PSSI Global Services has announced majority interest investment in the broadcast transmission provider by new partners Don Daseke and Derek Blount. The company says the strategic investment marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the company, positioning it for future growth. Daseke, Founder and Chairman Emeritus of North American transportation giant Daseke, Inc., will serve as Chairman of PSSI, while Blount, a seasoned operations and financial executive, will serve as the company’s CEO and Chief Financial Officer. Under the new ownership structure, PSSI says it’s poised to expand its engineering, event management, and transmission services into new markets while accelerating growth and expanding service offerings to its customer base. PSSI International Teleport (PIT) will continue to operate out of Pittsburgh.
Hisense and Verance are introducing the first mass market ATSC watermark detection for NextGen TVs across their ATSC 3.0 product lines, giving broadcasters the ability to deliver new interactive experiences on select Hisense ULED and Laser TVs via cable, satellite or antenna. The Verance Aspect watermark provides commercial implementation of the ATSC audio A/334 watermark specification. Broadcasters are including watermark signals in their services, which pass transparently through all distribution paths and set-top boxes, triggering NextGen TV broadcast applications for opted-in consumers including Sports Betting, Fantasy Sports, Watch Party, Personalized News & Weather, and Advanced Emergency Information.
Snow is in the forecast, a Halloween costume has been purchased for my daughter, and WABE is a month away. I’m about to spook you with a reminder that Oct. 31st is the early bird deadline to register for WABE to take in the full conference at the best price! Sign up today! We would love to know you are coming.
Kicking of the convention this year, on Nov 27 at 7 p.m., is our Media Mixer networking event. For the Media Mixer, think Manitoba social meets work gathering, slash grow your network event. Tickets are $25 for anyone not purchasing a full delegate pass. This is a great chance to come and meet the community, share a snack and see who you might already know.
Our full schedule has a bit of something for everyone who attends, as well as some special guests you are going to want to meet, such as SMPTE Executive Director David Grindle, Vancouver Post Alliance’s Kelsy Wittmann, and Canadian Media Producers Association’s Jason Lee, just to name a few. We also have some great presentations and panel discussions lined up that you are not going to want to miss. There are going to be some great talks about AI, Security, Lens Filters, SDI IP video, Radio in the Cloud, the Data possibilities of ATSC, how to choose the right mic, how to give a good presentation, how to prepare for technical changes in media, among others. You will learn something you didn’t know at WABE, and it can come as a surprise through a conversation at breakfast, from a paper, or from a discussion on the exhibit hall floor. Explore our way through the never-ending changes in technology we work with every day, which WABE has always been about.
We know taking time off work and paying out of pocket to attend a convention is not easy for technical folks working behind the scenes this year. At WABE, we are working hard to make this a community easy to access, local, and affordable. We want all of those working with tech, whether it’s operating, installing, repairing, or selling, to have a place to come explore, share, and be part of this dynamic and connected group. It is still a small industry, so if you come, there is a pretty good chance you will meet an old friend, a colleague, or a business acquaintance. If you are a Vendor or supplier, we still have sponsorship opportunities available to help you showcase your business.
To our Gold Sponsors: Applied Electronics, Burli Software Inc., Deltech CGI, G.S. Broadcast Technical Services, & Tieline, The Pipe Shop Venue, Pippin Technical Services, RCS Canada, and Ron Paley Broadcast & DJB Radio, we cannot thank you enough for your contributions this year and for helping us to create a sold-out exhibit hall at The Pipe Shop Venue at the Shipyards. Almost every media technology in the world is represented by the vendors who are in the Free Exhibit Hall. You can get your free pass by clicking on this link.
To our Silver Sponsors, year after year, you are such loyal supporters of what we do.
To our Bronze Sponsors, we are so thankful for your participation.
Something is stirring this year in Vancouver and you are not going to want to miss WABE at The Shipyards District, Nov 27-29.
Tessa Potter, WABE President
