Awards
Advanced Television Systems Committee honours James A. Kutzner
MUMBAI: The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) has announced that James A. Kutzner is the 2014 recipient of the organisation’s highest technical honour, the Bernard J. Lechner Outstanding Contributor Award. The presentation was made during the ATSC Broadcast Television Conference at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center.
Kutzner retired earlier this year as senior director of Advanced Technology at PBS, where he managed engineering and technical projects within PBS. Kutzner is a past member of the ATSC Board and he chaired the ATSC Technology and Standards Group three on the development of the next-generation ATSC 3.0 standard. He holds a Masters degree in Engineering Management from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Minnesota.
The Lechner Award is bestowed once a year to an individual representative of the membership whose technical and leadership contributions to the ATSC have been invaluable and exemplary. The title of the award recognises the first recipient, Bernard Lechner, for his outstanding services to the ATSC. The award winner is selected by the Board of Directors and presented at the ATSC’s spring meeting. Lechner passed away a few weeks ago after a long career in TV technology.
“Throughout his career Jim Kutzner brought his outstanding technical and management skills to the table to advance broadcast TV technology. He is a thoughtful, conscientious leader whose calm and steady presence has facilitated industry agreement,” said ATSC president Mark Richer.
“Jim’s leadership in ATSC has been extraordinary,” Richer said. Kutzner served as ATSC Implementation Subcommittee vice chair; chair of our ATSC T3/S9 subgroup on field testing and also chair of the ATSC Ad Hoc Group on DTV Field Test Measurement and Methodology. On yet another project, as chair of the ATSC 3.0 Planning Team, Jim led ATSC’s efforts to identify the opportunities and challenges that would be brought about by the development of a next-generation DTV system. Then, as chair of Technology Group 3, Jim launched the development of ATSC 3.0.
Kutzner served as PBS’ chief engineer and managed systems engineering and technical support for more than a decade, playing a prominent role in the redevelopment of PBS with an eye towards supply chain management from suppliers, through PBS, to customers. He led and managed the development and implementation of the next-generation public television interconnection system.
Previously, Kutzner was Advanced Television Technology Center senior technology director in the Washington area, managing and conducting digital TV research and demonstration projects at the very beginning of the digital TV transition.
Kutzner worked twice for Twin Cities Public Television in St. Paul, Minnesota, working his way from technician to supervisor and chief engineer from 1973 to 1989. His first stint at PBS was a three-year term in the early 1990’s as Associate Director of Engineering. Jim returned to the Twin Cities as VP of Operations and Engineering for that public broadcaster from 1993 to 1997, where he led a staff of more than 60 full time employees handling all aspects of technology.
In addition to his public TV and Advanced Television Test Center service, Kutzner was director of engineering for Comark Digital Services/Thomcast Communications where he initiated the company’s new systems integration division and managed engineering and integration staff and projects to complete customer digital TV installations.
Kutzner is a Fellow of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and also a frequent contributor of papers and presentations about digital TV to the National Association of Broadcasters, SMPTE, and IEEE.
Awards
Ajay Kakar to chair jury for ad:tech Honours Awards 2026
Industry leaders join jury as nominations surge for marketing tech awards
NEW DELHI: The ad:tech Honours Awards 2026 are gearing up for a bigger second edition, with Ajay Kakar, head of corporate branding at Adani Group, set to chair the jury for India’s technology-focused marketing awards.
Organised in partnership with the International Advertising Association India Chapter, the awards celebrate the growing influence of technology in shaping modern advertising and marketing outcomes. This year’s edition has drawn a strong response from across the industry, signalling rising momentum around innovation in marketing technology.
The organisers say the nominations reflect a wide range of ideas and approaches, highlighting how brands and agencies are increasingly leaning on platforms, tools and data to sharpen their campaigns and connect with audiences more effectively.
Leading the evaluation process, Kakar will head a jury made up of senior leaders from across brands, agencies and technology platforms.
The jury panel includes Amaresh Godbole, CEO, digital technology business at Publicis Groupe; Bishwajeet S, head of marketing and PR at Volkswagen India; Carol Goyal, executive director at Rediffusion and CEO of Aesthetic Intelligence Lab; Kushal Sanghvi, director at Komerz; Lara Balsara, executive director at Madison World; Rana Barua, group CEO India, sea and North Asia; Deepak Oram, senior vice president growth marketing and martech; and Priyanka Khaneja Gandhi, head of marketing and creative solutions at Amazon Ads India.
The ad:tech Honours Awards aim to recognise not just creative campaigns but the smart use of technology that delivers measurable impact and business results. Categories this year reflect the rapidly evolving digital landscape, covering areas such as artificial intelligence, data-driven marketing, content ecosystems, automation, martech and adtech integration, and commerce-led marketing.
The winners will be announced on 17 March 2026 at the Yashobhoomi Convention Centre in New Delhi during ad:tech New Delhi 2026. The event is expected to bring together leaders from brands, agencies, platforms, creators and technology partners for an evening celebrating the ideas and innovations shaping the future of marketing.iconductor industries.
