HAUPPAUGE, N.Y.—Bob McAlpine is heading to retirement, as MultiDyne announced on Jan. 18 that McAlpine has stepped down as the company’s chief operating officer, effective immediately.

Though stepping down from a full-time position with MultiDyne, the company says that McAlpine will join its newly formed Board of Directors and continue to consult for the company.

McAlpine joined MultiDyne as its COO in September 2019 following the acquisition of Census Digital. McAlpine helped facilitate the deal as president of Black Pearl Management Group, which he founded in 2018. 

Despite retiring, McAlpine will continue to operate Black Pearl Management Group, advising companies on mergers, acquisitions and global growth strategies; though as the release says, on his time.

McAlpine’s career in broadcast spanned 46 years, working in operations and engineering roles before transitioning to the supplier side. Previous positions in his career included PESA, QuStream, an earlier role with MultiDyne, Telecast Fiber Systems and Cobalt Digital, where he became CEO in 2016.

“Bob was a friend to MultiDyne and a mentor to me well before he first joined the company in 2007,” said Frank Jachetta, CEO, MultiDyne. “He has continued to be a mentor to everyone at MultiDyne since returning, and his contributions have been essential to our evolution as a company. He will continue to play an active and important role in our evolution, including some key growth initiatives that we expect to announce later this year.”

“My time at MultiDyne as COO was without question my final full-time position, and now I have the opportunity to spend more time with family while remaining active in the industry on my terms,” said McAlpine. “Very few completely detach from the broadcast industry after spending decades within it. I look forward to working with MultiDyne in a limited capacity, and helping other companies in the industry grow and prosper.”

CHAMPAIGN, ILL.—There is a new man in charge of Cobalt, as Robert McAlpine has been promoted to CEO, the company announced in a press release.

Bob McAlpine

McAlpine, who has been in the broadcast industry for more than 40 years, has spent the last five years as a member of Cobalt’s executive team. He joined Cobalt from Telecast Fiber Systems, where he was vice president of sales. He has also held high-ranking sales positions with MultiDyne Video & Fiber Optic Systems and Pesa. He is also a member of NAB’s Executive Advisory Committee.

“Bob is a consummate professional whose leadership, drive, expertise, and organization have been instrumental in our growth,” said Gene Zimmerman, president of Cobalt Digital. “We have all benefitted from his counsel and friendship, and I can’t think of anyone better to lead us at a time when the industry is evolving faster than ever.”