Ken McCann hands over the TM-AVC reins
Ken McCann has decided to step down as chair of DVB’s technical group on AV coding. One of DVB’s most accomplished chairs, he has led the TM-AVC group for 25 years. The new chair, endorsed in Geneva today by the DVB Technical Module, is Virginie Drugeon (Panasonic).
Ken McCann navigated DVB’s cornerstone “Specification for the use of Video and Audio Coding in Broadcast and Broadband Applications” through sometimes difficult discussions. The most recent version of TS 101 154 (available as DVB Bluebook A001) specifies DVB’s UHD solutions. When originally developed, it was the first broadcasting specification of its kind. Ken’s approach in achieving consensus has become a blueprint for how DVB specifications can be produced in a timely manner.
New chair
Virginie Drugeon is a senior engineer for digital TV standardisation at Panasonic, based in Germany. She is also involved in MPEG standardisation activities. In taking over from Ken, she will no doubt bring her own approach. Her DVB colleagues have every confidence that she will succeed in filling his shoes. In particular, Ken himself has encouraged this move, which itself should reassure the industry and DVB Membership.
Peter MacAvock, DVB Chairman, said: “As we say goodbye, we remember the sharp technical and business insights Ken McCann has shared with DVB, his unparalleled ability to drive the specification work that is the heart of DVB, and his friendly manner which engages all the stakeholders. DVB’s reputation is built on the shoulders of a relatively small number of dedicated individuals who have led a process that mobilises an entire industry to shape its own technical future. It was once said of another DVB great, Prof. Ulrich Reimers, that he was the world’s first DVB-compliant human being; Ken has all the credentials to be the second.”
