Washington, DC - Mar 6, 2008 - Thomas B. Silliman, president of Electronics Research Incorporated (ERI), and retired ABC senior advisor of science and technology Antoon (Tony) Uyttendaele will be presented with the 2008 NAB Engineering Achievement Awards on April 16 during the Technology Luncheon at the NAB Show. National Public Radio's science correspondent and award-winning TV journalist Ira Flatow will keynote the luncheon.

Known for his accomplishments in the field of antenna engineering, Silliman began his career as a consultant in the engineering firm Silliman and Silliman before developing a design for the patented Rototiller antenna in the 1970s. This circularly polarized FM broadcast antenna became a popular choice for FM stations in the United States. Since then, Silliman has been a consistent innovator in antenna engineering in the broadcast industry, eventually leading ERI in the development of an antenna system that accommodates analog and digital transmissions.

During his tenure at ABC, Uyttendaele played a pivotal role in the evolution of high-definition television by working with major broadcast and consumer equipment manufacturers to create 720p hardware, a video format used in the production and transmission process of HDTV. Uyttendaele's efforts contributed to the final adoption of 720p by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). He also developed and managed the completion of ABC's C-Band satellite network distribution system and for a number of years served as international chairman of the ITU-Radiocommunication Sector Working Party on Satellite News Gathering, which developed numerous recommendations on uniform standards and operating procedures to make SNG practical worldwide.

NPR's Ira Flatow will serve as the luncheon keynote speaker. In his address titled Funny, You Don't Look Like Your Avatar: New Media Conquers Old Problems, Flatow will present a discussion on broadcasters' opportunities to participate in the new media revolution. Starting as a reporter at WBFO-FM in Buffalo, Flatow began covering science stories in 1970 during the first Earth Day. He eventually moved up to news director before joining NPR as a science correspondent in 1971. On television, Flatow spent six years as host and writer for the Emmy-Award winning show Newton's Apple on PBS and has worked as a science reporter for CBS This Morning. Flatow has also appeared on a variety of programs and TV talk shows, including Merv Griffin, The Today Show and Oprah. Currently, Flatow serves as president of Talking Science, a non-profit company he founded that is dedicated to creating radio, TV and Internet projects that make science user-friendly.

Since 1959, the NAB Engineering Achievement Awards have honored individuals who have made outstanding achievements and contributions in the broadcast engineering profession.

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