Luiz Fausto named ATSC’s vice president of standards development

ATSC, the broadcast standards association, has named broadcast engineering and standards veteran Luiz Fausto as vice president of standards development. He will succeed longtime ATSC Vice President Jerry Whitaker, who is retiring at the end of August. ATSC President Madeleine Noland welcomed Fausto to ATSC and thanked Whitaker for his decades of service.

Fausto joins ATSC from the Globo TV Network in Brazil, where he held various engineering positions since 2006, most recently serving as Technology Regulatory Specialist. At ATSC, he will oversee standards development processes, guide industry adoption and foster relationships with global stakeholders to help ensure that ATSC remains at the forefront of next-generation broadcast technology.

Highly regarded for his collaborative work in next-generation broadcasting, Fausto has more than 25 years of experience in media technology, including over a decade focused on digital standards development and international technical collaboration. “Luiz Fausto brings to ATSC deep technical expertise, strategic vision, and leadership in the international broadcasting and standards communities,” said Noland.

In his new role at ATSC, Fausto will lead the association’s technical and strategic efforts in evolving and deploying ATSC standards internationally. He will develop and oversee processes for harmonizing standards among countries adopting ATSC and participate in ATSC’s overall strategic development with a focus on the technical roadmap.

He will work with ATSC Technology, Specialist and Ad Hoc Groups and also manage ATSC’s participation in international organizations such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), India’s Telecommunications Standards Development Society (TSDSI), and the Organization of American States’ InterAmerican Telecommunication Commission (CITEL).

“My strategic vision for ATSC standards development is to build on its strength as a comprehensive, flexible toolbox. I believe ATSC standards should evolve within a unified framework that empowers broadcasters worldwide making it easy to mix, match and extend standardized technologies,” said Fausto.

“By fostering strong international relationships, staying ahead of broadcast technology trends and ensuring that the standards remain responsive and relevant, I aim to help ATSC further increase the adoption our standards in the Americas and worldwide,” he added.

Fausto holds a Master’s Degree in Applied Computing and Master’s of Business Administration Degree in Information Technology, as well as extensive education in networks, video-over-internet protocol and electrical engineering. He recently concluded his tenure as Technical Module Chairman of the Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão Digital (SBTVD) Forum by delivering the TV 3.0 (DTV+) Project technology selection recommendation, supporting test reports and draft technical standards to the Brazilian Ministry of Communications.

Whitaker joined ATSC in 1990. He is a Fellow the Society of Broadcast Engineers and a Fellow of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. He has also served as a board member and vice president of the Society of Broadcast Engineers. He is the author and/or editor of more than 30 books on technical topics.

“Jerry Whitaker’s incredible career over the past 25 years has spanned the ATSC 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 standards, the launch of HDTV, the U.S. digital transition, the pioneering development of next-generation standards and ATSC’s international expansion,” Noland said. “ATSC stakeholders around the world join me in thanking Jerry for his significant contributions, and we wish him all the best for this next chapter.”