He launched his career in 1978. In those 45+ years, he’s missed perhaps a month’s worth of work. Now, this longtime broadcast media engineer is ready to step aside and conclude his career, effective June 1, opening up the position of Director of Engineering and Operations for Cox Media Group‘s WSOC-9 in Charlotte to a new individual.
Ted Hand is retiring.
“Ted is a legend in the broadcast industry, and his contributions are
unparalleled. His successor will fill some big shoes,” said WSOC VP/GM Cedric Thomas. “Still, I couldn’t be happier for him. He’s been an exceptional leader, teammate, and a hugely valuable part of our broadcasts for decades. He’s earned this retirement.”
Hand’s commitment and steadfastness led to some impressive
accomplishments, including earning election as the current President of the Society of Broadcast Engineers, earning the honor in 2015 of CMG TV Engineer of the Year, and successfully installing all eight transmitters for WSOC and sibling WAXN-TV in Charlotte. he also designed and managed the studios for WAVY-10 in Norfolk, today a Nexstar Media Group property.
“It’s been a memorable ride,” Hand said. “I’ve had a lot of great experiences, such as covering the 2012 Democratic National Convention and the 1996 Olympics. And I’ve seen a lot of changes. From film to digital and from Mono Audio to Digital 7.1 Surround Sound. It’s amazing how important innovation has been to our industry.”
At the same time, he adds, “It’s still about understanding your audiences – what they want to hear and what they need to know, and it’s about consistently providing compelling content that makes a positive difference in viewers’ lives. I took that mission and responsibility very seriously, and it’s what drove me and my teams to enable perfect broadcast transmissions as often as humanly possible.”
With his new-found free time, Hand plans to go “surf fishing,” continue woodworking, and keep volunteering with A/V at his church. He’ll also continue as an American Red Cross driver and an Event Frequency Coordinator for the NFL at Carolina Panthers games.
“While I plan to relax and connect with my family and friends, I also want to continue making a positive difference for others around me,” Hand said. “I want to keep living a life of impact.”
