HBO CTO Zitter to Step Down

Pioneering technology exec led several cable industry firsts

By Todd Spangler, Multichannel News -- Broadcasting & Cable, 12/10/2012 9:23:44 AM

Bob Zitter, the technology virtuoso who helped build HBO into a powerhouse cable brand, is retiring after more than 30 years at the premium network.

Zitter, HBO's executive vice president of technology and chief technology officer, is credited with leading the charge on several industry firsts-including the adoption of satellite distribution, digital video, HD and video-on-demand.

To Zitter, the biggest innovation he's been involved with over the course of his career is the transition from analog to digital TV.

"There's been no bigger change in the television industry," he said in an interview with Multichannel News. "For HBO, it meant we could do multiplex [services], which was important for our business, and digital TV has been a precursor to on-demand and everything that's followed."

Click here to read the full story at Multichannel News.