2:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Session B:
Interactive TV/DTV Software & Programming Solutions
There are two sides to the set-top box, Internet, Interactive TV and DTV introduction, one is to have the hardware in place, the other is to have ready the programming solutions that make it useful and dynamic for the TV viewer. Whether it is going to be called ETV Enhanced Television, TVs with Interactive Programming, multi-plexed TV viewing, or Customized or Personalized TV, there are a group of companies who have set the stage for this next TV generation, and we are pleased to have them represented at this session.
Paul Mitchell, Senior Group Manager, Interactive Television, Microsoft TV Platforms
Daniel Levy, VP of Client Services, RespondTV
Kevin Liga, EVP, Chief Technical Officer, ACTV
Andrew Fry, founder, CEO & Chief Strategist, Lariat
Steve Schklair, CEO, Zeros & Ones, Inc.
Dr. Joel Zdepski Vice President, Technology Development, OpenTV
Jeremy Handelman, Vice President, Programming, Wink
Michael Bloom, President, Communication Strategies and Planning, Inc., Moderator
Paul Mitchell is the Senior Group Manager for Interactive Television, responsible for content and services for the Microsoft TV Platforms. He and his team manage a collection of evangelism and training programs for interactive content developers seeking to deploy their content and services on the new interactive television platforms, as well as for television programmers and executives looking for ways to expand their traditional businesses. He is also responsible for the development of developer tools for the TV Platforms. Mitchell was instrumental in the creation of the Advanced Television Enhancement Forum (ATVEF), and organization now involving over 70 companies worldwide, representing all aspects of television production, distribution, consumer electronics, and software, and is Microsoft’s Founder representative to the ATVEF. A veteran of Interactive TV, Mitchell formerly worked in Microsoft’s Advanced Consumer Technology group during the early experimentation with interactive technologies in the early 90s. Prior to that he worked in Microsoft’s developer division, where he launched several successful tools products, including Visual C++, and Visual C++ for Windows NT, the company’s first professional toolset for the Windows NT operating system.
Andrew Fry is founder, CEO and Chief Strategist for Lariat. His primary focus at Lariat is setting the vision and strategic plan for the Company. Lariat grew from Andrew Fry's excitement with new technology, innovative work with early Web tools and successful leadership of Free Range Media, a pioneering Web solution provider, where he was also a company founder. Mr. Fry founded Free Range Media in 1994 and FreeZone, LLC in 1995. FreeZone, a successful community web site targeted to adolescents, was operated within Free Range until 1998 when it was sold to Thomson Newspapers. Luminant Worldwide acquired Free Range Media in 1999. Mr. Fry has participated in World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) conferences, including presentation of "Publishing in the New Mass Medium" at the first U.S. W3C conference in 1994, "Temporal Design" at the 1996 W3C conference, and submission of "Statistical Analysis and Reporting as Applied to the Unique Characteristics of Streaming Media" at the W3C Web Characterization Workshop in 1998. He is also co-author or How to Publish on the Internet in 1995. Mr. Fry speaks frequently on the national and international Internet circuit. Appearances include "Extending the Internet" at Seybold Seminars in 1996; "The Future of Web Communities" at WebINNOVATION in 1997; "Future of the Internet" at Society for Internet Advancement in 1998; and as a panel speaker addressing "Eyeballs, Bits & Clicks: The Language and Metrics of Web Audience Measurement" at The Kagan Streaming Media Summit in New York City in April 2000. In addition to his responsibilities as CEO of Lariat, Mr. Fry is actively involved in industry and educational activities. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Washington Software Alliance. He also participates in University of Washington Education and Technology Initiatives, is a member of Governor Locke's Council on the Internet, and serves on King County Executive Ron Sims' Committee for High Tech Learning Centers.
Dr. Joel Zdepski, Vice President, Technology Development, OpenTV: Dr. Zdepski joined OpenTV in March 1995 as vice president, tools and application engineering. In this position, Dr. Zdepski is responsible for development of OpenTV's development tools and head-end server technology, as well the development of interactive television applications. Prior to joining OpenTV, Dr. Zdepski was with the Communications Laboratory at the David Sarnoff Research Center, where he concentrated on video communications. He ultimately became Group Head of the Digital Video Communications Group, focusing on video compression for teleconferencing, digital television and HDTV. During his tenure, Dr. Zdepski worked on projects including the development of the Digital Satellite System (DSS) used for DBS service in the United States and the Grand Alliance HDTV system before the FCC for standardization as the terrestrial broadcast standard. From 1981 to 1984, he was with Dranetz Technologies, designing and developing test equipment for the electric utility industry. He is a member of the MPEG-2 video and systems subgroups and was a member of Grand Alliance Compression Specialist Group and Transport Specialist Group. He has authored or co-authored over 20 conference and journal papers and holds more than 19 patents, with several pending. Dr. Zdepski received his BSEE, MSEE and Ph.D. degrees from Rutgers University in '81, '86 and '94, respectively.
Steve Schklair: In 1997, Mr. Schklair was the Vice President and General Manager of
New Media for Digital Domain. While there, Schklair co-negotiated a joint venture with Mattel to create CD-ROM titles based on Mattel’s licensed properties. The first title, BARBIE FASHION DESIGNER, sold over 2,000,000 units, making it one of the best-selling children’s titles ever. From 1993 to 1995, Schklair was an Executive Producer and Creative Director at R/GA Digital Studios where he designed and produced interactive projects for clients such as Levi’s, AT&T, Philips, and IBM. From 1990 to 1993, Mr. Schklair was Executive Producer and Project Manager for Synapse Technologies, a digital studio founded by the legendary Robert Abel. At Synapse, he developed and produced several interactive multimedia titles, including the landmark title COLUMBUS: ENCOUNTER, DISCOVERY AND BEYOND for IBM. Upon completion, the COLUMBUS project was selected as the centerpiece multimedia exhibit by the Library of Congress. In 1981, Schklair co-founded Infinity Filmworks. During his ten years there, he produced and photographed several films, music videos, and commercials, including the award-winning 3D film SENSORIUM for Six Flags, and the award-winning TO DREAM OF ROSES, created for the 1990 Osaka World Exposition. Mr. Schklair received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from California State University in 1979 and a Master in Fine Arts from the University of Southern California School of Cinema/Television in 1982.