Top Cox Tech Exec Sterling Davis To Retire

After more than 40 years in broadcasting and 28 with Cox Media Group, Sterling Davis will be retiring as VP of technical operations for the multimedia company at the end of this year, but will stay on in a consulting role for at least another year.

As a consultant, Davis said he will remain active on industry committees, including the engineering committee of the Association for Maximum Service Television, the Advanced Television Systems Committee and the Open Mobile Video Coalition.

He will also continue to represent Cox on the Mobile Content Venture, the joint venture of 12 TV station groups that hopes to bring mobile DTV to market next year.

Davis, 70, said that Cox is conducting a search for his successor.

Davis joined Cox Broadcasting’s KTVU San Francisco in 1982 as director of operations, managing all aspects of engineering and production including ENG, editing and traffic. While there, he also produced the MDA and Easter Seal Telethons, San Francisco Giants’ baseball and the Chinese New Year’s Parade.

Promoted in 1998 to VP of engineering for Cox Broadcasting in Atlanta, he assumed responsibility for 15 television and 86 radio stations. He acquired his current title last year with the establishment of Cox Media Group, which also includes Cox’s newspaper assets.

After service in the Navy, Davis began his broadcasting career as an audio engineer for the ABC network and then Metromedia’s KTTV Los Angeles. Prior to Cox, he also worked at Vidtronics Co. and Telemation Productions in Seattle.

Davis has been honored with Broadcasting & Cable’s Technology Leadership Award in 2006, Radio Ink’s One of the Most Admired Engineers in Radio in 2008 and the NAB’s Engineering Achievement Award in 2009. He became a SMPTE Fellow in 2009.