Three senior journalists from MTV+ in Ukraine [7] recently visited WDRB [8] in Louisville to learn how to improve the quality of their content and efficiency of operations at their TV station.
“The first thing that caught our attention was the patriotism and loyalty to the company of our US partners,” said Maryna Sambur, General Manager at MTV+ in Melitopol. She was also surprised to learn that at WDRB there is a whole department dedicated to advertising and marketing. “I would like to implement such practices in my company,” she said.
Since her visit, Sambur has gone beyond mere television promos to advertisements on billboards, buses, souvenir products, and even magazines, like WDRB has done. Sambur has also begun working to promote a sense of purpose in her employees, thanks to the advice of her US colleagues.
“At every possibility I stress the importance of TV that [WDRB General Manager] Bill Lamb has always mentioned,” she said.
Lamb said his staff also benefited from the exchanges. They learned to be more efficient with resources after seeing what MTV+ could produce on a small budget. Mr. Lamb hopes to continue to build a business relationship with MTV+, similar to the continuing relationship his station enjoys with VTV+ in Kherson, Ukraine, which he hosted in 2009. He also said it was an unforgettable cultural experience.
“[It was a] chance to be ambassadors and bring the culture of Ukraine into the building for people who may never leave the US,” he said.
The exchange was one of four scheduled this year between Ukrainian professionals and partner stations in the United States, and 32 overall since the Ukraine Media Partnership Program (UMPP) [9] began 12 years ago. Partnerships occur across the media landscape in print, radio, online and television journalism. They provide training and educational opportunities for foreign journalists, and create professional relationships that often outlast partners’ participation in the program.