WASHINGTON�NAB Labs is taking off in a new direction under a new banner, Pilot. The �evolution� of the four-year old NAB Labs technology division will �explore digital technologies, while continuing to build on advances made by NAB Labs.� They plan to do this by bringing together companies, educators and organizations to advance innovation in the broadcast industry.
John Clark will serve as the executive director for Pilot. Clark most recently served as the executive director of the Reese News Lab at the University of North Carolina. He also previously worked as a software developer, and later general manager, of WRAL.com.
Among the charter members of the new Pilot program are Accenture, Akamai, Frankly, Google, Nielsen, Shareablee, and Yahoo! These companies will work with broadcasters to define areas of development, with a focus on content distribution and audience engagement.
�Innovation exists throughout the broadcast industry,� said Clark in an introductory letter. �New technologies are evaluated and reported on daily, but the successes, failures and lessons of these innovations need a broader audience. Pilot is a mechanism for not only sharing these lessons, but also creating new solutions on a larger scale that meets the needs of future generations of consumers.�
The new Pilot program will have a presence at a pair of upcoming events, the CABSAT Show from March 8-10 in Dubai, and the 2016 NAB Show from April 16-21 in Las Vegas.
