EBU elects new technical leadership team

The European Broadcasting Union hopes its new senior technology committee will drive forward the broadcast technology horizon.

The EBU Technical Assembly elects the committee every two years and the new team’s tasks will include putting into practice the conclusions of the EBU substantive study of the media environment, Vision 2020, and ensuring that EBU Members are well prepared technologically for the future.

Egon Verharen has been elected the new Chair. He is Research and Development Manager for the Dutch public broadcaster NPO. A spokesperson for the EBU says he brings valuable innovation experience, from within and outside the realm of broadcasting and, in particular, innovations in a dynamic media environment.

The new Vice Chairs are Klaus Illgner-Fehns, Managing Director of IRT, the technology centre for the German-speaking Members of the EBU, and Andy Bower of BBC Research and Development.

The spokesperson says this “high-powered leadership” is joined by nine other committee members, among them Dr Galina Federova, Deputy Director of the Distribution Network Department at RTR in Russia and the first woman on the EBU’s Technical Committee.

Simon Fell, EBU Director of Technology & Innovation and Secretary of the Technical Committee, says: “We have a great new team, ready to pick up the baton of its predecessors. We have a new workplan that will speed us forward in the next twelve months. We have very exciting new challenges such as the development of Agile Software Collaboration, and of course, continuing our case for maintaining adequate spectrum for broadcasting.”