Academy of Digital Television Pioneers Honors WRAL Goodmon Offers Opening Speech

WRAL-DT has achieved another first; the station won the "Best Local Broadcaster" distinction in the first annual Academy of Digital Television Pioneers Awards. A ceremony honoring the award recipients took place during the "Delivering on the DTV Promise" conference in New York City on Thursday, November 2, for which Capitol Broadcasting Company (CBC) President & CEO Jim Goodmon served as the opening and keynote speaker.

The first annual Academy of Digital Television Pioneers awards saluted recipients in eight categories. The "Best Local Broadcaster" award honored "the local network affiliate or independent broadcaster who has provided its market with the widest range of HDTV content, considering broadcasters who have developed their own HDTV programming and those who have gone beyond just 'passing-through' network broadcasting content."

CEA President & CEO Gary Shapiro said, "With these awards, the Academy has recognized the content and the individuals are driving the consumer transition to DTV. The members of the Academy understand very well the challenges that are involved in making DTV a success - and the commitment that today's awards winners have demonstrated."

Goodmon kicked off "Delivering on the DTV Promise: Consumer Marketing and New Business Models in the Digital Age." The event was an industry conference presented by the Consumer Electronics Association's (CEA) at New York's Millennium Hotel's Hudson Theatre. Shapiro said, "Jim Goodmon is a great choice to set the tone and kick off our conference. He has demonstrated a true commitment to ensuring the success of DTV, standing as a driving force in the broadcast industry to bring DTV to American consumers."

The Academy of Digital Television Pioneers is a "select group of more than 60 individuals who have played a significant role in the decade-long effort that made digital television a reality for consumers." The distinguished group includes individuals from broadcasting, program development, consumer electronics, manufacturing and retail industries, present and former government officials, and members of the media.