It’s easy to understand why NAB EVP and CTO Sam Matheny considers one of the best parts of his job to be choosing and recognizing honorees of the Future of Media and NAB Technology Awards.
The 2021 The Future of Media and NAB Technology Award recipients are:
NAB Engineering Achievement Award for Radio – David L. Hershberger, senior scientist (retired), Continental Electronics 
NAB Engineering Achievement Award for Television – David A. Folsom, technology lead, Pearl TV 
Service to Broadcast Engineering Award – Brady Dreasler, corporate director of engineering and technology, Quincy Media 
Digital Leadership Award – Adam Wiener, executive vice president and general manager, CBS Local Digital Media
Of the engineering award recipients, Matheny said, “Broadcast engineers are often the unsung heroes of the industry who make sure local stations’ programming goes on the air without a hiccup. Every station has a broadcast engineer, and no local station could operate without one.”
Matheny also noted that the service award is only awarded occasionally; it is reserved for individuals who go above and beyond for the industry as a whole.
The digital leadership award is also a relatively new recognition. Added in 2015, it reflects the increasing importance of this sector.
Watch the award presentation video on demand now (below) to learn about each winner’s contributions and careers. You’ll also hear directly from Hershberger, Folsom, Dreasler, and Wiener, who share thoughts on the state of the broadcast industry as well as some wisdom that they’ve learned throughout their careers:
Additionally, Matheny sat down (in person!) with Mike Chapman of Kearney, who is partner and Americas Media Lead for that consultancy. During this keynote conversation, Chapman shared insights about how technology trends will shape the next generation of media and media consumption.
Some highlights from their keynote conversation:
Find out why Chapman believes “the pandemic was probably one of the biggest catalysts for… media operations transformation.”
What factors put broadcasters in a good position to thrive in this changing ecosystem and what challenges does he expect the industry will need to weather?
What does Chapman really think about hybrid radio, ATSC 3.0, augmented reality, 5G, and more?
Chapman also shares his perspective on how broadcasters should think about new technology capabilities and the potential investments. He says there are four main categories to consider.