Posted on April 6, 2021 in ATSC News
Congratulations to one of ATSC’s very own, Dave Arland! He was just elected President of the National Alliance of State Broadcasters Associations (NASBA) as well as serving as Executive Director of the Indiana Broadcasters Association (and long-time communications consultant to ATSC).
State broadcasters associations are helping member TV and radio stations advocate for federal and state priorities, educate on key priorities including ATSC 3.0, and celebrate the best in broadcasting.
“Every state in the union has one, as does Puerto Rico – the state broadcasters associations that work to help more than 10,000 radio stations and 1,600 TV stations stay compliant and competitive. Over the past five years, I’ve led the Indiana Broadcasters Association. We work with neighboring states to enhance engineering education with the rollout of ATSC 3.0. And while I have a degree in broadcasting and spent my first years in business in radio news, I’ve learned a lot over the years from the associations that bind together broadcasters, consumer technology companies, and even mayors and local officials. My firm helps ATSC and Pearl TV, and we also produce content for a number of electronics companies and the annual CES,” says Arland.
“This year, I’m honored to lead NASBA as our 50 states work to help our member companies and stations. I’m particularly proud of the work we’ve done together with broadcasters in neighboring Ohio and Kentucky to educate local stations about the great potential of ATSC 3.0.”
Two of Arland’s mentors in state broadcasters associations are experts at what they do. Michelle Vetterkind leads the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association.
“Broadcast engineers are truly the backbone of our industry and we, the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association, are most proud to support them with several initiatives including our three-day Broadcasters Clinic drawing engineers from more than 25 states. Engineers also have special programming at our Summer Conference and our Media Technology Institute aimed at those wanting to learn more about the field of broadcast engineering. Broadcasting was built by engineers and won’t survive without them,” Vetterkind says.
Sharon Tinsley at the Alabama Broadcasters Association, which produces industry engineering seminars, is also well regarded for her leadership and tireless help with technical education.
“It became obvious several years ago that our industry needed to start recruiting and training broadcast engineers, so we established the Alabama Broadcasters Association Engineering Academy. Hundreds of people have attended our classes, either in person or virtually, to learn the basics of radio and television engineering or as a continuing education opportunity. Over time, we’ve expanded the curriculum to include live audio mixing, IP for broadcast, and training to prepare engineers to become Alternate Broadcast Inspection Program (ABIP) inspectors. We hope, that in some small way, we’ve helped engineers and the broadcast industry,” Tinsley says.
Arland says state associations play an important role in broadcasting – and we’re a little bit like the old joke about the three blind men and the elephant. Who we are and what we do depends on what part of the business you touch.
Sharon Tinsley
“To engineers and the FCC, our efforts such as the Alternative Broadcast Inspection Program (ABIP) are all about compliance. Station hiring managers appreciate the outreach we coordinate with Career Fairs and scholarship programs, in efforts to strengthen equal employment opportunities and diversity. Revenue is what sales managers and GM’s constantly need to build, so we do a lot of sales training and education. And a lot of newsroom personnel appreciate the support we give to journalists and the “best in broadcasting” awards events that many of our state associations stage – even during a pandemic.
Local TV stations – and even some radio stations – are very interested in the ATSC 3.0 rollout, and our state broadcasters associations are doing what we can to educate, to advocate, and to celebrate the business of broadcasting.”
Posted in ATSC News
Subscribe to The Standard, our monthly newsletter. Learn More
ATSC is a membership organization with both voting and observer categories. Voting members include corporations, nonprofit organizations, and government entities, and they participate actively in the work of ATSC. Observers are individuals or entities not eligible to be a voting member.
Subscribe to The Standard, our monthly newsletter, to stay up-to-date with ATSC news and events around the world.
Advanced Television Systems Committee, Inc.
1300 I Street NW, Suite 400E
Washington, DC 20005
Do you have questions about ATSC?
The Advanced Television Systems Committee, Inc., is an international, non-profit organization developing voluntary standards and recommended practices for digital terrestrial broadcasting. ATSC member organizations represent the broadcast, broadcast equipment, motion picture, consumer electronics, computer, cable, satellite, and semiconductor industries. ATSC also develops digital terrestrial broadcasting implementation strategies and supports educational activities on ATSC standards.
© 2025 ATSC