Fifth DTV Summit To Focus On Programming, Status Of Transition

The Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association (CEMA) will host its fifth Digital Television (DTV) Summit next week in Los Angeles, California. Focused on programming for the new format, the Summit will feature speakers from the production side of DTV, as well as consumer electronics, broadcast, satellite and retail representatives. The Summit is co-located with Digital Hollywood and will be held September 28, 1999 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. An opening reception on September 27 will showcase the technology with a live HDTV broadcast of Monday Night Football. Industry representatives will participate in several panel discussions, including: DTV and the Consumer: Understanding what Sells!, a retail and consumer research session; DTV: From the Showroom to the Living Room, focusing on DTV set and set-top box rollouts; Digital Post-Production - Gearing Up for a New Medium, focusing on the impact of DTV on post-production processes; Wanted! Full-time DTV Programming, focusing on programming plans for the 4th quarter and beyond; and ITV: Will DTV Make It Happen?, focusing on the advent of interactive TV in the digital age. CEMA also will release new opinion research on DTV. (See the full program attached). ""DTV is a retail reality. Now, as with any new consumer technology, content will drive consumer sales of DTV. That's why this Summit is focused on programming,"" said CEMA President Gary Shapiro. ""Our industries are already working together to bring high-quality DTV programming to consumers. We hope this event will foster even more cooperation like this - and ensure that the programming available maximizes the full potential of DTV."" The event is co-sponsored by the Association for Maximum Service Television, Inc. (MSTV), North American Retail Dealers Association (NARDA), the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), the National Cable Television Association (NCTA), the Satellite Broadcasting Communications Association (SBCA), the Professional Audio/Video Retailers Association (PARA) and the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE). The Summit is open to manufacturers, broadcasters, cable and satellite executives, retailers, content providers and media. For more information about Summit registration, call 703 907 7605, or visit the CEMA Web site at www.CEMAcity.org/dtvsummit/.