ESPN’s Pagano, Nintendo’s Yamauchi Earn CTA Hall of Fame Nods

Charles Pagano, executive VP and CTO with ESPN, and Hiroshi Yamauchi, the late president of Nintendo, are among the 2016 inductees in the Consumer Technology Association’s (CTA) technology hall of fame, the trade group announced.

Yamauchi will be named the CTA’s Video Game Futurist, while Pagano will be inducted as the group’s Transformational Technologist. Other executives and technology leaders from Ericsson, DBL Distributing, Twice magazine, Lutron and the Tiffen Company will also be inducted.

“The hall of fame celebrates our rich history of innovation," said CTA president and CEO Gary Shapiro, in a statement. "This year’s class represents leaders who laid the cornerstones for many of today's hottest products and trends — from immersive television delivered where and when we want, to the developer of the wireless Bluetooth standard that we rely on daily to exchange data over short distances. From a satellite-based navigation system to the early days of the smart home and video games, these leaders followed their visions creating, selling, distributing and promoting products that improve consumers' lives.”

A group of HDTV experts, hailing from Phillips, AT&T, MIT and more, will also be inducted.

CTA will hold it hallf of fame awards dinner Nov. 9 in New York.