Paul Shulins received the 2025 NAB Radio Engineering Achievement Award at the NAB Show in April (read our profile). Here is the text of his remarks. He was introduced by NAB EVP/CTO Sam Matheny.
Wow! Thank you, Sam, and thanks to the NAB for this incredible honor, and to the folks who nominated me for this prestigious award. To be invited to be a part of such an elite group of industry icons is truly the honor of a lifetime. Throughout my career I have been fortunate to work with some amazing talent in programming, management and of course engineering. Learning from some of the best in the business has been the privilege of a lifetime.
I first must thank Richard Wholey, who was the director of engineering for Sconnix Broadcasting and who gave me my first job in radio. Then several years later I spent the balance of my career working for Milford Smith at Greater Media, to whom I owe a great deal of gratitude, for his belief in me and his strong support during AND after the 30 years I had the privilege of working for him. Smitty, as most of you know him, is also in the elite club receiving this very award, in 2005. I also am grateful to my current business partner Jim Stenberg for his unwavering friendship and support.
But most importantly my family who put up with my crazy hours over many decades, my wife Susan who kept me on track and made it possible to have a full and rewarding career, and my greatest source of pride, my son Jesse, who is a far better communicator than his dad!
The broadcasting industry lends itself well to the entrepreneurial spirit. This is true for many aspects of the industry including sales, promotions, programming and of course engineering. By identifying the challenges, and seizing the opportunities, there are tremendous chances for creative solutions to practical challenges.
This has been a hallmark of my work, to put together customized solutions that help broadcasters achieve their goals. This work brings me much satisfaction, but the real thrill is the ability to share these ideas and learn from others, and I have done this through presentations at the BEIT conferences, as well as regional meetings with the Society of Broadcast Engineers, the IEEE Broadcast Technology Symposia, and through publications such as Radio World magazine. I encourage other engineers to use these resources to contribute their creativity and share their experiences with others.
Broadcast engineering is as much about the people as it is about the technology. This award is a testament to the collective effort of everyone who has been a part of my journey. So, I would like to recognize just a few of my dear friends who have meant so much to me over the years and have provided advice, encouragement and support:
Ralph Hogan, Tom Silliman, Frank Foti, Roz Clark, Eric Wandel, Marty Sacks, David Layer, Russ Mundshenk, Jim Leifer, Dirk Nadon, Paul McLane, David Wing, Gary and Cindy Cavell, and Peter Smyth.
In closing, I would like to dedicate this award to honor my father Sid Shulins, as I credit him with all the inspiration for living a good life that I ever needed.
Thank you all, and let’s continue to shape the future of radio together.
