FCC Reinstates Technological Advisory Council, Seeks Noms

The FCC is looking for nominations for members for the Technological Advisory Council, which it recently reinstated, citing "rapid advances in technology."

"Many of these advances create challenges and opportunities for the growth of telecommunications and use of the radio spectrum. The Commission must remain abreast of new developments in technology so that it can effectively fulfill its responsibilities under the Communications Act," the commission said.

Past members of the TAC have included CTOs and other senior management from Comcast, Lucent, Bell Laboratories, Bellsouth, Sprint, Verizon, Motorola, Harris, Microsoft and others. Internet pioneer Vint Cerf and media visionary Nicholas Negroponte have served on the TAC.

Potential topics the TAC may consider include spectrum policy, broadband technology and deployment, communications technology that enhances and supports public safety, Internet security, and communications technology required to support emerging systems such as the smart grid and tele-health applications.

Nominations will be accepted for the Council through May 8, 2009. For information on requirements and procedures for nominations, refer to the Public Notice. For information on previous TACs, visit the Technological Advisory Committee web page at http://www.fcc.gov/oet/tac/.

Doug Lung

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack.
A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.