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As a result of the high level of acceptance by the media, and after the Commander of the Army, LGen Gordon Reay was shown the broadcast of an interview from Rwanda, both Vilaca and Roberts were sent to Bosnia and Croatia in April 1995. While in-theatre they orchestrated 15 interviews. The route to Visoko was somewhat circuitous. They flew from Toronto to Zurich, then on to Zargreb in Croatia. After a day there they flew to Split. They were met by driver Cpl Nathalie Labelle, 5 Service Battalion and taken to the Canadian Logistic base at Primosten. The next morning, at 0500hr, they left on a ten-hour re-supply convoy run to the Royal Canadian Dragoon Battle Group base of operations in Visoko, Bosnia.
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UN
Peacekeeping Sticker
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Cpl Frank Vilaca recording the Commanding Officer of the Royal Canadian Dragoon Battle Group, LCol Bill Brough's interview with Ms. Holly Doan of Canada AM. The interview was recorded on Friday 28 April 1995.
LCol Brough had a talk via a satellite phone with Ms. Doan who was at her home in Ottawa at the time. The Colonel looked at the camera as if he was looking at Ms. Doan, and the two had a conversation. The next week she was scheduled to be in Toronto, sitting in for Valarie Pringle. On the Canada AM set in Toronto, she was videotaped re-asking the questions she had posed to LCol Brough. The video tape of the interview recorded in Visoko was returned to Toronto and given to Canada AM so they could edit the finished product.
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CTV's Canada AM
Broadcast on Wednesday 3 May 1995
LCol Bill Brough, Commanding Officer,
The Royal Canadian Dragoons
Run time - 6 min 42 sec
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Click
here to hear the audio track of LCol Brough's interview on Canada AM
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CFTO-TV Toronto - "World Beat News"
Broadcast on Wednesday 3 May 1995
Sergeant Dave Bromwell, 2 Combat Engineering Regiment
Run time - 2 min 45 sec
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Click
here to hear Sgt Bromwell's interview on CFTO-TV
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CJOH-TV Ottawa - "Newsline"
Broadcast on Wednesday 3 May 1995
Capt Rob Kearney, Royal Canadian Dragoons (L)
Cpl Colin Hamilton, 2 Combat Engineering Regiment (R)
Run time - 2 min 17 sec
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Click
here to hear the audio track of the CJOH-TV interview
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CKWS-TV Kingston - "Close Up"
Broadcast on Wednesday 3 May 1995
Master Corporal Dennis Lee, 2nd Service Battalion
Run time - 3min 34 sec
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CKVR-TV Barrie - "Total News"
Broadcast on Thursday 4 May 1995
Master Corporal Craig McArthur, Royal Canadian Dragoons
Run time - 6 min 55 sec
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Click
here to hear to MCpl McArthur's interview on CKVR-TV
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CHOT-TV Hull
Broadcast on Thursday 11 May 1995
Corporal Nathalie Labelle, 5th Service Battalion
Run time - 1 min 13 sec
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Click
here to hear Cpl Labelle's interview CHOT-TV
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CKCO-TV Kitchener - "Province Wide"
Broadcast on Saturday 21 May 1995
Master Corporal Michael Smith, Royal Canadian Dragoons
Run time - 7 min 23 sec
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Click
here to hear the interview on CFPL-TV and MCpl Michael Smith
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From a cost effectiveness point of view, the double-ender is unbeatable. The total cost of sending Roberts and Vilaca to Bosnia and Croatia was $15,000 for video equipment rentals, airfare, accommodations, and their wages. The first of the 15 interviews from FRY was broadcast by CTV's Canada AM, it ran for 6 min 42 sec. Based on the CARD rate for purchasing commercial airtime for that amount of airtime, at that time of year for that time of day, if you could, would cost approximately $18,000.
In total, the $15,000 investment produced over $80,000 worth of positive media coverage.
During their limited deployments overseas, and on exercise in Canada, Vilaca and Roberts have orchestrated 30 of these types of interviews, in English and French. These have been broadcast by CBC, CTV, Global, SRC, TV "A", and most of the regional television stations in Ontario.
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