WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Gene J. Zimmerman, founder, president and CEO of Cobalt Digital, has been named a fellow of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE).
SMPTE fellows are recognized for attaining an outstanding rank among engineers or executives in media and entertainment through their proficiency and contributions to motion pictures, television or related industries.
Zimmerman will be one of 10 newly named fellows who will be inducted at the Fellows Luncheon and Induction Ceremony and recognized during the annual Awards Gala during the 2024 SMPTE Media Technology Summit.
“Being a SMPTE member is an invaluable experience that shaped my career and influenced not only my vision for my own company, but also for the future of broadcast,” Zimmerman said. “I consider SMPTE to be the most important organization in our industry because it encourages people to work together and create standards that form the foundation of the new technologies that are moving our industry forward. I am deeply honored to be named a fellow and humbled to share this distinction with the brilliant thought leaders who drive our industry to greater excellence.”
Zimmerman launched his career as a broadcast engineer at WICD Champaign, Illinois, working on all aspects of technical operations while attending the University of Illinois, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering.
He has been a member of SMPTE since 1988, when he participated in the massive technology shift from analog to digital. He went on to design broadcast products for Odetics and served as a consultant for National Teleconsultants, Fox News in New York, Fox Washington, Fox Network Los Angeles, FS1 and FS2, Fox Business Network and Speed Channel. Other milestones include his work on the 1996, 2000 and 2002 Olympics, for which he received two Emmy Awards.
In 1997 Zimmerman founded Cobalt Digital, a designer and manufacturer of signal-processing products for live video production and master control. Under his guidance, Cobalt has grown into a leadership role across the industry, co-founding pivotal initiatives including openGear, the breakthrough development that allows processing cards from various manufacturers to be housed in one common frame, and the Reliable Internet Stream Transport (RIST) forum, an organization that promotes the adoption of open protocols for internet contribution. Cobalt technology has been the recipient of 53 industry awards and an Emmy Award.
