(Oct. 5, 2012 - by Ralph Kurtenbach) Added to a growing list of words that have found new use in an Internet age (netizen, for example, to describe a net citizen, and blog, a short form of web log) is the term webinar.

A webinar is a seminar on the web-it's as simple as that, according to Larry Castro and Allen who work as media trainers. Based in Quito, Ecuador, they primarily serve radio stations in Latin America with Hagamos Radio (Let's Do Radio), an outreach of Radio Station HCJB, an evangelical station in Quito.

Allen's horizons have broadened in the last year as he has spent nearly two semesters teaching mass communications courses to students at African Bible College University in Yekepa, Liberia. The campus is also home to a partner radio station, Life 95.7, that went on the air with HCJB Global's help in April.

Castro and Allen have in mind an audience similar to the many volunteers and staff members of the radio station where Allen has instructed in the fundamentals of radio broadcasting. They realized that the Internet could help them replicate their efforts with webinars-both live and recorded. The webinars also offer viewer interaction.

So far they have produced two online workshops, and they're planning a third one. Allen appears before the web camera whereas Castro did the research on how to proceed with the project. He also handles webinar logistics and finding websites that help facilitate such endeavors.

Once he's opened the Hagamos Radio account on the website, he points the webcam at Allen. "You check ahead of time to make sure your microphone is on," Castro added. "The studio that they have with New Livestream is really easy."

Castro and Allen smiled afterwards about one early flub that occurred on the first Spanish-language webinar. They'd been talking together before starting … speaking English. When Castro pressed "record" and Allen began his welcome to the half-hour webinar, they both realized that he was still using English.

An August webinar focused on fundraising, and last month Allen taught on "The Profile of a Listener." Both webinars can be viewed on YouTube (www.youtube.com/hagamosradio). The programs are also available at the Hagamos Radio Facebook account and on www.livestream.com.

Source: HCJB Global