Panasonic Among DTV Award Winners
By Steve Smith -- TWICE, 3/27/2006
Washington— The Academy of Digital Television Pioneers, which is run by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), presented its awards for excellence in all aspects of high-definition TV, during its annual lunch at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, here.
The list of categories for the awards for calendar year 2005 was narrowed this year to just five areas: Best DTV Program Provider, Best DTV Leadership (Industry), Best DTV Leadership (Government), People's Choice (Best Program) and the President's Award for Outstanding Contribution.
The Best DTV Program Provider winner was DirecTV, which has been the winner of the organization's Best Satellite Service award for the past five years. Peter Fannon, technology policy, government and regulation VP for Panasonic, received the Best DTV Leadership (Industry) Award, which he also won in 2004.
CEA president/CEO Gary Shapiro, who hosted the ceremonies that took place during the organization's two-day Entertainment Technology Policy Summit, was surprised that a four-way tie occurred for Best DTV Leadership (Government). Congressman Joe Barton (R-Texas), Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii.), Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and Congressman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) were all winners, but not on hand for the ceremony. The People's Choice Award went to NFL Monday Night Football (ABC) which in the past has won for Best Original DTV Material for 2003, and Best DTV Sporting Event in 2000 and 2003.
The President's Award For Outstanding Contribution went to Rick Chessen, former chair of the Federal Communications Commission's digital television task force and former chair of the FCC's media bureau.
Shapiro commented that it is “gratifying to see how HDTV has been accepted” and that the audience made up of the CE, cable, broadcasting and satellite industries and government has done its part. He added that with analog TV about to be turned off in February 2007, “we are close to the finish line and we should be proud.”
The event was the part of the two-day CEA Entertainment Technology Policy Summit which took place, here, during mid-March.
