Bob Zitter, the technology virtuoso who helped build HBO
into a powerhouse cable brand, is retiring after more than 30 years at the
premium network.
Zitter, HBO's executive vice president of technology and
chief technology officer, is credited with leading the charge on several
industry firsts-including the adoption of satellite distribution, digital
video, HD and video-on-demand.
To Zitter, the biggest innovation he's been involved with
over the course of his career is the transition from analog to digital TV.
"There's been no bigger change in the television industry,"
he said in an interview with Multichannel News. "For HBO, it meant we
could do multiplex [services], which was important for our business, and
digital TV has been a precursor to on-demand and everything that's followed."
