Someone You Should Know: Fred Willard

Posted on August 17, 2026 in ATSC News

For Fred Willard, a career in broadcast engineering was an unexpected but remarkably natural match for his passion for languages and international culture. After four years of Spanish university studies, Willard found the perfect intersection of his technical background and Spanish-language media more than 25 years ago, when he was installing and maintaining television transmitters for a well-known American manufacturer at Televisa/Univision Communications stations. What began as a professional relationship has now reached its silver anniversary.

Today, Fred manages technical operations in the Washington, D.C., market for Televisa. His work is anything but routine. Every day brings a unique technical challenge. His responsibilities range from supporting local news operations and small commercial productions to handling the complex technical requirements of major events, including presidential inaugurations.

He also oversees maintenance of image and aural workflows and equipment, participates in facility construction and design, and works on large transmission systems and infrastructure. There is always something new to ponder, every day is unique and he gets to wear many hats.

Fred became interested in ATSC 3.0 and was drawn to the robust reception capabilities of OFDM modulation schemes and had the opportunity to participate in an early nationwide ATSC 3.0 test bed in 2018, when his media company helped host testing at its Phoenix, Arizona, transmitter site.

His involvement extends beyond hands-on engineering. As a board member of the Society of Broadcast Engineers and a member of its Education Committee, Fred is a strong proponent of the SBE ATSC 3.0 certification credential. He encourages both newcomers and experienced professionals in the industry to pursue the certification.

Rather than describing himself as a scientist focused on the deepest theoretical aspects of the standard, Fred sees his role as that of an advocate and practical user. As an RF specialist, he is involved in hands-on integration and testing of off-the-shelf systems and IP delivery arrangements, while also specifying and modifying transmission systems with an eye toward future ATSC 3.0 compatibility.

He readily credits his Televisa colleagues for the more intricate engineering work behind NextGen TV. “I defer to a truly wise and brilliant cohort of colleagues whom I am blessed to be employed with at Televisa for the precise engineering intricacies of NextGen TV.”

What excites him most about ATSC 3.0 is its open architecture and packet-based nature. Fred sees the standard as remarkably flexible, with strong receivability and the ability to adapt as media and data-delivery business models continue to evolve. He is particularly interested in international applications and trials involving D2M, B2X, and MIMO.

In fact, he believes the international community’s embrace of NextGen TV has placed the United States in an unusual position: “The United States is now in a ‘follow’ role.”

Fred’s life outside engineering is every bit as international as his professional career. He and his wife, Natalia, divide their time between the United States and Eastern Europe. Their 10-year-old son, Lev, has already visited 26 countries and frequently accompanies his father to technical conferences and media engineering events.

Travel is a family hobby, but so are broadcast education and mentoring. Fred remains active in organizations including SMPTE, IEEE-BTS, SBE, and AES. When he’s not engaged in engineering or professional activities, you’ll likely find him on Chesapeake Bay aboard the family’s classic Blackfin sport fisher.

For downtime reading, Fred is currently immersed in Harrison Salisbury’s The 900 Days: The Siege of Leningrad, reflecting his longstanding interest in European history.

His television viewing habits are somewhat more selective than his professional life might suggest. “Working in television production all day does not lend itself to hours in front of the tube at home,” he says. Instead, he and Lev prefer bicycling or boating along scenic rivers. When he does settle in for a series, however, his favorites include Breaking Bad, Twin Peaks, The Americans, and Mad Men. And, naturally, the World Cup has recently commanded his attention.

When asked about an alternative career, Fred doesn’t name another engineering discipline or a different corner of the media industry. Instead, he looks toward the open road—and a very long walk.

On the first day of his full-time retirement, you will see him starting on the 50+ day hiking pilgrimage leading to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (El Camino) in northern Spain.

For someone whose career has been shaped by technology, languages, international connections, and a willingness to embrace whatever challenge the next day brings, it seems a fitting next transmission: from the world of RF and NextGen TV to the ancient paths of northern Spain.

Posted in ATSC News