“Television was wireless before wireless was cool.”

Greetings from Las Vegas.  I am here this week to attend the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show.  The organizers of the event are expecting more than 80,000 people for a week of exhibits, education, and networking.  The Hollywood crowd is taking a break for a few days and heading to the desert.

I’ve attended this show for the past few years, and I have been amazed at the way the broadcast industry is transforming itself.  Traditionally, this event has been all about video production and presentation – primarily cinema and broadcast television.  But these days, the NAB show is moving beyond its roots.  Sure, there are still sessions at the show devoted to filters and repeaters and antenna technology.  But more and more of the content here is devoted to “digital media” whether that is traditional broadcast, web-based video, or mobile television.

To those of us who consider ourselves to be in the “telecom industry” this presents an interesting opportunity and challenge.   Obviously, we’ve spent the past decade trying to figure out how to expand beyond voice communications into video and rich media.  Sometimes we forget that there are industries moving in the other direction – building off a tradition of video and rich media, and trying to figure out how best to leverage mobile technologies to present their content.   The NAB show gives us a ringside seat to watch as these two industries head down a path to converge (or perhaps collide).

Earlier today, I heard the quote that opened this post – it was included in a presentation by Jerry Whitaker, the VP of Standards Development for the ATSC (Advanced Televisions Systems Committee).   The session was focused on implementing mobile television, and one of the big questions during the session was the relationship between the broadcast community and the telecom community.  Can the wireless carriers provide entertainment services without the support of Hollywood?  Can the production houses reach their next generation of viewers without collaborating with the mobile telecom operators?  Will these two groups become friends or foes? 

If you’re in Las Vegas this week, please add a comment on this post – I’d love to catch up and hear what your opinions are on this topic.  And if you’re not in Las Vegas this week, you might consider adding the NAB show to your agenda – our telecom world is going to be affected by the events here, and it is in your best interest to get involved now.