SMPTE Announces Launch of New Pittsburgh Section

The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), a society of motion-imaging standards and education for the communications, media, entertainment, and technology industries, today announced the formation of a new SMPTE Section in Pittsburgh. The new Section will offer existing and potential SMPTE members in the Pittsburgh area valuable educational programs, technical expertise, and networking opportunities. The formation of the group was spearheaded by local SMPTE Fellows George Hoover, CTO at NEPJohn Luff, television technology consultant at HD Consulting; and Diversified Systems CEO Karl Paulsen.

"George, John, and Karl did tremendous work to make the SMPTE Pittsburgh Section a reality, and the success of their initiative reflects the Society's growing momentum and activity in the Pittsburgh area," said SMPTE executive director Barbara Lange. "This really was an effort born in the grassroots of SMPTE membership, and it demonstrates our members' genuine enthusiasm for taking advantage of educational programs and their interest in becoming more involved in creating the standards that shape our industry."

The launch of the SMPTE Pittsburgh Section brings the total of local Sections to 28 worldwide. Each year, these groups collectively host more than 200 meetings, tutorials, and workshops. While these events give members access to a broad variety of SMPTE resources, they also enable each Section to tailor programming to address the technical and business concerns of particular interest in the region.

"Pittsburgh is a hub of activity for our industry, and it is particularly notable because the growing SMPTE membership in the region extends beyond traditional television and cinema professionals in what's proving to be a very diverse group that includes new media," said Paul Stechly, SMPTE membership vice president. "Because the formation of new Sections tends to draw an even larger membership, this announcement signals meaningful, ongoing growth for SMPTE in terms of both the breadth and depth of its membership."