In Inter-America, Church Begins Efforts to Unify Radio and Television Ministries
Abel Márquez, communication director for the church in Inter-America and executive director of Hope Channel Inter-America speaks to church leaders on the importance of bringing together the more than 100 Adventist-operated radio stations across the territory together under the Hope Channel Inter-America brand. More than a dozen leaders from Inter-America met for the Hope Radio Advisory, held in Miami, Florida, December 4-5, 2018 Photo by Libna Stevens/IAD
December 10, 2018 | Miami, Florida, United States | Libna Stevens/IAD
In an effort to strengthen Seventh-day Adventist-operated radio stations throughout Inter-America with the church’s Hope Channel Inter-America television network, media specialists met to network and collaborate on increasing efforts to spread the gospel.
“It’s important for us to lay the groundwork for the establishment of the Hope Radio Inter-America network through collaboration, inspiration and dialogue together following our integrated media strategy plan to unify radio and television efforts throughout the territory,” said Abel Márquez, communication director for the church in Inter-America and executive director of Hope Channel Inter-America. “This is about the convergence of media ministries in our powerful commitment to the mission.”
Hope Channel Inter-America coordinators and a select group of radio station staff from the Inter-American Division (IAD) territory gathered Dec. 4-5, in Miami, Florida, to focus on brand identity and image, production guidelines and meshing of ideas and initiatives to bolster the more than 100 radio stations operated by the IAD.
“We want to ensure that the church’s official radios stations begin the integration of the use of the Hope Radio Inter-America brand, and adopt higher quality standards of production and transmission in collaboration with the services offered by Adventist World Radio,” explained Márquez.
Miqueas Fortunato, promotion and distribution director for Hope Channel Inter-America, speaks on the need for convergence with radio and television across the territory. Photo by Libna Stevens/IAD
The key is to ensure that station and media center leaders create their strategic plans based on what has been presented during the two-day sessions, according to Márquez. “This will ensure that more modern, strong and effective radio stations will carry the message of hope to audiences,” added Márquez.
Robert Valencia, web media strategist for Adventist World Radio (AWR), introduced the system that collects podcast programs and resources to share through a media asset manager system.
“We share this platform so that it might help collaboration of programs within the IAD studios and potential for other studios that may help,” said Valencia. Valencia also spoke on the Godpod devices as well as strategies behind some of the partnerships that AWR is teaming up with like Hope Channel, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), The General Conferences Communication department as well as the Adventist Review team in order to bring about a much more effective presence online.
Samuel Gregory, resource engineer at AWR spoke on integration presenting a vision of the use of technology in radio stations, challenging leaders to always keep-up-to-date in the selection of specific distribution channels for each audience. Gregory went over audio concepts and reminded leaders to look for ways to improve the quality of their resources on a daily basis.
Dulce Monjaraz, a professor at Montemorelos University in Mexico, shares strategic plans and initiatives while she manages the university’s radio station. Photo by Libna Stevens/IAD
The convergence of the media ministries is a move that needs to take place as adaptability moves the mission forward, said Miqueas Fortunato, promotion and distribution director for Hope Channel Inter-America. Fortunato has more than three decades of experience in the church’s Radio Amanecer station in the Dominican Republic.
“We see how the radio must continue reinventing itself to expand it’s reach, to be innovative and create more content adapted with new narratives, new technologies and new audiences striving to adapt to a convergent ministry,” said Fortunato.
There continues to be greater opportunity to preach the message of the gospel to more and more people, said Fortunato, “Yet the greatest challenge may be to see ourselves as one body, because perhaps we have been too segmented or departmentalized in the past but coming together will allow for greater impact.”
Fostering more communication and collaboration among radio and television ministries media staff across the IAD will be a priority said Márquez. “Our plan is to integrate with the media asset management of digital resources AWR is developing so that sharing files can be more effective in helping transform the lives of listeners with the gospel through the airwaves.”
Group of Hope Radio Advisory delegates during the recent meetings. Photo by Wilmer Barboza/IAD
Communication leaders spoke on the challenges radio stations are facing in their respective countries and territory, as well as shared the radio stations’ initiatives and activities impacting the community they serve.
To learn more about Inter-America’s dozens of church-operated radio stations, visit interamerica.org in the Radio and Television section