Broadcast Technology Veteran Luiz Fausto Named ATSC Vice President of Standards Development

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Broadcast Technology Veteran Luiz Fausto Named ATSC Vice President of Standards Development

2025-07-02 03:02 Last Updated At：03:21

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 1, 2025--

ATSC, the Broadcast Standards Association, has named broadcast engineering and standards veteran Luiz Fausto as Vice President of Standards Development. He will succeed longtime ATSC Vice President Jerry Whitaker, who is retiring at the end of August. ATSC President Madeleine Noland welcomed Fausto to ATSC and thanked Whitaker for his decades of service.

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Fausto joins ATSC from the Globo TV Network in Brazil, where he held various engineering positions since 2006, most recently serving as Technology Regulatory Specialist. At ATSC, he will oversee standards development processes, guide industry adoption and foster relationships with global stakeholders to help ensure that ATSC remains at the forefront of next-generation broadcast technology.

Highly regarded for his collaborative work in next-generation broadcasting, Fausto has more than 25 years of experience in media technology, including over a decade focused on digital standards development and international technical collaboration. “Luiz Fausto brings to ATSC deep technical expertise, strategic vision, and leadership in the international broadcasting and standards communities,” said Noland.

In his new role at ATSC, Fausto will lead the association’s technical and strategic efforts in evolving and deploying ATSC standards internationally. He will develop and oversee processes for harmonizing standards among countries adopting ATSC and participate in ATSC’s overall strategic development with a focus on the technical roadmap.

He will work with ATSC Technology, Specialist and Ad Hoc Groups and also manage ATSC’s participation in international organizations such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), India’s Telecommunications Standards Development Society (TSDSI), and the Organization of American States’ InterAmerican Telecommunication Commission (CITEL).

“My strategic vision for ATSC standards development is to build on its strength as a comprehensive, flexible toolbox. I believe ATSC standards should evolve within a unified framework that empowers broadcasters worldwide making it easy to mix, match and extend standardized technologies,” said Fausto.

“By fostering strong international relationships, staying ahead of broadcast technology trends and ensuring that the standards remain responsive and relevant, I aim to help ATSC further increase the adoption our standards in the Americas and worldwide,” he added.

Fausto holds a Master’s Degree in Applied Computing and Master’s of Business Administration Degree in Information Technology, as well as extensive education in networks, video-over-internet protocol and electrical engineering. He recently concluded his tenure as Technical Module Chairman of the Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão Digital (SBTVD) Forum by delivering the TV 3.0 (DTV+) Project technology selection recommendation, supporting test reports and draft technical standards to the Brazilian Ministry of Communications.

Whitaker joined ATSC in 1990. He is a Fellow the Society of Broadcast Engineers and a Fellow of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. He has also served as a board member and vice president of the Society of Broadcast Engineers. He is the author and/or editor of more than 30 books on technical topics.

“ Jerry Whitaker’s incredible career over the past 25 years has spanned the ATSC 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 standards, the launch of HDTV, the U.S. digital transition, the pioneering development of next-generation standards and ATSC’s international expansion,” Noland said. “ATSC stakeholders around the world join me in thanking Jerry for his significant contributions, and we wish him all the best for this next chapter.”

About ATSC: ATSC, the Broadcast Standards Association, is an international, non-profit organization developing voluntary standards and recommended practices for digital terrestrial broadcasting. Serving as an essential force in the broadcasting industry, ATSC guides the seamless integration of broadcast and telecom standards to drive the industry forward. Currently, the ATSC 3.0 Standard is providing the best possible solution for expanding the potential of the broadcast spectrum beyond its traditional application to meet changing needs. From conventional television to innovative digital data services, ATSC has one clear goal: to empower the broadcasting ecosystem like never before. For more information, visit www.atsc.org.

Dozens presumed dead and about 100 injured in fire at Swiss Alps bar during New Year's celebration

CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland (AP) — Dozens of people are presumed dead and about 100 injured, most of them seriously, following a fire at a Swiss Alps bar during a New Year’s celebration, police said Thursday.

“Several tens of people” were killed at the bar, Le Constellation, Valais Canton police commander Frédéric Gisler said.

Work is underway to identify the victims and inform their families but “that will take time and for the time being it is premature to give you a more precise figure," Gisler said.

Beatrice Pilloud, attorney general of the Valais Canton, said it was too early to determine the cause of the fire. Experts have not yet been able to go inside the wreckage.

“At no moment is there a question of any kind of attack,” Pilloud said.

Officials called the blaze an “embrasement généralisé,” a firefighting term describing how a blaze can trigger the release of combustible gases that can then ignite violently and cause what English-speaking firefighters would call a flashover or a backdraft.

“This evening should have been a moment of celebration and coming together, but it turned into a nightmare,” said Mathias Rénard, head of the regional government.

The injured were so numerous that the intensive care unit and operating theater at the regional hospital quickly hit full capacity, Rénard said.

Helicopters and ambulances rushed to the scene to assist victims, including some from different countries, officials said.

“We are devastated,” Frédéric Gisler, commander of the Valais Cantonal police, said during a news conference.

The injured were so numerous that the intensive care unit and operating theater at the regional hospital quickly hit full capacity, according to regional councilor Mathias Rénard.

The municipality had banned New Year’s Eve fireworks due to lack of rainfall in the past month, according to its website.

In a region busy with tourists skiing on the slopes, the authorities have called on the local population to show caution in the coming days to avoid any accidents that could require medical resources that are already overwhelmed.

The community is in the heart of the Swiss Alps, just 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of the Matterhorn, one of the most famous Alpine peaks, and 130 kilometers (81 miles) south of Zurich.

The highest point of Crans-Montana, with a population of 10,000 residents, sits at an elevation of nearly 3,000 meters (1.86 miles), according to the municipality’s website, which says officials are seeking to move away from a tourist culture and attract high-tech research and development.

The municipality was formed only nine years ago, on Jan. 1, 2017, when multiple towns merged. It extends over 590 hectares (2.3 square miles) from the Rhône Valley to the Plaine Morte glacier.

Crans-Montana is one of the top race venues on the World Cup circuit in Alpine skiing and will host the next world championships over two weeks in February 2027.

In four weeks’ time, the resort will host the best men’s and women’s downhill racers for their last events before going to the Milan Cortina Olympics, which open Feb. 6.

Crans-Montana also is a premium venue in international golf. The Crans-sur-Sierre club stages the European Masters each August on a picturesque course with stunning mountains views.