRY-ID: CE
CITIZ-CNTRY-ID: CE
RES-CNTRY-ID: CE
FIRST-LANG-ID: SI
E-I-TYPE-ID:
NOM-POST-ID: 2929
NOM-FUNDING-CNTRY-ID:
NOM-STATUS: N
DS2019-ACTION: 0
DS2019-SUBJECT: 09.0701
SPONS-FUNDS: 0
SPONS-AGENCY1:
USGOVT-AGENCY1:
US-AGENCY-AMT1: 0
USGOVT-AGENCY2:
US-AGENCY-AMT2: 0
INTL-ORG1:
INTL-ORG-AMOUNT1: 0
INTL-ORG2:
INTL-ORG-AMOUNT2: 0
VIS-GOVT-AMT: 0
COMMISSION: 0
OTHER-AMOUNT: 0
VIS-AMOUNT: 0
VIS-CAT: 5
END BIO:
END NOMINATION:
END FIXED-FORMAT TEXT:
3. PLEASE ADVISE ACCEPTANCE OF THIS NOMINATION.
CAMP

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