The NAB Show officially opened today. We wrapped up DFX with the DFXtra Digital Leaders Take Charge panel and the DFX Engage! Sessions, Futures Park opened to show off edge of the art technology and we announce the Technology Innovation and Digital Leadership Award winners. Oh and Cirque du Soleil, because Vegas.
NAB Show Opens
The NAB Show officially opened this morning with a couple of acrobats from Cirque du Soleil.
Cirque du Soleil at the NAB Show opening
Robin Roberts, the anchor of ABC’s Good Morning America, was presented with NAB’s Distinguished Service Award. NAB CEO and President Gordon Smith reminded the crowd of the importance of broadcasters.
“Broadcasters’ mission is to always be there,” he said, “to be voices against oppression, the megaphones for freedom and democracy, and to report the news without fear or favor.”
DFX
NAB CTO Sam Matheny moderated the DFXtra panel, which featured broadcast executives who came from the digital side of the business. The panel discussed how their experience in digital informed their current roles and spoke about the future of broadcasting.
Sam Matheny moderates the DFXtra panel, featuring (from left) Wendy McMahon, President, ABC Owned Television Stations Group; Pat LaPlatney, CEO, Raycom Media; Adam Symson, President and CEO, E.W. Scripps Company; James F. Goodmon, Jr., President and Chief Operating Officer (COO), Capitol Broadcasting Company.
DFX Engage!
DFX implemented an Engage! session for the first time this year. The session featured multiple speakers and encouraged participation and dialogue from the audience. DFX Engage! closed out the Digital Futures Exchange for another year and featured several topics including 360 video, blockchain and the digital dash.
PILOT Executive Director John Clark introduces the DFX Engage! session.
Futures Park
Futures Park exhibitors display today’s global edge-of-the-art media technologies including NHK’s 8K Super Hi-Vision theater and their 8K OLED VR Display. The PILOT booth includes a number of exhibits on Next Gen TV, HD Radio Emergency Alerts and Contextualized Video with AI.
NHK’s 8K OLED VR Display
The PILOT booth opens at Futures Park
Technology Innovation Award and MOU
At the Futures Park Reception, we awarded the Convergence TV Project with our Technology Innovation Award for demonstrating ATSC 3.0 transmission of UHDTV using scalable coding over hybrid broadcast and broadband paths.
MoU signing at Futures Park press conference
During the Futures Park press conference NAB, RAPA and AWARN Alliance sign an MoU.
Convergence TV received the NAB Technology Innovation Award
Digital Leadership Award Winner
Roger Keating was awarded the 2018 Digital Leadership award at the NAB Achievement in Broadcasting Dinner. His speech, which was heavily edited by his twelve year old daughter, thanked his family, colleagues and peers.
Roger Keating receives the 2018 Digital Leadership Award