Paul Brenner
Paul Brenner will receive the 2012 Radio World Excellence in Engineering Award from the editors of Radio World, the newspaper for radio managers and engineers. The announcement was made by U.S. Editor in Chief Paul J. McLane.
Recipients of the award represent the highest ideals of the U.S. radio broadcast engineering profession and reflect those ideals through contributions to the industry.
“Paul Brenner’s byword is innovation,” said McLane. “He embodies the evolving nature of radio engineering and technical management. He’s an entrepreneur as well as a technical leader, someone who knows how to promote our industry but also help us find new ways of doing things.” McLane pointed to Brenner’s recent work to introduce NextRadio, a radio smartphone application for analog FM and HD Radio, and added, “Paul has been an outstanding representative of our industry in its evolving relationship with wireless carriers.”
Brenner is senior vice president and chief technology officer for Emmis Communications. He also is originator of the HD Radio data distribution consortium business model and serves as president of the Broadcaster Traffic Consortium, LLC (BTC), a partnership of 20 radio companies formed to distribute data and advertising via FM and HD Radio technology. The Dec. 5 issue of Radio World will feature an interview with Brenner.
“It’s hard to imagine how remarkable Paul’s contributions have been to our company and our industry,” said Emmis Communications Chairman, President and CEO Jeffrey H. Smulyan. “From forming and leading the BTC, to heading all of our technology efforts, to devising the NextRadio application, Paul has done exemplary work. We are proud that he is a member of our team and as proud that he is acknowledged by Radio World with its Excellence in Engineering Award. It is very well deserved.”
Last year’s recipient was Barry Thomas of Lincoln Financial Media. Past winners include Milford Smith of Greater Media, Gary Kline of Cumulus Media, Jeff Littlejohn of Clear Channel, Clay Freinwald of Entercom, John Lyons of The Durst Organization, Michael Starling of National Public Radio and Richard Andresen of Cumulus Media.
Emmis owns 18 FM and two AM radio stations in New York, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Austin (it has a 50.1% controlling interest in Emmis’ radio stations located there), Indianapolis and Terre Haute, Ind.
