McDermott To Help With Verance Rollout

Verance Corp. has hired former Media General COO Deb McDermott to help pitch its Aspect interactive TV technology to other broadcasters.

Aspect, the audio watermarking component of the ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard now pending at the FCC, lets broadcasters  measure their audiences, target advertising and introduce Internet-based programming enhancements.

Although developed for ATSC 3.0, it can be used with the current ATSC 1.0. In fact, the Pearl TV consortium of station groups is currently testing ATSC 1.0 applications.

According to a Verance press release, its deal with McDermott marks the debut of her consulting firm, McDermott Media Group.

“Deb has amassed a phenomenal track record of innovation and success across broadcasting and digital throughout her career, and we are excited to have her and her great team onboard,” said Nil Shah, CEO of Verance. “By tapping into Deb’s exceptional operating expertise, we will pave the way for broadcasters to use Aspect to get the benefits of ATSC 3.0 in today’s ATSC 1.0 environment.”

McDermott called Aspect an “attractive, cost-efficient, game-changing technology.”

“Aspect offers the only pathway for standardized reporting based on its collection of cross-screen, first-party data,” she added. “For networks and stations to be able to capture and own this critical data outright, and to use this technology in conjunction with products from other vendors, marks a significant milestone for the broadcasting business.”