Michael Dorrough, a California native, began his career in the recording studio business as a sound mixer at a studio owned by Casey Kasem in 1963. During that period he devised a multi-band or discriminate audio processing method that provided greater loudness without reducing fidelity. The first audio processor was installed KGFJ in Los Angeles in 1965. By 1971 he established Dorrough Electronics to further develop and market his audio processors, which revolutionized broadcast audio processing. By the mid 80’s Dorrough turned his attention to developing a loudness monitor. The Dorrough Loudness Monitor with its unique peak, average and compression ballistics and large color-coded LED segment scale enjoyed wide use in broadcast and film audio. A passionate advocate of quality in audio, in his award acceptance speech he said: “The wide acceptance of the Discriminate Audio Processor and Loudness Monitor has been the result of a wonderful leap of faith. These ideas talk to those willing to listen. Thanks for the open ears and hearts.”
Max Berry began his career with the NBC Development Lab in 1951. He worked for RCA between 1955 and 1965 and then joined ABC for the rest of his career, retiring as Vice President of Broadcast Engineering for Capital Cities/ABC in 1989. He supervised projects at ABC that included the first color slow-motion recorder (with Ampex), a wireless, handheld color camera (with Ampex), a solid-state audio/video routing switcher (with the Grass Valley Group), inter-connection of a main frame computer with an on-air character generator, a multi-color character generator and real time animation (with Dubner Computer), the interface of graphics to sports scoreboard computer systems, the first system to enter news election service reports directly into a character generator system via computer control and supervision of design and construction of over $300 million radio and television facilities through the ABC portfolio..
Arno Meyer founded Belar Electronics Laboratory, a leading manufacturer of modulation monitors, in 1964. The company was initially started to supply radio stations with the newly required FM stereo monitoring equipment and later expanded to include equipment needed by AM, shortwave and TV broadcasters. Belar shipped its first model FMM-1 FM Monitor in 1966 to WBEB in Philadelphia. The FCC Laboratory first used the Belar Model FMD-1 to verify FM broadcast stereo performance standards in the mid 1960’s. Among other firsts, Meyer developed and marketed the first DSP-based AM, FM and TV broadcast modulation monitors and his SCA monitors were the first all-digital units. Meyer’s core philosophy was to design equipment to the highest performance standards while maintaining affordable sale prices.
Laurence (“Larry”) J.Thorpe was an industry expert in the field of video acquisition and one of the leaders of the HDTV movement. Beginning his career with the BBC in London in 1961, he participated in the development of color television studio products. He joined the camera development group of RCA in 1966 and worked on studio camera products until 1982 when he joined Sony as Director of Studio Product Management. Rising to positions of increasing responsibility at Sony, he became Vice President of Acquisition Systems in 1995. A tireless advocate for HDTV from the very first SMPTE demonstrations of the technology in the early 1980s by CBS/NHK/Sony, his efforts were instrumental in early standardization work on HDTV and the first formal campaign on digital electronic cinematography.
Paul Schafer, known as the father of radio automation, installed his first remote control system at Oakland, Calif.’s KROW in 1953 while working at NBC. Following an NAB field test program using the Schafer system, the FCC eventually relaxed the rules governing operation of broadcast transmitters. In 1956, the system he build for KGEE in Bakersfield CA was the first automation system to make possible a completely unattended radio station. Schafer Custom Engineering (later changed to Schafer Electronics) developed multiple program automation systems with increasing degrees of sophistication and traveled the country demonstrating them to potential clients. More than 1000 Schafer Automation Systems were installed in facilities all over the world. A stalwart presence at the NAB Show, Schafer attended every NAB convention starting in 1953.
Bernard J. Lechner began what would be a 30 -year career with RCA in 1957, working on home video tape recorders in the late 50’s, flat panel matrix displays in the 60’s, two-way cable TV systems in the early 70’s, broadcast cameras in the late 70’s and early 80’s and HDTV in the mid 80’s. He left RCA as Staff Vice President in Advanced Video Systems in 1987 and started his independent consultancy, contributing greatly to the building blocks of the digital TV transition. An important participant in the process of the FCC Advisory Committee on Advanced Television Service, he chaired a critical group in the ATSC that led to the Program and System Information Protocol (PSIP) standard, as well as a number of others. An expert relied on by broadcasters, television set manufacturers and cable systems, he became a pre-eminent expert in the area of cross-industry interoperability issues. The ATSC named their top annual technical award the Bernard Lechner Outstanding Contributor Award, and he was named as the first recipient of the award in 2000.
John Reiser played a significant role in many landmark rulings during his 39 years at the FCC, including the standardization of the FCC national program for broadcast station inspections in the 1970s, the 1976 revision of the broadcast rules and regulations and the reorganization of the Broadcast Bureau into the Media Bureau. He began his career at the FCC in 1961 at the Detroit Field Office and was Engineer in Charge in Buffalo before moving to Washington as chief of the Inspection Branch and then transferring to the Broadcast Bureau in 1976. He retired in 2000 as a senior broadcast engineer with the FCC’s International Bureau. For many years, his knowledge of the FCC rules made him a critical resource in helping broadcasters comply with the FCC rules. From 1986 to 2000 he also served as the US chairman of the technical study groups on broadcasting for the International Telecommunications Union and represented the US at numerous international meetings on broadcasting issues.
Robert P. Eckert was the Branch Chief of the Electromagnetic Compatibility Division, Technical Analysis Branch of the Office of Engineering and Technology at the FCC. He began his FCC career in 1980, specializing in spectrum efficiency and radio propagation prediction and frequency assignment algorithms. Beginning in 1988 he focused on spectrum planning for advanced television service. He was one of the principal architects of the original DTV channel allotment/assignment plan. His channel selection programs accommodated all full power television stations with DTV channel assignments in the existing TV broadcast bands, which was instrumental in facilitating the US DTV transition.
E. Glynn Walden started his long radio career as chief engineer for WCMQ in Miami in 1975, moved to KYW in Philadelphia in 1981, joined Westinghouse Broadcasting in 1991, and then iBiquity Digital in 1996 and Infinity Broadcasting in 2003, where he was Vice President of Engineering. Along with Paul Donahue from Gannett Radio and Tony Masiello from CBS Radio, he helped establish Project Acorn in 1989 to develop the concept of transmitting digital audio in the existing AM and FM bands. In 1991 he helped found USA Digital Radio, which later merged with Lucent Digital Radio in 2000 to form iBiquity Digital. As Vice President of Broadcast Engineering for iBiquity Digital Corporation from 1997 to 2004, he led the design team that wrote the In-Band/On-Channel (IBOC) technical and regulatory specifications that eventually became the HD Radio system. He developed the transition plan that allowed broadcasters to move to digital broadcasting with minimal disruption to broadcasters and listeners, managed a comprehensive study of interference by IBOC signals, developed a test program for IBOC evaluation by the National Radio Systems Committee, and conducted numerous tutorials, demonstrations and lectures on IBOC technology, leading to the FCC approval of IBOC.
Ira Goldstone joined WCVB-TV in Boston in 1972, rising to Director of Technical Services. From 1981 to 1983 he served as Director of Engineering at Standard Communications and then joined KTLA-TV as Director of Broadcast Operations and Engineering. Under his tenure, KTLA was the first to broadcast the Tournament of Roses Parade in stereo, then subsequently in 3D surround and ultimately in HDTV, as one of the first DTV stations going on the air in 1998. In 1992 he took on the additional role of overseeing station technical operations at the group level, ultimately becoming Vice President/ Chief Technology Officer of Tribune Broadcasting. Among his accomplishments were groundbreaking work in cross-media content sharing between Tribune newspaper and television properties, pioneering implementation of electronic newsroom technology and early adoption of digital ENG.
Milford Smith was Vice President of Radio Engineering for Greater Media, a position he held since 1984. Prior to that he held a similar position with First Media Corporation for 11 years, and prior to that he spent several years with Tribune Broadcasting as Assistant Chief Engineer of their radio and television stations. At Greater Media, some of his innovative engineering projects included transmission systems at the Peachtree Plaza Hotel, Prudential Center and the relocation of KLSX in Los Angeles to Mt. Wilson. He was a major contributor to industry advisory and standardization activities, including the National Radio Systems Committee, serving on its DAB test guidelines and evaluation working groups, and as co-chairman of its DAB subcommittee, a position he held for 10 years. The NRSC DAB Subcommittee group developed the NRSC-5 In-Band/On-Channel Digital Radio Broadcasting Standard, which was published in April 2005. He also served as chairman of the NAB Digital Radio Committee as well as other key industry advisory roles.
Oded Bendov was Senior Vice President and Chief Scientist for Dielectric Communications. He began his career at RCA Corporation in 1967, and was involved in the analysis and design of multiple antenna systems, including the World Trade Center in New York and Mt. Sutro in San Francisco. He was the principal architect of the transition to circularly polarized TV antennas, which was recognized with an EMMY award in 1984. In 1986, RCA’s Antenna Center was acquired by Dielectric Communications. His work at Dielectric Corporation centered on the areas of DTV transmission and the design of DTV antenna systems for major markets. He retired from Dielectric Communications in 2003 and formed TV Transmission Antenna Group, dedicated to developing new technologies, design, and consulting services for broadcasters.
Ben Dawson, consulting engineer with Hatfield & Dawson and Ron Rackley, consulting engineer with DuTreil, Lundin & Rackley, were both prominent consulting engineers for the radio broadcast industry. As a team, they made major contributions as educators. The NAB’s education program on AM Radio Antennas was originally run by Carl Smith. When Smith retired, Ron Rackley took over the class and subsequently enlisted Ben Dawson as an additional teacher. Together, they updated and taught the class since the mid 1980’s. In addition, they worked together on AM radio projects, including US AM facilities, and significant projects for the IBB in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Rackley began his career at WHYZ in Greenville SC in 1968, subsequently working for WFBC, Palmer A Greer & Associates, Jules Cohen & Associates and Kintronic Laboratories, until founding duTreil and Rackley in 1983. Dawson joined KLIQ in Portland WA as chief engineer in 1960, subsequently working for KPOJ, KPTV, KSND and Washington Telecasters before co-founding Hatfield & Dawson in 1973.
Merrill Weiss, an internationally recognized industry leader and expert in the development of new television technologies. began his career in 1967 at KYW in Philadelphia. He joined KPIX-TV in 1978 and became Engineering Manager and subsequently joined NBC in 1985 and rose to Managing Director, Advanced Television Systems. He formed his consultancy, Merrill Weiss Group, in 1991. While at KPIX, he conducted the experiments that led to the first digital television standard (CCIR Recommendation 601) in 1981 and was involved in the development of virtually every DTV standard since. He was a major contributor to the work of the FCC Advisory Committee on Advanced Television Service (ACATS), especially on implementation matters and participated extensively in both the technical and economic analyses of the various system proposals. He also was active in the work of the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) and invented the method standardized for synchronization of multiple DTV transmitters.
Louis A. King, Chairman of the Board at Kintronic Laboratories, began his career as a Professor of Electrical Engineering at Clemson College, and developed their Radio Engineering curriculum. From 1945-1949 he was a High Powered Transmitter Design Engineer at the Radio Corporation of America (RCA). While at RCA, he received a patent for a bistable multivibrator used in an RCA broadcast transmitter. This “flip-flop” circuit constituted the basic switching logic device for the earliest digital computers that were later developed at RCA. He opened his broadcast consulting engineering practice in 1949 and began his antenna system equipment business in 1962, which was incorporated as Kintronic Laboratories Inc. in 1984. Kintronic Laboratories became a leading supplier of innovative Medium Wave radio broadcast antenna systems worldwide. His 1977 design and implementation of a 3 X 100 kW AM triplexer in Rio de Janeiro for the Brazilian government was considered a major technical accomplishment at the time.
Victor Tawil was Senior Vice President at the Association for Maximum Service Television (MSTV), providing technical and technology policy advice to MSTV’s 400 plus member television stations. Prior to joining MSTV in 1988, he had a 14-year career at the FCC’s Office of Science and Technology specializing in spectrum management, propagation and system engineering. He was a principal in designing the field tests in Charlotte NC for the Grand Alliance HDTV system, had an industry leadership role developing the FCC DTV channel election process and post-transition DTV channel plan, was a key organizer for the Model DTV Station Project hosted at WRC-TV in Washington DC, and was instrumental in helping to develop the technical specifications for the digital-to-analog converter box subsidized by the government during the DTV transition.
Thomas B. Silliman, President of ERI Inc., a supplier of radio and television transmission components, began his career as a consultant, working with his father in the engineering firm Silliman and Silliman. In the 1970s he developed a design for what would become the patented ROTOTILLER antenna, a circularly polarized FM broadcast antenna, which rapidly became popular for FM stations. Under his leadership, ERI developed many RF innovations, such as a dual feed antenna system that accommodated IBOC stations’ analog and digital transmissions. He was also a noted expert on multi-station transmitter sites, with ERI antenna and combining systems used at major sites around the country. Tom shares this award with his father, Robert M. Silliman, who received the same award in 1993.
Antoon (Tony) Uyttendaele spent 25 years working for the ABC network, beginning in 1975, having previously worked as a design engineer for Harris Broadcast in Illinois, RCA labs in Switzerland and PTE Ltd in the UK. A strong advocate for the 720p video format, his efforts led to the acceptance of the format and adoption by several broadcast networks, including ABC. He was also the international chairman of the ITU-R Working Party on Satellite News Gathering which developed numerous recommendations that made SNG practical. In addition, he chaired the ATSC Specialist Group on Ghost Canceling, which resulted in the adoption of the ghost canceling reference (GCR) signal standard, subsequently adopted by the FCC. Officially retiring from ABC in 2000, he continued serving as a consultant for ABC.
Jack Sellmeyer was principal engineer for his consulting firm, Sellmeyer Engineering. In addition to serving his consulting clients, he was deeply involved in educational work to assist other engineers and lectured at and helped organize NAB technical seminars and workshops dealing with AM directional antennas and has published numerous technical articles. Having started his broadcast career while in high school, in 1969 he became a senior design engineer for FM products at the Gates Radio division of Harris, where he developed a new modulator and automatic frequency control module for the TE-1 solid state FM exciter. He then worked for the Collins Radio division of Rockwell International as a Senior Engineer, where he designed low-level solid state cards used in the Collins pulse width modulated 5 kW AM transmitter. When Collins closed its doors in 1980, he formed his broadcast consulting firm Sellmeyer Engineering.
Sterling Davis was Vice President, Engineering for Cox Broadcasting, responsible for the engineering aspects of Cox’s 15 television and 80 radio stations. He advanced the Cox group stations towards file-based newsgathering as well as automated news production and shepherded Cox’s transition to digital for both television and radio stations. An active participant in industry activities, he chaired the technical activities group of the Open Mobile Video Coalition, MSTV’s Engineering Committee and the ATSC Planning Committee, studying the next stages in the evolution of DTV. He began his career as an audio engineer at the ABC network, then moved to KTTV, Vidtronics and Telemation Productions before joining Cox’s KTVU in Oakland in 1982 as director of operations and then became Cox VP in 1986.
You were just glued to the screen. That song came on the radio. The best NAB Show you ever attended.
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