The second annual conference from TVNewsCheck and Sports Video Group will begin Dec. 15 with a session featuring the CEO of Sinclair Broadcast Group. Other sessions will address multiscreen news workflow, IT security for TV news, severe weather reporting, mobile newsgathering, next-gen ENG cameras, video-enabled drones and more.
David Smith Q&A To Launch NewsTECHForum
Sinclair Broadcast Group CEO David Smith will kick off the second annual NewsTECHForum with a one-on-one interview with TVNewsCheck Editor Harry A. Jessell.
Set for Dec. 15-16 at the New York Hilton in midtown Manhattan, NewsTECHForum will gather news, technology and news operations managers to talk about the challenges they face at the intersection of technology and news storytelling.
The conference is co-presented by TVNewsCheck and the Sports Video Group.
The Smith interview is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 15, at 1 p.m. The conference runs through Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning.
“One of TV broadcasting’s great entrepreneurs, Smith always has something to say,” Jessell says. “He combines savvy business skills with a deep understanding of the technology that underlies the business.”
As CEO of Sinclair, Smith oversees the nation’s largest collection of news-producing TV stations. He also has announced plans to leverage the resources of those stations to create a 24/7 cable news network that would combine national and local news and compete with CNN and Fox News.
BRAND CONNECTIONS
Through ONE Media, Smith is also advocating for a new, more flexible and robust broadcast TV standard that could deliver a greater array of services to all screens, including smartphones and tablets.
This year, Smith launched a sports syndication arm to distribute major college sports. So far, the American Sports Network has secured TV rights to six NCAA Division I conferences.
Smith has been president and CEO of Sinclair since 1988, adding chairman to his titles in 1990.
During his 26-year stewardship, Sinclair has grown through acquisitions and local station partnerships. It now operates more than 164 stations in 79 markets and claims the No. 3 spot on the BIA/Kelsey-TVNewsCheck Top 30. Its stations cover 39% of U.S. TV homes, the maximum allowed by the FCC.
NewsTECHForum sessions will address multiscreen news workflow, IT security for TV news, severe weather reporting, mobile newsgathering, next-gen ENG cameras, video-enabled drones and more.
For more information on NewsTECHForum and to register, click here.
Comments (5)
Don Thompson says:
October 7, 2014 at 1:25 pm
Sinclair owns the NBC station in Toledo, Oh., and blacked out ACA Member Buckeye CableSystem for 212 days starting last December. “We are very happy to have reached an agreement with Buckeye through good faith negotiations between both parties and without government intervention to obtain fair compensation.
Now comes the Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger and what is Sinclair saying to the FCC: Bring on the government intervention, fellas!
Sinclair to FCC: “Comcast should be required to agree to binding arbitration if requested by a broadcaster with which Comcast is negotiating a retransmission consent agreement.”
Why: “Such a condition will hopefully reduce the number of blackouts of local stations that Comcast could create by refusing to carry local stations other than on terms that Comcast dictates.”
Oh, and don’t for forget, dear FCC: “The Commission has no authority to impose arbitration on a broadcaster who has not consented to carriage.”
Sinclair to FCC: “The Commission should establish a condition that would cap reverse retransmission fees at 50% of the retransmission consent fees received by a broadcaster for the relevant market.”
Why: “This could help preserve a broadcaster’s ability to invest in programming, among other things.” (Like out of market NFL games, right?)
Translation: Sinclair deserves government-imposed arbitration with Comcast cable and a government-imposed 50% cap on reverse compensation paid by Sinclair’s 19 NBC stations to Comcast’s NBCU. But Buckeye CableSystem is entitled to nothing when Sinclair abuses its market power to stage a seven-month blackout in Toledo.
If you were searching for a textbook definition of chutzpah, well, you just read it here, and it is the best example yet to justify passage of the Rockefeller-Thune Local Choice bill. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Please follow me on Twitter @TedatACA
Wagner Pereira says:
October 7, 2014 at 6:50 pm
Buckeye cable made it’s own decision to not have Sinclair on it’s lineup and could have ended the blackout at anytime$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Please follow me on Twitter @Not TedatACA
Don Thompson says:
October 7, 2014 at 4:14 pm
*fixing quote mark:
Sinclair owns the NBC station in Toledo, Oh., and blacked out ACA Member Buckeye CableSystem for 212 days starting last December. “We are very happy to have reached an agreement with Buckeye through good faith negotiations between both parties and without government intervention to obtain fair compensation.”* Now comes the Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger and what is Sinclair saying to the FCC: Bring on the government intervention, fellas! Sinclair to FCC: “Comcast should be required to agree to binding arbitration if requested by a broadcaster with which Comcast is negotiating a retransmission consent agreement.” Why: “Such a condition will hopefully reduce the number of blackouts of local stations that Comcast could create by refusing to carry local stations other than on terms that Comcast dictates.” Oh, and don’t for forget, dear FCC: “The Commission has no authority to impose arbitration on a broadcaster who has not consented to carriage.” Sinclair to FCC: “The Commission should establish a condition that would cap reverse retransmission fees at 50% of the retransmission consent fees received by a broadcaster for the relevant market.” Why: “This could help preserve a broadcaster’s ability to invest in programming, among other things.” (Like out of market NFL games, right?) Translation: Sinclair deserves government-imposed arbitration with Comcast cable and a government-imposed 50% cap on reverse compensation paid by Sinclair’s 19 NBC stations to Comcast’s NBCU. But Buckeye CableSystem is entitled to nothing when Sinclair abuses its market power to stage a seven-month blackout in Toledo. If you were searching for a textbook definition of chutzpah, well, you just read it here, and it is the best example yet to justify passage of the Rockefeller-Thune Local Choice bill. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Please follow me on Twitter @TedatACA
Wagner Pereira says:
October 7, 2014 at 6:52 pm
@SmlCableGuy Interesting to see your PR guy does not proof prior to releasing info. So ACA / Ted really are The Keystone Cops of Cable and PR$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Please follow me on Twitter @NotTedatACA
Trudy Rubin says:
October 7, 2014 at 11:40 pm
Sinclair’s two stations in Buffalo WUTV (Fox) and WNYO (MyN), are no more then sticks. They produce no local programming. They do carry a 10 pm news cast, but that is produce by Gannett WGRZ. However Sinclair produces no local programming. I would be surprised if Sinclair has a working TV camera in their studio. If they do, it hasn’t been turn on in years.