Japanese engineering chief receives top industry award

The Managing Director and Executive Director-General of Engineering at Japan’s national broadcaster NHK, Mr Keiichi Kubota, received one of the industry’s highest awards at a special ceremony in Hollywood.

Mr Kubota received the 2013 Progress Medal of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers at the SMPTE’s Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Honors and Awards Ceremony.

The SMPTE is the leading technical society for the motion imaging industry, and its technical standards have been widely adopted around the world. 

The Progress Medal is presented annually to the individual who has made outstanding technical contributions to engineering in the motion picture, television, or motion imaging industries. 

Dr KUBOTA is the first employee of a Japanese broadcaster to win the award, in recognition of his 37-year career in television science and technology and his significant contributions in the areas of HDTV standardisation. A spokesperson for NHK said he has also played an important part in the rollout of the broadcaster’s digital satellite broadcasting service and, most recently, public viewings of the 2012 London Olympics in Super Hi-Vision.

“NHK began research and development of HD technology in 1964, the year of the Tokyo Olympics, and it has since become the international standard,” the spokesperson said. “NHK has also taken the lead in satellite broadcasting and digital broadcasting services. NHK will continue to promote additional new broadcasting services in the future.”

Dr Kubota joined NHK in 1976. He has been a SMPTE fellow since 1993 and an IEEE fellow since 2008. He was appointed to the post of Managing Director in 2012.