NAB 2008: NAB Tech Luncheon to Honor ABC Engineer

Antoon (Tony) Uyttendaele to Receive 2008 NAB Engineering Achievement Award

By Glen Dickson -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/6/2008 12:33:00 PM

Retired ABC senior advisor of science and technology Antoon (Tony) Uyttendaele will be honored with a 2008 NAB Engineering Achievement Award during the National Association of Broadcasters’ annual technology luncheon at the 2008 NAB Show in Las Vegas, to be held Wednesday, April 16.

Uyttendaele played a crucial role in HDTV’s development by working with major broadcast and consumer-equipment manufacturers to create hardware compatible with ABC’s preferred 720-line-progressive (720p) format. His efforts contributed to the final adoption of 720p by the International Telecommunications Union, the NAB noted.

He also developed and managed the completion of ABC's C-band satellite network distribution system and for a number of years served as international chairman of the ITU-Radiocommunication Sector Working Party on Satellite News Gathering, which developed numerous recommendations on uniform standards and operating procedures to make SNG practical worldwide.

Thomas Silliman, president of antenna manufacturer Electronics Research (ERI), will also be presented with a 2008 NAB Engineering Achievement Award during the luncheon, which is sponsored by Samsung.

Silliman began his career as a consultant in engineering firm Silliman & Silliman before developing a design for the patented ROTOTILLER antenna in the 1970s. This circularly polarized FM-broadcast antenna rapidly became a popular choice for FM stations in the United States and, since then, Silliman has been a consistent innovator in antenna engineering in the broadcast industry, the NAB said.

National Public Radio science correspondent and award-winning TV journalist Ira Flatow will keynote the event.