Technical executive and long-time Panasonic Broadcast and Television Systems employee Phil Livingston died after an illness on Nov. 8, in Secaucus, N.J.
Livingston, 64, held a number of technical positions with Panasonic during his 28 years with the company. Most recently, as vice president for technical liaison, he was responsible for Panasonic Broadcast's strategic business development activities. For the last five years, he directed the company's Technology Partnering Program where he worked with manufacturers to incorporate Panasonic's digital compression technologies into their products and systems.
Livingston began his broadcast career, which spanned over four decades, in radio at WVOS and WVIP in upstate New York. He helped build WOKR-TV in Rochester, N.Y. and developed an Instructional Television system for the city school district there. He also served for 10 years as associate director for Instructional Resources at the State University of New York at New Paltz.
He represented Panasonic on the board of WHD-TV, the Digital Model Station in Washington, D.C., and had been involved in the work of the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) since 1987. He served on the ATSC board of directors from 2002-2006, and as board chairman from 2002-2005. Livingston was a member of SMPTE, a SMPTE fellow, and chaired the Committee on Television Production Technology (P-18) for two years. He wrote numerous white papers and articles; and recently received a 2006 SMPTE Award for co-authoring a paper entitled, "A News Solid State Memory-based Television Acquisition System."
"Phil was tremendously respected for his knowledge and contribution in the broadcast industry," said John Baisley, president of Panasonic Broadcast. "Of more significance, Phil was a true gentleman and a gentle man."
