2024 Conference Speakers
Winston Caldwell
Standards/Engineering Lead for Pearl TV
M. Winston Caldwell, P.E. is a licensed Professional Engineer with over twenty-five years of Electrical Engineering experience, specializing in Network Communications, Security, and Standards Development. He is currently a Consulting Engineer with clients such as Pearl TV, the A3SA, and the NAB. He has spent the majority of his career in the broadcasting industry as the VP of Advanced Engineering for Fox Corporation. In the past, he has served as a Systems Engineer in the computer systems industry with EMC Corporation and as a Senior Data Systems Engineer in the aerospace industry with the Boeing Company. Caldwell contributed to the development of the ATSC 3.0 suite of Standards, shaping the future of advanced broadcasting technology. He led the development and operational deployment of the A3SA security system used to protect broadcast content and NEXTGEN TV services. He redesigned and helped file for approval most of the FOX Television's Owned and Operated stations' broadcast antennas during the DTV transition's maximization period. Caldwell’s expertise has been utilized in regulatory matters, domestically at the FCC and internationally at the ITU, for the determination of compatibility requirements between the established broadcasting services and other potentially interfering services. He is a certified AWS Solutions Architect and a graduate of Google’s Advanced Solutions Lab on Machine Learning. Caldwell has held various leadership positions at NAB, NABA, ATSC, SMPTE, IEEE, and A3SA. He received his Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering from Vanderbilt University and his Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California.
Steve Calzone
Partner at Shift2Stream
Steve Calzone is a Partner at Shift2Stream, with over 30 years of media technology industry experience. He has authored and been awarded over a dozen patents on interactive television and related applications of technology. Steve has held engineering and executive management positions at Shift2Stream, DTV Consulting, Cox Communications and Scientific-Atlanta. He currently serves as Chairman of the ATSC TG3/S37 Specialist Group on Conversion and Redistribution of ATSC 3.0 Services. At Shift2Stream, Steve is helping to deliver consumer devices with NextGen TV.
Bob Campbell
Head of Technology, Strategy and Partnerships, Global Conformance and Interoperability, at Resillion
Dr Bob Campbell is Head of Technology, Strategy and Partnerships, Global Conformance and Interoperability, at Resillion, the global quality engineering and cyber security specialist. With over 12 years of experience, he has played a pivotal role in developing standards from abstract documents to successful implementation, through creation of effective conformance and interoperability schemes. Notably, Dr. Campbell has contributed to HbbTV in Europe and NEXTGEN TV in the U.S. Currently, he chairs both the HbbTV’s Improving Interoperability Task Force and ATSC’s Implementation Team 3 for ATSC 3.0 Conformance.
Brendan Carr
Senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission
Commissioner Brendan Carr is the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, having served previously as the FCC’s General Counsel. Nominated by both President Trump and President Biden, Carr has been confirmed unanimously by the Senate three times.
Described by Axios as “the FCC’s 5G crusader,” Carr has led the FCC’s work to modernize its infrastructure rules and accelerate the buildout of high-speed networks. His reforms cut billions of dollars in red tape, enabled the private sector to construct high-speed networks in communities across the country, and extended America’s global leadership in 5G.
Commissioner Carr is also focused on expanding America’s skilled workforce—the tower climbers and construction crews needed to build next-gen networks. His jobs initiative promotes community colleges and apprenticeships as a pipeline for good-paying 5G jobs. He is recognizing America’s talented tower crews through a series of “5G Ready” Hard Hat presentations.
Commissioner Carr leads a groundbreaking telehealth initiative at the FCC. The Connected Care Pilot Program supports the delivery of high-quality care to low-income Americans and veterans.
Commissioner Carr’s time outside of Washington helps inform his approach to the job. He regularly hits the road to hear directly from community members and learn how changes in federal policies could help improve their lives.
Commissioner Carr brings nearly 20 years of private and public sector experience in communications and tech policy to his position. Before joining the FCC as a staffer back in 2012, he worked as an attorney at Wiley Rein LLP in the firm’s appellate, litigation, and telecom practices. Previously, Commissioner Carr clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit for Judge Dennis Shedd. After attending Georgetown University for his undergrad, Commissioner Carr earned his J.D. magna cum laude from the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law where he served as an editor of the Catholic University Law Review.
Commissioner Carr lives in Virginia with his wife and three kids.
Zandra Clarke
SMPTE
Zandra Clarke is a seasoned broadcast professional at Warner Bros. Discovery. Responsible for coordinating NBA on TNT transmission logistics for all broadcasts, All-Star Weekend, Play-off, and Conference Finals. She provides world-class customer support that reinforces Warner Bros. Discovery's brand of excellence and flexibility. She has coordinated the transmission of various live sports and entertainment broadcasts.
A Society of Broadcast Engineering, Certified Television Operator. Currently a Director of Membership, she has served as Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer for both; the Society of Motion Pictures and Television Engineers and the Society of Satellites Professionals International of Atlanta.
Lynn-Claudy
Senior Vice President of Technology for the National Association of Broadcasters
Lynn Claudy is Senior Vice President of Technology for the National Association of Broadcasters in Washington DC, the premier advocacy organization for America’s broadcasters. He joined NAB in 1988 as a staff engineer and held positions of director of advanced engineering and technology and vice president before assuming his present position in 1995. Prior to joining NAB, Lynn was employed by Hoppmann Corporation, a communications systems integration firm for corporate and government clients where he held a variety of technical and management positions, as well as a part-time Professor of Physics at American University. Previous to that, he was a development engineer at Shure Brothers Inc., a manufacturer of professional and consumer audio equipment.
In addition to his role representing the technical interests of NAB’s radio and television members in standards organizations and other forums, Lynn is a member, current Vice Chair and former Chair (2019-2021) of the Board of Directors for the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC), an appointed member of the FCC Technological Advisory Council (TAC), a former member of the FCC Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council (CSRIC), a Fellow of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), member of the Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE), the Audio Engineering Society (AES), the Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers (AFCCE), a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and 2016 recipient of the IEEE Jules Cohen Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award. Lynn has a B.A. degree in music from Oberlin College, a B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, and a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Deniz Coker
Deniz Coker Productions
Deniz Coker has over a decade of experience in the digital media and entertainment industry, has worked on multiple Emmy/award-winning productions and has been a member of the Television Academy. After attending the Parsons School of Design and New York University, Deniz worked in film and TV production. He became a Senior Producer at 21st Century Fox, and later The Walt Disney Company, where he helped run a creative studio producing original branded content and interactive advertising.
Deniz has supported top brands launching Super Bowl spots, marketed major theatrical releases, and won awards for innovating a few industry firsts. He owns Deniz Coker Productions, a Virginia-based creative company servicing the entertainment industry.
Mark Corl
SVP of Emergent Technology Development at Triveni Digital
Mark Corl is the SVP of Emergent Technology Development at Triveni Digital. His team focuses on strategies to address the disruptive changes in TV technology caused by the continuing exponential advances in computing and networking primarily leveraging the new capabilities offered by ATSC 3.0. Their recent focus has been directed toward data distribution innovation supporting educational datacasting and the emerging Broadcast Positioning System technology. Mark has also been providing education and consulting for many organizations interested in adopting the new ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard.
Mark is a recent ATSC board member and contributes extensively to the ATSC efforts as the chair of the S38 Specialist Group on Interactive Environment, the chair of the Caribbean Implementation Team and the chair of the India Implementation Team currently in hiatus. Mark is also a contributor to many of the documents comprising the overall ATSC 3.0 standard.
During his 27-year tenure at Triveni Digital, Mark has led both product development efforts as well as custom projects. Prior to Triveni Digital, Mark was a software engineer and system architect for Xerox Corporation and had a software engineering position at Texas Instruments. Mark holds a B.S. in Mathematics and Computer Science from Bucknell University.
Company Profile:
For nearly 30 years, Triveni Digital has been developing systems that enable television service providers and broadcasters to deploy enhanced programs and services to their viewers. Triveni Digital’s products for program guides and metadata management, data broadcasting, and service quality assurance are renowned for their ease of use and innovative features. Working with leading industry partners, Triveni Digital employs an open and standards-compliant approach to the digital television market.
Mary Crebassa
Vice President of Major Accounts, LTN
Mary Crebassa has more than 20 years of experience in business development and strategic planning for the media and entertainment, broadcast, and telecommunications industries. Mary earned a BS from California Polytechnic State University and was recognized as the university’s Honored Alumna in 2003 and 2021 for outstanding accomplishments, leadership, and meritorious service.
Aldo Cugnini
President of AGC Systems LLC
AGC Systems LLC is a video/audio/broadcast technology consulting firm, and is well known in the broadcast industry. His current clients are Philips and Sinclair, and past clients include the Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica, WNET, Funai, and GE. He has held various technical and management positions at Philips Electronics, CBS Laboratories, and other technology companies. He is currently involved in the rollout and ongoing development of the ATSC3.0 system.
His achievements include 14 patents in the fields of broadcasting and consumer electronics, and is the author of numerous papers and publications, including chapters in two editions of the NAB Engineering Handbook. He had a leadership role in the development of the ATSC 1.0System and had a key role in the specification, development and marketing of the NTIA Coupon-Eligible Digital Converter box.
Aldo is a Member of the ATSC, is Chair of the ATSC Expert Group on ITU, Vice-Chair of ATSC Planning Team 4 –Future Broadcast Ecosystem Technologies, and is Co-Chair of the ITU-R Rapporteur Group on ATSC 3.0. He holds FCC Commercial and Amateur Radiotelephone Licenses.
Vinnie Curren
Principal at Breakthrough Public Media Consulting, Inc., and senior consultant to Public Media Venture Group
Vincent Curren is the principal of Breakthrough Public Media Consulting. Breakthrough helps public media companies navigate today’s converging and competitive media world. As a senior consultant to the Public Media Venture Group, Curren is particularly focused on helping public television stations leverage the power of Next Generation TV to bring new levels of service to local communities across the country. Curren also advises stations on overall strategy, organizational development, and technology.
Prior to forming Breakthrough Public Media Consulting, Curren served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. He served in that role from 2006 until 2015. Before being named COO, Curren was senior vice president for radio at CPB.
Curren has held positions of general manager, development director, chief engineer, and business manager in public radio. He has served on the boards of the Development Exchange (now Greater Public) and the Station Resource Group, where he was elected board chair for several terms. Since 2017 Curren has served on the advisory board of the James and Mary Quello Center at Michigan State University.
Ed Czarnecki
Vice President for Global and Government Affairs at Digital Alert Systems
Edward Czarnecki serves as the Vice President for Global and Government Affairs at Digital Alert Systems, a leading provider of emergency information solutions for broadcast and cable media. In this role, Ed drives the development and adoption of advanced emergency alerting technologies and standards, forging strategic partnerships with industry leaders, government agencies, and other stakeholders to enhance public warning and emergency communications. He currently serves as vice-chair of the ATSC Advanced Emergency Information Implementation Team (IT-1) and is chair of ATSC’s AHG 3-10 (Emergency Alerts). Additionally, Ed is the chairman and executive director of the NextGen Video Information Systems Alliance (NVISA), an international coalition of manufacturers and broadcasters dedicated to advancing ATSC 3.0. Beyond his responsibilities as the company's liaison to standards bodies, Ed has played a pivotal role in key FCC and FEMA emergency alerting committees, serves on Canada’s Alert Technical Working Group, and has provided advisory support to several nations on the deployment of emergency information and public warning systems. His extensive experience and leadership in the field have made significant contributions to the innovation and reliability of emergency alert systems worldwide.
Brady Dreasler
A native of Quincy, Illinois, Dreasler began his career with Quincy Media, Inc. at WGEM. In 1997 Dreasler became Quincy Media’s Corporate Director of Engineering. Then in 2021 joined Gray Television as Corporate Director of NextGen Technologies.
Dreasler currently serves as the Past Chairman of NAB’s Technology Committee, ATSC Liaison committee, NAB representative on the North American Broadcast Association, ATSC A3SA Technical Working Group, Elder at Faith Presbyterian Church and has served in Senior leadership positions on numerous Community and Broadcast boards.
Dreasler and his wife, Cheryl, have three grown children, one grandchild and two spoiled German Shepards
Jon Fairhurst
Principal Standards Engineer, Samsung Research America
Jon Fairhurst has worked in the broadcast equipment and consumer electronics industries for over three decades. He is a past member of the ATSC board, now chairs ATSC S33 (Specialist Group on Management and Protocols) and is also the chair of CTA’s Television Manufacturers Caucus and CTA R4 WG18 (Receivers for Next Generation Broadcast Television).
Skip Flenniken
VP & GM, Technology Business Development at Sinclair Broadcast Group
Skip Flenniken, VP & GM, Technology Business Development at Sinclair Broadcast Group, is managing Sinclair’s ATSC 3.0 commercialization efforts. He has worked extensively on the development of a wide variety of ATSC 3.0-enabled business models, spectrum issues, technology solutions, and content opportunities.
In a previous role as Sinclair’s AVP Business Development, Skip served as a finance executive overseeing the creation, development and launch of a wide variety of business models.
Prior to joining Sinclair in 2014, Skip worked as a management consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton. He holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA in Economics and Communications from Vanderbilt University.
Rob Folliard
Senior Vice President, Government Relations & Distribution, for Gray Television
Robert Folliard is Senior Vice President, Government Relations & Distribution, for Gray Television, which is the second largest local broadcast group by revenue in the United States. At Gray, Rob oversees Gray’s activities on Capitol Hill and at the FCC. Rob also is responsible for Gray’s relationships with cable and satellite operators and negotiates Gray’s retransmission consent agreements. Rob is the Chairman of Pearl TV, which is a venture of local broadcasters spearheading the NextGen TV transition. Prior to joining Gray, Rob was an associate in the Communications practice group at Cooley, LLP and Dow Lohnes, PLLC.
Richard Friedel
Board Chair, ATSC: Broadcast.Advocate
Recently retired from Fox Corporation, Richard Friedel has started a consultancy named Broadcast.Advocate.
During his 26-year career at Fox, Richard held positions as EVP of Engineering at Fox Television Stations and EVP Technology & Broadcast Strategy for 21st Century Fox where he drove the company’s ATSC 3.0 efforts.
As EVP & General Manager of Fox’s Network Engineering & Operations group, Richard led technology strategy and was responsible for day-to-day television operations. That included the Fox Network Center in Los Angeles, as well as the Houston Technical Operations Center, home of Fox Sports’ regional networks. Before joining Fox, Richard held various leadership and engineering positions at Capital Cities/ABC, NBC News and local television and radio stations.
In addition to being chairman of ATSC, Richard serves as President of the Video Services Forum. He is also a fellow of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, a life member of the Audio Engineering Society and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and a member of the Society of Broadcast Engineers.
Richard was honored by the National Association of Broadcasters with the 2015 NAB Engineering Achievement Award, bestowed to individuals nominated by their peers for significant contributions to advancing the state of the art in broadcast engineering. In 2018, he received an Emmy for lifetime achievement from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. In 2022, Friedel was recognized with the International Achievement Award from the North American Broadcasters Association.
Paul Hearty
Samsung
Paul Hearty has been involved in the development and standardization of advanced television systems since the early 1980s. He has worked with the International Telecommunications Union, in the FCC Advisory Committee on Advanced Television Service (ACATS), and in standards development organizations, such as ATSC, CTA, SCTE, and SMPTE. Paul currently is Chief Standards Strategist in Samsung Research America’s Video Solutions, where he leads standardization activities in ATSC and in other standards development organizations; his activities comprise ATSC 3.0 and other technologies. Previously, he was Vice President Technical Standards at Sony, where he spearheaded Sony and partner efforts in ATSC 3.0. He began his professional career at the Communications Research Centre, Government of Canada. He founded the Advanced Television Evaluation Laboratory, which carried out tests on behalf of ACATS, leading to ATSC 1.0. Later, as a Vice President at General Instrument/Motorola, he led in the deployment of commercial and direct-to-home satellite broadcast technologies, as well as digital compression technology for satellite and cable. Paul served previously on the ATSC Board and on its predecessor, the ATSC Executive Committee. He has served on the Board and Executive Committee of SMPTE. He holds a PhD from Queen’s University Canada. Paul has received one Technical Emmy and has been recognized for his contributions to four others. He is an Inaugural Inductee to the Consumer Electronics Association’s Academy of DTV Pioneers, and he is a Fellow of SMPTE.
Robin Herin
Director of Standardization within the CTO Office at Ateme
Robin Hérin is a Director of Standardization within the CTO Office at Ateme, where he helps the Research & Innovation team develop future technologies for video processing and delivery, and drive partnership projects and standardization.
Now in his ninth year at Ateme and his career, Robin has previously worked in both South & North America as a Solutions Architect before moving to NY and focusing on expanding Ateme’s footprint in the North-East, including the first Ateme POCs & deployments in both ATSC 1.0 & 3.0.
Robin holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Université de Technologie de Compiègne (France)
Brett Jenkins
Executive Vice President and Chief Technology & Digital Officer at Nexstar
Brett Jenkins was appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Technology & Digital Officer in April 2023. Mr. Jenkins is responsible for the Company’s technology, data and digital operations as well as the development and deployment of advanced technologies including ATSC 3.0.
Prior to his current role, Mr. Jenkins served as Nexstar’s Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer. He joined Nexstar in 2017, following the company’s acquisition of Media General, where he was Vice President and Chief Technology from December 2014 to January 2017. At Media General, Mr. Jenkins was responsible for overseeing the company’s IT and engineering functions for its broadcast and digital businesses.
Prior to Media General, Mr. Jenkins was Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of LIN Media from 2011 to 2014. He also held technology positions of increasing responsibility at ION Media Networks, Thales Broadcast & Multimedia and Thomson.
Mr. Jenkins currently serves on the Board of the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC), an international, non-profit organization that develops standards for digital television.
Faisal Khan
Executive Director of the Next Generation Warning System grant program at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Faisal Khan is the Executive Director of the Next Generation Warning System grant program at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Prior to joining CPB, he served as the Executive Director of IRUSA Foundation, an international relief and development organization. He started his career at KPMG where he developed expertise in strategic planning, analytics, and project management. Faisal's passion for community safety led him to volunteer as a firefighter and participate in humanitarian relief efforts worldwide.
Rick Kowalski
Senior Director of Business Intelligence at the Consumer Technology Association
Rick Kowalski is the Senior Director of Business Intelligence at the Consumer Technology Association. Overseeing CTA's forecasting efforts, Rick assesses the trajectory of emerging technologies and quantifies growth opportunities on the horizon. In his 18 years with CTA, Rick has reported on the evolution of technologies such as 5G, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, streaming services, smart home and digital health. He has analyzed the industry-wide impacts of the U.S.-China trade war, the worldwide semiconductor shortage and the COVID-19 pandemic. Rick has been quoted in USA Today, CNBC, The Verge, VentureBeat and Fast Company. He holds bachelor's degrees in cognitive science and psychology and a Master of Library Science from University at Buffalo.
Brian Lawlor
President, Scripps Sports
Brian Lawlor was named President, Scripps Sports, in December 2022, responsible for the strategic focus and development of partnerships for all sports rights for The E.W. Scripps Company’s ION Network and its local television stations.Brian started Scripps Sports as its first employee and oversaw the development of the brand, staffing and focus that, within a year, successfully launched national franchises for the WNBA and NWSL and acquired the local broadcast rights to the Vegas Golden Knights, and Arizona Coyotes of the NHL and the NCAA’s Big Sky Conference.
Prior to stepping into this role, Brian spent 14 years leading Scripps’ Local Media division, which included oversight of the company’s 61 television stations as well as local digital and OTT operations and Scripps’ local programming initiatives.
As president of Local Media, Brian oversaw the rapid growth of the company’s broadcasting assets from 10 TV stations in 2009 to a portfolio of 61 stations, which makes Scripps one of the largest ownersof TV stations in the country. He also oversaw the acquisition of the Katz multicast networks and the launch of Court TV. He had responsibility for the company’s 35 radio stations from 2015-2018, when Scripps exited the radio business.
Brian is a past chairman of the ABC Board of Governors and a former president and chairman of the NBC Affiliates Board. He also previously served as the television board chairman for the National Association of Broadcasters.
Curtis LeGeyt
President and CEO, National Association of Broadcasters
Curtis LeGeyt is the president and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters. In this role, he serves as the chief advocate for America’s free, local television and radio broadcasters. He previously served as the chief operating officer of the association before assuming his current role in January 2022. Prior to that, Curtis served as the executive vice president, Government Relations, from 2015-2020. Curtis also serves on the Board of Directors of the NAB Leadership Foundation and the Broadcasters Foundation of America.
During his time at NAB, Curtis has led several highly successful efforts to advocate for laws that strengthen broadcasters’ ability to innovate and serve their communities. This includes permanent reauthorization of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act Reauthorization (STELAR), inclusion of $1 billion in RAY BAUM’s Act to reimburse stations impacted by the spectrum auction repack, and successful passage of the Music Modernization Act.
Prior to joining NAB in 2011, Curtis served as the senior counsel to then-Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (VT). In that role, Curtis advised the chairman and committee on intellectual property, antitrust and First Amendment issues. Previously, Curtis was an associate at Howrey LLP, a law firm in Washington, D.C., where he worked on antitrust litigation and merger reviews. Curtis began his career as a management consultant for Putnam Associates and worked on the staff of the 2008 Obama For America presidential campaign.
Curtis serves on the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention’s Executive Committee, as well as the board of Tracy’s Kids, a nonprofit helping children with cancer. He is also an alumnus of Leadership Music, a Nashville-based program that fosters community and collaboration among music industry leaders.
Curtis received his J.D. from Cornell University Law School and his B.A. from Providence College in quantitative economics. He resides in Washington, D.C., with his wife Kacey and their three children.
Allison Martin
VP, Innovation & Strategy at National Association of Broadcasters
Alison Martin bridges technology, policy, and law at the National Association of Broadcasters. She fosters partnerships through the PILOT initiative to drive innovation in the broadcast industry, focusing on Next Gen Television and Artificial Intelligence.Previously, she tackled global video policy at Meta (Facebook) and served as Deputy Chief Technologist at the Federal Communications Commission. She holds a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and a J.D. from Georgetown University.
Patrick McFadden
Senior Vice President for Global Public Policy and Communications for Sinclair
Patrick McFadden is Senior Vice President for Global Public Policy and Communications for Sinclair. In this role, he oversees the development and implementation of Sinclair’s legislative and regulatory strategy to support its policy goals, as well as Sinclair’s strategic communications. Prior to joining Sinclair, Patrick was Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at the National Association of Broadcasters, where he was involved in multiple complex regulatory proceedings and advocacy campaigns. Patrick received his law degree from the George Washington University Law School, and his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University. He currently lives in Arlington, Virginia, with his wife and two dogs.
Tariq Mondal
VP, Advanced Technology at the National Association of Broadcasters
Tariq I. Mondal is VP, Advanced Technology at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) in Washington, DC. He is involved in Next Gen TV innovation projects. He is one of the original proponents and champions of Broadcast Positioning System (BPS). Tariq is an expert in wireless communications, signal processing, software development, and wireless geolocation.
Prior to joining NAB, Tariq worked in R&D divisions at CommScope and Andrew Corporation developing wireless geolocation solutions. He led cross-functional teams, managed projects, designed systems, developed algorithms, developed software/firmware, developed intellectual property strategies, and managed patent portfolios. Prior to CommScope, Tariq worked at Hughes Network System designing wireless and satellite communication systems, developing wireless modem ASICs, implementing receiver algorithms in DSP, and developing embedded software for satellite receivers.
Tariq holds BS in Electrical Engineering from BUET, MS in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech, and MBA from University of Maryland. He is the inventor/co-inventor of 20 PNT-focused patents.
Madeleine Noland
President, ATSC
Madeleine Noland is the President of the Advanced Television Systems Committee Inc. A 20-year industry veteran who is widely respected for her consensus-building leadership style, she chaired the technology group that oversees the ATSC 3.0 next-generation broadcast standard before being named ATSC President in May 2019. Previously, she chaired various ATSC 3.0-related specialist groups, ad hoc groups and implementation teams since 2012.
Noland began her career in the television industry in 2004 with Backchannelmedia Inc., an interactive television technology developer. It was during her work there that she first became involved in ATSC projects. In 2012, she moved on to product and project management roles at Telvue Corp. before joining LG Electronics CTO’s office in 2013. Noland represented LG in a variety of industry organizations for over six years.
Most recently, Madeleine was awarded the prestigious 2022 David Sarnoff Medal by the Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers (SMPTE) in a ceremony held in Hollywood, California. She has also received TV NewsCheck’s “2019 Futurist” Women in Technology Award and was named one of 2018’s “Powerful Women in Consumer Technology” by Dealerscope magazine. In 2016, while the Chair of TG-3, she received the ATSC’s highest technical honor, the Bernard J. Lechner Outstanding Contributor Award recognizing her leadership related to the development of ATSC 3.0 Next Gen TV.
Credited on three U.S. patents for television technology, Noland is a member of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers – Broadcast Technology Society. Noland graduated cum laude from the University of Massachusetts. She enjoys travel, and she plays keyboards in a band called “Brave Pursuit.”
Kerry Oslund
VP, Enterprise Strategy & Business Development, The E.W. Scripps Company
Kerry Oslund is vice president of enterprise strategy and business development for The E.W. Scripps Company, where he focuses on driving the company’s adoption and strategic initiatives around ATSC 3.0 broadcasting technology and other significant business development ventures.
Prior to joining Scripps, Oslund was vice president of strategy and business development at Tribune Media. There, he was pivotal in aligning the company’s business strategies with emerging ATSC 3.0 standards. He also spearheaded advanced television advertising initiatives, including dynamic ad insertion and real-time TV analytics, and helped Tribune launch a successful podcast network.
From 2009-2016, Oslund worked for Schurz Communications as senior vice president of publishing and digital, where he oversaw daily operations of TV, radio, print and cable businesses and led M&A strategy.
Oslund’s extensive industry experience includes leadership roles at Gannett Broadcasting (now TEGNA), Lee Enterprises, Walt Disney Company, KCAL-TV and USA Today.
A six-time regional Emmy winner, he also is an appointed board director for Pearl TV and an elected board director or ATSC.
Skip Pizzi
Owner and Principal at Skip Pizzi Media Consultant LLC
Skip Pizzi is Owner and Principal at Skip Pizzi Media Consultant LLC, a media technology consulting firm based in the Philadelphia area. Previously he has held technology staff positions at NPR, Microsoft, and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), with over a decade of service at each organization. He has authored, co-authored, or edited several books—most recently, A Broadcast Engineering Tutorial for Non-Engineers (published by Focal Press)—and has been an editor and featured columnist for numerous broadcast, audio and digital media industry trade publications.
Skip has served as Vice Chair of the Advanced Television Systems Committee’s Technology Group 3 (TG3, which developed the ATSC 3.0 standard) since its inception, and chairs the ATSC Brazil Implementation Team (IT-4), which is working with Brazilian broadcasters and technologists to design that country’s next-generation television standard. He is also Vice Chair of ATSC’s Automotive Implementation Team (IT-8), and document editor for the core ATSC 3.0 standard, A/300, ATSC 3.0 System.
Skip currently represents both Zenith/LG Electronics and Fraunhofer USA at ATSC, and served as Project Manager for the NextGen TV transition in New York City. He is also Senior Advisor to the Public Media Venture Group (PMVG). Skip was the 2017 recipient of ATSC’s Bernard J. Lechner Outstanding Contributor Award, the organization’s highest technical honor. He has also received the Audio Engineering Society’s Board of Governors Award, and the Public Radio Regional Organizations’ PRRO Award.
He is a graduate of Georgetown University, where he studied International Economics, Electrical Engineering and Fine Arts.
Anne Schelle
Managing Director of Pearl TV
Anne Schelle is Managing Director of Pearl TV, a business alliance of 8 of the larger broadcast TV companies with a shared interest in exploring forward-looking opportunities, including innovative ways of promoting local TV content and developing digital media and wireless platforms for the broadcast industry. Pearl TV companies reach 99% of the U.S. population with more than 820 local TV stations.
Anne has more than two decades of wireless and media industry experience. Schelle was founder and President of APS Connext LLC, providing senior-level advisory services to some of the nation’s largest public media companies focused on the future of digital media.
An innovator who is experienced in advising established companies and startups, Schelle served previously as senior advisor to the NAB and as Executive Director of the Open Mobile Video Coalition, where she led outreach efforts by broadcasters to introduce Mobile TV services.
Anne was a founding management team member for several companies, including the nation’s first commercial digital cellular network American Personal Communications, dba Sprint Spectrum and also xDSL Networks, a competitive local exchange carrier.
She also served as manager of business development at LCC Inc., a cellular engineering consulting firm, and was a financial analyst for McCaw Cellular Communications, MCI/Airsignal. She is also a past venture partner and CEO of Acta Wireless. Anne currently serves as board chair of the ATSC 3.0 Security Alliance (A3SA), as well as a board member of WYPR, Maryland’s Public Radio Station, and the Wise Giving Alliance, Give.org. She formerly served on the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) Board, as Vice Chairman of the Mobile Marketing Association’s North American Board and founding chair of its video committee and as a founding member of the advisory board of the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering for Professionals
Alan Stein
Vice President, Technology and Standards at V-Nova
Alan Stein is Vice President, Technology and Standards at V-Nova. Alan is a long-time leader in many important media and entertainment standards organizations, including MPEG, DVB, SCTE, CTA and ATSC. Alan has chaired the ATSC 3.0 Video Specialist Group S41 since 2013, and has also chaired the ATSC International Planning Team PT-6 since its inception in 2019. He received ATSC’s prestigious Bernard J. Lechner Award in 2021.
Alan’s career prior to V-Nova includes years as a research staff member at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, DSP architect at Ariel Corporation, multimedia software consultant at Sarnoff and Bell Labs, and more than 20 years at Thomson/Technicolor/InterDigital, working on video codec development, IPTV and streaming, R&D management, and technology and standards strategy. He holds 17 granted patents in the realm of digital video. Alan was appointed as a Technicolor Fellow in 2015.
John Taylor
LG Electronics
John Taylor is the long-time ATSC Communications Chairman, returning to the ATSC Board of Directors for 2023-24 after previously serving two board terms in the 2010s. As Senior Vice President for LG Electronics USA, he is most senior U.S. government affairs, public relations, industry relations executive for LG and its U.S. & subsidiary Zenith. Among various digital television activities, Taylor co-founded and was a driving force behind the Digital TV Transition Coalition in the 2000s and was Public Affairs Chairman of the Digital HDTV Grand Alliance in the 1990s. He is a founding member of the Steering Committee and current Chairman of the AWARN Alliance, and he serves on boards of trustees of The Media Institute and the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation. Taylor is the longest-serving member and past two-time chairman of the Video Division of the Consumer Technology Association, where he also previously chaired the CTA Communications Committee, Video Promotion committee, 4K UHD Working Group and HDTV Promotion committee.
Lonna Thompson
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, America’s Public Television Stations
Lonna Thompson is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for America’s Public Television Stations (APTS).
In this role, Lonna supervises the operations of the organization. Additionally, she oversees the legal affairs and regulatory work of the organization. In 2024, the APTS Board of Trustees presented the APTS Champion of Public Television Award to Lonna for her work on behalf of public television stations for over three decades.
Lonna has been with APTS since 1994. Before joining APTS, she was a communications lawyer in private practice for 10 years. While in private practice, Lonna represented broadcast and public safety clients. Before entering law, Lonna worked as a university teaching assistant, and a high school English and mass media teacher.
Lonna received her JD degree from the Georgetown University Law Center. She also received a master’s degree in communications studies from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, and a bachelor's degree in English from Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania.
Mitch Weinraub
USA Point of Contact for VBox Communications and Founder, Weinraub Media
In his 20+ years with Evoca TV, Comcast, Primestar (purchased by DirecTV in 1999), Insight Communications (purchased by TWC in 2012) and DISH/Sling, Mitch has held roles in product development, business development, and operations management. Regardless of title, he usually focuses on the invention, business case development, construction and launch of new technology products or new lines of business. Mitch is currently a consultant focused on product development in the ATSC3.0, streaming and set-top-box space. Recently, Mitch led the development and launch of the Pilot STB for Evoca TV, combining ATSC1, ATSC3.0 and streaming to provide a unique package of programming to consumers.
Josh Weiss
Co-Founder and CEO of ARK Multicasting and CEO of Nexus Connect
Joshua is Co-Founder and CEO of ARK Multicasting and CEO of Nexus Connect. ARK is the largest unencumbered broadcast internet network in the US. Through a joint venture, Nexus Connect has combined the Mobius intelligent platform enabling endless disruptive opportunities of services and platforms. Through Nexus Connect, partners of infrastructure, technology, content, and experience providers, and marketplace operators can harvest new opportunities that AI digital transformation brings in unprecedented ways. He’s a published author, award-winning television producer, and broadcast industry leader. He has a MA in strategic communications and is a Ph.D. candidate in communications at Regent University.
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