Sessions and Exhibits at NAB 2002 to Focus on DTV

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The lineup of sessions at the TelevisionManagement and Broadcast Engineering Conferences at NAB 2002, held inLas Vegas April 6-11, will include a major focus on digital television(DTV).

On Sunday, April 7, the two-part program, "Solving the DTVTransition Puzzle," will offer station managers a comprehensive look atthe critical components of the digital transition such as set-top boxinteroperability, copyright, zoning and equipment delays,high-definition program announcements, and interactive television. Thesession will open with remarks from Richard E. Wiley, senior partner,Wiley Rein & Fielding.

Speakers will include Michael Fiorile, president & CEO, DispatchBroadcast Group; Rick Chessen, chair, DTV Task Force, FCC; PaulKarpowicz, vice president of television, LIN Television; Gary Shapiro,president & CEO, Consumer Electronics Association; Gary Arlen,president, Arlen Communications; Mark Cuban, chairman & president,HDNet; Joe Macione, executive vice president & general manager,WCYB-TV; David J. Workman, president and COO, Ultimate Electronics; andJohn I. Taylor, vice president, Public Affairs & Communications,Zenith Electronics Corporation.

On Wednesday, April 10, group executives and general managers willhave the opportunity to exchange practical information on how they havehandled the hurdles and achieved the successes of their station'sdigital implementation plans during two offerings of the session "RoadAssistance: A Digital Operations Exchange and Tour."

The non-technical sessions, which require a special registration,will cover three stages of the digital transition: "Transmission," "Inthe Studio," and "Advanced Services." They will commence with a roundtable discussion highlighting the efforts of broadcasters in leadingthe DTV transition, and suggestions on how government can assist withaction that will spur consumer purchases of DTV sets.

Following each roundtable, there will be guided tours of the NAB2002 exhibit floor featuring companies involved in DTV technologies.Vendor products and price ranges will be discussed during each of thetours. Those interested in attending the "Road Assistance" sessions maycontact Jake Geissinger at (202) 429-5425 or download a registrationform on the NAB 2002 website.

For engineers and technicians, the Broadcast Engineering Conferencewill offer information essential for those in charge of DTV build-outsand upgrades. Expert presentations will cover details on centralcastingand signal optimization. There will be extensive discussion of the8-VSB enhancement project and information on the latest developments inTV data broadcasting. The conference sessions are designed to updateengineering professionals on the state of broadcast technology fromboth domestic and worldwide perspectives.

In the lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center, NAB and theConsumer Electronics Association are once again joining together tobring the DTV Store to NAB 2002. The store will showcase the latest andmost exciting DTV technology to hit the marketplace. Manufacturers suchas Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Philips, Pioneer, Samsung, Sony,Thomson/RCA, Toshiba, Zenith, and others will highlight their newestDTV products available to consumers, including televisions (integratedsets), monitors, standalone tuners (receivers/set-top boxes), PCsolutions, and antennas.

In addition, over 115 exhibitors will offer products and servicesfor DTV. New products for cameras, transmitters, software, towers andantennas, and other product categories will be showcased on the exhibitfloor April 8-11.

Complete NAB 2002 details are available at www.nab.org/conventions.