[SatNews] The Society of Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) has announced the recipients of its…
2013 Hall of Fame, to be honored on March 19 during SSPI’s annual Gala. They will join more than 40 Hall of Fame members including Dr. Arthur C. Clarke, Dr. Harold Rosen, Olof Lundberg, Eddy Hartenstein, Frederic d’Allest, Sidney Topol, Takayushi Yoshida, Mary Ann Elliott, Mary Frost, Peter Jackson, and Robert Berry.
…2013 Hall of Fame Awards was introduced in 1993, these awards recognize outstanding new contributions to the field of satellite communications by private-sector and public-sector organizations. Honorees are selected by a committee of industry experts for accomplishments ranging across a broad spectrum of advanced satellite technology and business applications.
The Hall of Fame Ceremony will open the 2013 Gala dinner on March 19 at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington DC. Hall of Fame members are selected by a committee of industry leaders, chaired by Richard Wolf, Senior Vice President, Telecommunications & Network Origination Services for ABC Television, and past Chairman of SSPi.
The Society of Satellite Professionals International announced five new inductees for the 2013 Hall of Fame, to be honored on March 19 during SSPI’s annual Gala. They will join more than 40 Hall of Fame members including Dr. Arthur C. Clarke, Dr. Harold Rosen, Olof Lundberg, Eddy Hartenstein, Frederic d’Allest, Sidney Topol, Takayushi Yoshida, Mary Ann Elliott, Mary Frost, Peter Jackson, and Robert Berry.
The 2013 Hall of Fame Honorees:
Romain Bausch, President and CEO of SES. Since joining SES in 1995, Romain Bausch provided the leadership that transformed SES from a regional satellite company offering direct-to-home TV distribution in Europe to a global satellite operator serving broadcasters, telcos, enterprise, and government customers. Under his leadership, SES became one of the big “consolidators” in the FSS industry, integrating among others Nordic Satellite AB, GE Americom and New Skies Satellites, and also providing significant investment and support to O3B Networks. He managed this expansion program while keeping SES on a solid financial footing, and took the company public in a successful IPO in 1998. Romain Bausch is also Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of O3b Networks, member of the Board of the European Satellite Operators’ Association (ESOA), and a Director of Luxembourg’s Business Federation. In 2002, he was honored as Via Satellite’s Satellite Executive of the Year.
Robert Zitter, Executive Vice-President and Chief Technology Officer, Home Box Office Robert Zitter is responsible for HBO’s technology interests worldwide, overseeing satellite-based distribution, origination, production operations and engineering. Zitter’s career has included spearheading the introduction of digital compression technology, the development and launch of HBO HD and HBO On Demand and the founding of HBO’s businesses in Latin America, Asia and Europe. “There are very few names that come to mind who have had as significant an impact on our industry as Bob Zitter,” said HBO president and COO Eric Kessler. “His accomplishments and innovation have helped transform not just the business at HBO but the entire landscape.” Zitter was inducted into The Cable Television Hall of Fame in 2006 and is a recipient of the NCTA’s Vanguard Award for his leadership in science and technology. He also served on the FCC’s Technology Advisory Committee and as a director of the North American Broadcasters Association.
Susan Irwin, President, Euroconsult US. Susan Irwin, one of the original founders and directors of SSPI, has more than 30 years experience researching and analyzing industry trends and developments on the use of satellite communications for voice, video and data. She is responsible for business development and management of Euroconsult’s U.S. business. For 25 years, she headed her own consulting firm, Irwin Communications, contributing her expertise in satellite markets and applications to start-ups, government agencies, NGO’s and private corporations worldwide. She was a pioneer of satellite distance learning, teleconferencing and business television and has been a key contributor to the commercial advancement of innovations such as DTH, digital compression and satellite broadband. Susan is widely published and a frequent speaker at conferences throughout the world. She has been Conference Chair of SATCON since its inception in 2001; Director Emeritus of the SSPI; Director Emeritus of the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation, on the Board of Governors of the Pacific Telecommunications Council, and was recently elected Vice President, International, of the American Astronautical Society.
Prof. U. R. Rao, Chairman, the Governing Council of the Physical Research Laboratory at Ahmedabad. Prof. U. R. Rao is an internationally renowned space scientist who has contributed to the development of space technology in India and its extensive application to communications and remote sensing of natural resources since starting his career in 1960. More than any other single individual, Professor Rao is responsible for the creation of India’s space and satellite capabilities and their application to the nation’s development. As head of the Indian Space Research Organization, Prof. Rao undertook the responsibility for the establishment of satellite technology in India in 1972. Under his guidance, beginning with the first Indian satellite ‘Aryabhata’ in 1975, over 20 satellites were designed, fabricated and launched. Rao also accelerated the development of rocket technology in India, resulting in the successful launch of ASLV rocket in 1992 and the operational PSLV launch vehicle. He has tirelessly promoted the use of space technology for broadcasting, education, meteorology, remote sensing and disaster warning. Rao, who has published over 360 scientific and technical papers in various journals, has received many honors and awards, including the Padma Bhushan Award, a very high civilian award of the Government of India.
Dick Tauber, VP Transmission Systems & New Technology for the CNN News Group. Dick Tauber, a former member of the SSPI Board of Directors, is the current President of the Board of Directors of the Southeast Chapter of SSPI, which he helped found in 2005. He has worked at CNN since 1981, when he joined the company as a satellite trainee. As the satellite technology leader for a global newsgathering and distribution business, he has implemented technologies and solutions that allow this organization to gather its content from any place on the planet, any time a news story unfolds. He has also been the Chair of WBU-ISOG since 1985. More recently, Dick has also served as Co-Chair of The Radio Frequency Interference – End Users Initiative (RFI – EUI), an organization that seeks to mitigate the risks of satellite interference and develop quality assurance practices that programmers and distributors require for the collection and distribution of their content. Tauber has received three Emmy Awards for his work at CNN – 1986 for his part in Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s Goodwill Games, in 2002 honoring CNN’s coverage of the events of Sept. 11, 2001 and a Technical Emmy in 2007 for CNN’s mobile, IP newsgathering system.
The Hall of Fame was introduced in 1987 to recognize the valuable contributions of the visionaries and pioneers who have made possible the age of satellite communications — individuals who have devoted their careers to the advancement of technology and to helping build the political and commercial foundations of the industry.
