Glynn Walden is the recipient of the NAB’s Engineering Achievement Award for 2004, given to industry leaders for significant contributions that have advanced broadcast engineering.
The awards will be presented at the Technology Luncheon, Wednesday, April 21 at NAB2004. Past winners include John Reiser, Paul Schafer, Arno Meyer, Geoff Mendenhall, John Battison, Bob Orban, Mike Dorrough.
The honoree on the TV side is Ira Goldstone, technology coordinator for the Tribune Company and vice president/chief technology officer for Tribune Broadcasting.
Here is the text of the NAB’s statement on Walden:
Glynn Walden is the Senior Vice President of Engineering for Infinity Broadcasting. Glynn is the visionary of the concept, technical design and economics of AM and FM In-Band On-Channel (IBOC) digital radio broadcasting system. In his capacity as vice president of broadcast engineering for iBiquity Digital Corporation he wrote the IBOC technical and regulatory specifications for a design team of 50 engineers, scientists and technicians who went on to develop the HD Radio IBOC system.
Glynn developed the transition plan that allowed broadcasters to move from analog to digital broadcasting with minimal technical and economic disruptions to broadcasters and listeners. To aid in the adoption and implementation of the IBOC system he developed and completed the most comprehensive study ever on the existing levels of interference in the AM and FM bands and predictions of how the interference would increase following the adoption of IBOC.
In addition he developed a comprehensive test program for evaluation of IBOC digital performance and compatibility with the existing broadcast infrastructure. In 1991 he helped found USA Digital Radio, a consortium of broadcasters developing IBOC technology. USA Digital Radio merged with Lucent Digital Radio in 2000 to form iBiquity Digital Corporation. Previously Glynn was the vice president of engineering for CBS and Westinghouse Broadcasting where he worked on capital projects including station power increases, facility consolidations and relocations and served as the engineering manager for KYW-AM, Philadelphia.