SMPTE Spotlight: Joe Addalia

CURRENT POSITION: Vice President, Broadcast Technology for Hearst Television Inc.

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS: SMPTE, Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE), Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC), National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Television Technology Committee

DEGREES: Applied Science Degree, Television

Media is a vibrant ecosystem that faces constant changes as new technology is introduced. For this ecosystem to survive and thrive, leaders need to integrate this technology in a thoughtful way. That's where Joe Addalia comes in. He is currently the Vice President of Broadcast Technology for Hearst Television Inc., where he is responsible for discovering and implementing new technology. His work involves innovating workflows for News Technology, Broadcast Operations Technology, Media Workflows, and NextGenTV.

"I joined Hearst with the purchase of WKCF-TV in 2006," said Addalia. "The Executive Team's guidance has been tremendous for me throughout the years. Hearst is sincerely a one-of-a-kind company and to be on the inside of the long-range and strategic thinking has helped me develop a view of technology that is not achievable when working short-term or quarterly. This is a perspective which I am truly grateful to have gained."

"MY HOPE IS TO SEE YOUNG PEOPLE JOIN THE RANKS AND HOPEFULLY BE AFFORDED THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES THAT I HAVE HAD FOR CAREER ADVANCEMENTS.

Addalia joined SMPTE as a Student Member while acquiring his Applied Science Degree in Television. He started his career strong, becoming the chief engineer of Newswatch 8 by Adelphia Communications in Ocean County, NJ at the age of 21. "SMPTE standards have always been integral to my technology advancement efforts," says Addalia. "They have always been about education and standardization, both of which have always played a huge role in my day-to-day."

Addalia then worked for Press Communications LLC, a Radio and Television Broadcasting Company based in Wall, NJ. He held the position of Corporate Director of Engineering and was responsible for designing and constructing radio facilities in New Jersey and Florida. His biggest project, however, was the creation of WKCF-TV's studio and transmission facilities, becoming the station's chief engineer in 1988.

"The leadership at Press Communications showed me that the 'little guy' can come out on top in the business," said Addalia. "I hope I have carried that forward throughout my career with team members close to me."

Emmis Communications acquired WKCF, and Addalia became the station's director of engineering while simultaneously acting as the organization's corporate director of engineering technology. While working there, he implemented Emmis Centralcasting Model for the Emmis TV stations and spearheaded efforts to drive on-air operations through metadata. This was a breakthrough in his career.

During his time at Emmis Communications, Addalia helped research and implement new technologies for 16 TV and 25 radio stations. His work continued when WKCF was acquired by Hearst, adding groundbreaking technologies to systems workflows such as metadata, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. He's also formed valuable partnerships with Adobe, Bitcentral, Harmonic Inc., Florical Systems, Imagine Communications and TVU. His work earned him a Technology Leadership Award in 2016.

When asked about his lasting impact on the industry, Addalia replied, "The television industry's ever evolving technology roadmap will extend and iterate for years to come, and it is my hope that my fingerprint on the tech and direction will continue to be the groundwork to chart our company and the industry through the future."

He also hopes to get students involved as well, stating, "My hope is to see young people join the ranks and hopefully be afforded the same opportunities that I have had for career advancements. Programs like the Marty Faubell Hearst Fellowship and SMPTE Education are key to making this happen."

New technology is meaningless if it's not properly integrated. Adding new tech to workflows involves skill, patience, and the determination to see things through. Joe Addalia has all these traits in spades. They are what shaped a successful 40-year career and continue to shape the future of media technology. We are honored to have Addalia as a SMPTE member and manager for the Florida Section.

DOI: 10.5594/JMI.2024.BJIV5618

Date of publication: 1 April 2024

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Visit www.joinhearsttelevision.com/fellowships/marty-faubell-fellowship or scan the QR the code for more information about the Marty Faubell Hearst Fellowship program.

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