US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO1131

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 - Exchanges 
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