FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NAB CEO and NHK Laboratory Director General to Address ATSC Membership

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14, 2011 - Paving the way for next-generation digital television (DTV) standards, the Advanced Television Systems Committee, Inc. is planning its 2011 Annual Meeting on May 10, headlined by broadcasting luminaries.

Senator Gordon Smith, President and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), will be the opening keynote speaker at the event, held at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. Smith served in the U.S. Senate from 1996 to 2008, where his committee assignments included the Senate Commerce Committee, the panel that oversees all broadcast-related legislation. As NAB president since 2009, he is a passionate advocate for television and radio broadcasters, and a champion for innovation in new technologies like mobile DTV and Internet-enabled TV.

Keiichi Kubota, Director General of the NHK Science and Technology Research Laboratories, will be the afternoon keynote speaker. Dr. Kubota has extensive experience in the areas of satellite transmission systems of HDTV, signal processing for HDTV, and subjective assessment of HDTV picture quality. A pioneer in the field of high-definition television, he is a past participant in various HDTV standardization activities in SMPTE, ATSC, and the FCC Advisory Committee on Advanced Television Service. Particularly noteworthy is his leadership in Japan’s nationwide rollout of NHK’s terrestrial digital broadcasting services.

"We are honored to have Senator Smith and Dr. Kubota address our members and guests," said ATSC President Mark Richer. "These two leaders will provide us with keen insights on the future of broadcasting, a future that the ATSC is helping to define."

"The ATSC Annual Meeting is a must-attend event for technologists, policymakers, broadcasters and manufacturers," said ATSC Board Chairman John Godfrey. "This year’s keynote speakers will deliver unique perspectives that help put our important standards work into context."

Additional speakers and program details will be announced shortly. Registration for the event is available on the ATSC website.

Supporters of the ATSC Annual Meeting include Gold Sponsors Harris, IEEE BTS, LG Electronics USA, Samsung; and Silver Sponsors Ericsson and Thomson.

The Advanced Television Systems Committee is an international, non-profit organization developing voluntary standards for digital television. The ATSC member organizations represent the broadcast, broadcast equipment, motion picture, consumer electronics, computer, cable, satellite, and semiconductor industries. ATSC creates and fosters implementation of voluntary Standards and Recommended Practices to advance terrestrial digital television broadcasting, and to facilitate interoperability with other media.

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Contact Lindsay Shelton-Gross, ATSC (202) 872-9160, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it