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The DVD will feature the work of current male Asian American television
reporters and anchors. It will be unveiled at the Radio and Television
News Directors Association (RTNDA) / National Association of Broadcasters
(NAB) convention to be held from 19-21 April in Las Vegas.
The DVD will be offered as a hiring tool at the event to all attendees
and also to news managers, news directors, recruiters across the
US. Aaja is also hoping that the DVD will help erase stereotypes
and encourage Asian American males to choose broadcast journalism
as a career.
Aaja is trying to set right a situation where there is a severe
lack of Asian American men on television news. A 2002 study by the
Annenberg School for Communications at the University of Southern
California found that there were only 20 male Asian Americans on
the air in America's top 25 markets.
By comparison the study found a total of 85 Asian American female
television broadcasters on-air. This means a ratio of nearly 5 to
1 women versus men.
Aaja is encouraging Asian American male anchors, reporters, sportscasters
and weathercasters to submit demo reels for the DVD. Participants
do not need to be active job seekers to be included in the project.
A company release ads that submissions should be in by 15 February
2004. Participants should include two packages and a montage of
stand-ups and live shots. Anchors should also include samples of
their anchoring. All participants must have paid professional working
experience or must be students scheduled to graduate by June 2004.
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