Louis Libin has been named executive director of the Advanced Television Broadcasting Alliance (ATBA).
Libin is former director of engineering and CTO at NBC.
ATBA has not had an executive director, according to a spokesperson for the group, instead working as a committee with volunteers. Rod Payne continues as board president.
But hiring Libin is a move to "step up activity" said the spokesman,with a full-time Washington presence.
ATBA, formerly the Coalition for Free TV and Broadband, is currently lobbying for the preservation of low power TV stations and translators in the face of the FCC's incentive auction and repacking of stations.
LPTV's generally have second-class status, meaning they are not allowed to interfere with full powers, but are not themselves protected from full-powers’ interference. They are also not allowed to participate in the spectrum incentive auction.
“We’re living in a multi-platform multi-media on-demand world," Libin said in a statement. "The ATBA, by protecting the diversity represented by all broadcast stations, is adjusting to that. This is all about preserving low power, translator and high power broadcast services. Broadcast television will remain the anchor no matter which direction all the new wireless technologies go. I see the ATBA expanding further the local broadcasting opportunities to best serve the public.”
