In just 15 months, dedicated and courageous Harris employees on site in Iraq, and those working behind the scenes in the U.S., created a world-class media network -- the Iraqi Media Network (IMN) -- that showcases the very latest in broadcasting and studio equipment, as well as an upgraded newspaper publishing facility.

Harris employees who are regular readers of USA TODAY may have caught the recent story about Iraq's blossoming television programming since the fall of Saddam Hussein. Three of the country's most popular new programs mentioned in the story are produced and aired on al-Iraqiya, the television network that is part of the Iraqi Media Network (IMN) contract that Harris successfully completed earlier this year.

In just 15 months, dedicated and courageous Harris employees on site in Iraq, and those working behind the scenes here in the U.S., took the scattered remnants of Hussein's propaganda machine and created a world-class media network that showcases the very latest in broadcasting and studio equipment as well as an upgraded newspaper publishing facility. According to the Washington Pos t, al-Iraqiya is the most popular domestic television network in Iraq. The newspaper cites al-Sabah (the IMN newspaper) as one of the two most influential and widely read newspapers.

Iraqi citizens who previously watched just three censored stations now have access to a growing number of radio, TV and newspaper sources from inside and outside of the country. IMN lead this "insurgence" of modern journalism.

"This is one of the more remarkable accomplishments in this company's long, long history," said Howard Lance, Harris president, chairman and CEO. "A handful of Harris employees from our Government Communications Division, working with partner companies in Lebanon and Kuwait, our own Broadcast Communications Division, and more than 3,000 local Iraqis, took an antiquated, state-sponsor propaganda vehicle and created a modern, technological media marvel."

"Marvel" is an apt description not only for the network itself but also for the hard work and perseverance that went into creating it. When Harris team members first arrived in Iraq in November 2003 to develop the initial proposal for the creation of a national television and radio network, and a modern, national newspaper, it was plain that they were facing nearly insurmountable odds.

"The whole broadcast network's infrastructure had collapsed. What wasn't bombed or destroyed had been looted," explains Dave Sedgley, IMN program manager, GCSD. "The exception was some equipment that a few dedicated Iraqi broadcast engineers had taken home to prevent it from being stolen. In addition, there was virtually no telephone service, which made communications and the development and distribution of any kind of news coverage nearly impossible."

Technology challenges turned out to be just one part of this complex assignment. Security was a daily concern, with insurgent-launched rockets often landing near the Green Zone quarters occupied by Harris people. In addition, it was very difficult to find on-air talent, who could become visible targets for violence, or to transport broadcasting equipment to some 30 sites across the country. Sadly, insurgents have killed several Iraqi employees of the network.

The Harris team also faced the challenge of paying Iraqi employees in cash and safely getting that money to different sites, as well as helping to relocate some 200 Iraqis who had lost their homes and taken refuge in the old Baghdad TV broadcast facility that was to be refurbished for the new television and radio studios.

In the end, the Harris team and its partner companies accomplished all of the original requirements of the contract: implementing a two-way satellite network that covers sites throughout the country and can broadcast local programming as well as provide video, telephone and VoIP transmission; installing state-of-the-art studios in Baghdad, Mosul and Kirkut, and providing studio equipment for another 26 sites; and upgrading al Sabah , the national newspaper, with a new printing press. All construction work, Sedgley emphasizes, was performed by local Iraqi companies.

The completed IMN includes 33 broadcast sites and operates in 30 locations in Iraq, providing television, radio and newspaper coverage for all Iraqis. Two world-class broadcasting studios in Baghdad form the heart of the network, which provides news and entertainment programming 24 hours a day.

"We created a 24-hour news desk, have weather, business and sports coverage and increased original programming by over 70 percent," said Sedgley. "I believe that this is the most advanced broadcasting studio complex and equipment and software anywhere in the world today. In addition the new printing press for the paper, al-Sabah , can print up to 350,000 copies per day."

Thanks to the IMN, Iraqi citizens who not long ago watched propaganda are now enjoying original programming such as "Terrorists in the Hands of Justice," which profiles insurgents who have been captured; "Good Morning Iraq," which is similar to morning news programs here in the U.S.; and "The Exceptional," a game show that tests contestant's knowledge of Iraq's culture.

One Iraq viewer of "Hand of Justice" spoke anonymously with a reporter for The Christian Science Monitor , saying that he and his family watch the show regularly. "This show is an example of government accountability," he says. "This is democratic."

"When we first went in, the existing network was watched by less than 10 percent of the Iraqis," says Sedgley. "A poll in May showed that it was now the most trusted news in Iraq and that it reaches more citizens than any other network."

On April 7, the Harris team turned the network over to more than 3,000 Iraqi employees that they helped to train, and in the process gave them an essential tool for any democracy - a free press.

Dave Sedgley and his team have returned to the U.S. and are actively involved in other programs in Harris' expanding government markets. It's a good bet, however, that they keep an eye on the nightly news for information about the progress in Iraq's fledgling democracy, now supported by their legacy of a free and independent media.

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