WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Executive VP of Technology and Chief Technology Officer at the NAB will be leaving that role to join the association’s Vice President of Advanced Technology in taking on new roles dedicated exclusively to the ATSC 3.0-fueled Broadcast Positioning System (BPS) initiative being championed by the broadcast industry’s key advocacy group inside the Beltway.
Sam Matheny will now serve as a Broadcast Positioning System EVP, while Tariq Mondal will serve as VP of BPS. “Together, they will work to build a dedicated team focused solely on advancing BPS technology and services,” the NAB said in a Tuesday announcement.
The desire to accelerate development and deployment of the Broadcast Positioning System, fueled by ATSC 3.0, comes as NEXTGEN TV’s growth remains elusive in the eyes of some. With a voluntary transition from ATSC 1.0 and no firm “flash-cut” date requiring consumers to upgrade their television viewing equipment, the NAB has been pushing for a firm end to the current digital TV broadcast standard — a change in tone that came with a change in presidential leadership in January.
For the NAB, BPS technology and its rollout is a matter of national security. The association asserts BPS is a “resilient, terrestrial-based timing and location services” offering that can serve as a solid backup to the Global Positioning System (GPS). “This has the potential to protect the nation’s critical infrastructure in the event of a GPS outage, cyberattack or disruption,” the NAB says.
“This work represents a powerful intersection of innovation, public safety and opportunity for broadcasters,” said NAB President/CEO Curtis LeGeyt. “By investing more resources in BPS, we are accelerating a technology that strengthens national resilience while creating meaningful long-term opportunities for our members.”
As part of the realignment, NAB is also launching a new Industry Affairs and Innovation department, led by Executive Vice President April Carty-Sipp, bringing together NAB’s Industry Affairs and Technology teams under one strategic umbrella.
Additionally, Senior Vice President of Emerging Technology and Executive Director of PILOT John Clark will serve in the newly created role of Chief Innovation Officer and SVP/Emerging Technology, where he will lead NAB’s efforts to identify, develop and expand next-generation tools, partnerships and technologies that empower local broadcasters.
“This realignment reflects NAB’s commitment to ensuring broadcasters are positioned to compete, grow and serve their communities in a rapidly changing media landscape,” LeGeyt said. “By streamlining expertise and aligning strategic priorities, we are delivering more responsive, forward-looking support to our members.”
