Someone You Should Know – Lonna Thompson

Posted on September 1, 2020 in ATSC News

Lonna Thompson doesn’t settle for mundane.  Growing up on the countryside of Pennsylvania, she raised unique animals including peacocks, a miniature pony, and a rescued chimpanzee.So, it should come as no surprise that the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) thinks outside the box when it comes to her work with ATSC 3.0 which she believes will reinvent broadcasting.

“I think the interactive and customizing features will really be important to viewers and to broadcasters in serving their audiences to the best of their ability,” said Thompson.  She also explains that the mobility capability of ATSC 3.0 is an “incredible alteration” for both over-the-air television and Broadcast Internet services alike.

Thompson began her career as a high school teacher before earning her Master’s Degree in Communications Studies from the University of Massachusetts.  In 1979, she moved to Washington D.C. where she worked as a paralegal for a law firm.  Her time as a teacher and in legal sparked her passion for the mission of public broadcasting.

She landed at APTS in 1994 initially working on guiding public television stations from analog television to digital television.  Now, she is focused on helping stations transition towards NextGen TV while supporting public station efforts in their communities, including fulfilling the needs in distance learning, precision agriculture, telehealth, and smart cities.

“I really enjoy working with our stations as they expand their public service mission offerings and explore business opportunities in NextGen TV,” she said. “ATSC is a valuable organization because it is the one place all telecommunication industry sectors come together to work on common goals of moving forward our industry in technological advances.”

Away from work, Thompson devotes her time to family.  She has three grown children and three granddaughters.. An avid swimmer, Thompson also spends free time reading historical fiction novels and hiking with her husband and their 95-pound rescue dog, Oshie.

Posted in ATSC News