David Austerberry
We are starting this new year with a new editor for the world edition of Broadcast Engineering magazine.
Let me take this opportunity to introduce myself. I have been involved in the broadcast manufacturing industry since leaving university a couple of decades ago. While I started out as an engineer, I soon moved into in marketing and communications, wearing several hats. Much of that time was spent in product marketing. Lately, I have been writing books on broadcast technologies.
I first joined this industry as a staff systems integrator with the BBC, first overseeing radio projects. Later, I moved into television production studios, specializing in switchers and routing. The opportunity then arose to join the development team of a broadcast equipment manufacturer. There, I witnessed the industry's transition from analog to digital processing with some of the first 4:2:2 digital products. I soon dropped my engineering role and moved across (some say to the “dark side”) to product marketing, where I could exercise more customer-facing skills.
Being a product manager allowed me to visit customers all around the world. The job helped me gain a perspective on broadcasting and post-production, from telecine to transmission, from Tokyo to Toronto. The travel showed me that broadcasting was like one big club, with meetings held at NAB and IBC.
More recently, I took up a position as systems architect for a media-hosting provider. As I investigated the technologies of streaming and digital asset management, I amassed research notes that eventually became books on each of the subjects. How different to develop 120,000 words based on the succinct few paragraphs of a product brochure!
This year promises to be an exciting one for new broadcasting technologies. Now that the consumer can shoot and edit in high definition, how will the broadcasters still using standard definition respond?
Europe, in particular, faces many challenges. For the terrestrial broadcaster, there is a shortage of spectrum. Then, we have the issues of HD's increased production costs. Will new technology and automation drive down the price of production equipment? What affect will these changes have on staffing and workflow? We will be watching and explaining these and other emerging technologies in the months to come
It is with this background that I begin my work as editor of the world edition of Broadcast Engineering. You can be sure the staff and I will work hard to see that the magazine continues to provide readers with a wide and varied view on the issues of broadcast technology.
If you have questions or concerns, I'd love to hear from you. Please feel free to contact me at: dausterberry@primediabusiness.com.
Send comments to: • dausterberry@primediabusiness.com • www.broadcastengineering.com
