MELBOURNE, Fla., 21 January 2005. Harris Corp. today announced that it has been awarded a three-month, $22 million contract by the Iraqi Media Network (IMN).
The contract scope includes training, programming support, systems integration and deployment work for IMN, the country's public television and radio broadcasting organization. The network has operating locations in Baghdad and in more than 30 other locations throughout the country. Funding for the contract will be provided solely by the Iraqi government.
"We're pleased to support Iraq's public broadcasting network at such a crucial point in this country's transition to democracy," said Howard L. Lance, chairman, president, and CEO of Harris Corp. "IMN will play an important role in reporting on the upcoming national elections, and Harris and its local partners will provide vital support services through this contract."
Work on a previous IMN contract was successfully completed in early January. Originally awarded to Harris in January 2004 by the Defense Contracting Command, that contract scope included requirements for broadcast and printing equipment, broadcast studio and transmission systems design and integration, network operations, and employee training.
"In spite of the obvious security challenges, the Harris team created a world-class broadcast environment and successfully upgraded the production capabilities of Al Sabah, the national newspaper," Lance said. "As the capabilities of the media network have grown, so have the dedication and professionalism of the more than 1,000 IMN employees, who are all Iraqi citizens."
The Harris team completed construction of a news studio and an entertainment studio in central Baghdad. The public television network, named Al Iraqiya, now has a 24-hour news desk and programming that features 80 percent Iraqi content including news, sports, business, and weather coverage. Public radio programming includes both "talk" and "music" formats. IMN has full capability to produce live entertainment and news commentary programs.
New equipment and facilities for the Al Sabah newspaper helped to increase production capabilities from 60,000 to 350,000 copies per day. Harris Corp. was supported by two important teammates on the contract: the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBCI) and Al Fawares, a Kuwaiti company with Iraqi ownership.
Harris Corp. is an international communications technology company focused on providing assured communications(TM) products, systems and services for government and commercial customers. The company's four operating divisions serve markets for government communications, tactical radio, broadcast, and microwave systems. Harris provides systems and service to customers in more than 150 countries. For more information, see www.harris.com.
