The Walt Disney Company, Panasonic, Dolby Laboratories Make Cornerstone Donations to SMPTE Centennial Campaign

The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers(R) (SMPTE(R)), the worldwide leader in motion-imaging standards and education for the communications, media, entertainment, and technology industries, today announced that The Walt Disney Company, Panasonic, and Dolby Laboratories have made contributions totaling $1 million to the SMPTE Centennial Celebration Campaigns Next Century Fund. These gifts, formally recognized today at the SMPTE 2014 Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition, are the largest financial commitments in the Societys history.

"It is our great pleasure to lend our support to SMPTE, both in terms of leadership and financial support, as the Society prepares for its Centennial Celebration, said Vince Roberts, executive vice president of Global Operations and chief technology officer, Disney/ABC Television Group. "For almost 100 years, SMPTE has played a critical role in advancing the art, science, and craft of the moving image and its sound. We are proud to partner with SMPTE as it continues its groundbreaking work in moving-imagery education, engineering, and research."

"We cant think of any organization more worthy of our support than SMPTE, said Kunihiko Miyagi, director, Professional AV Business Unit, Imaging Network Business Division in Panasonic Corporations AVC Networks Company. "The ongoing role the Society plays in advancing standards and technical education for our industry is absolutely critical to our success, and to that of all SMPTE members. Panasonic salutes SMPTE as it enters its second century of advocacy and advancement for the field of moving imagery."

"SMPTE has made a remarkable and long-standing commitment to education and to the development of standards that support ever-greater creative and technical achievements in the field of motion imaging and sound, said Pat Griffis, executive director of technology strategy, Office of the CTO, Dolby Laboratories. "The Societys centennial celebration is an ideal opportunity to recognize this work and its enormous influence on our industry."

The SMPTE Centennial Campaign has been established in recognition of the Societys 100-year anniversary in 2016. The campaign is led by an advisory committee consisting of Wendy Aylsworth and Chuck Dages (retired) of Warner Bros.; Peter Fannon of Panasonic; Richard Friedel of Fox; Charles Jablonski of SMPTE; Peter Lud of RealD; William Miller of Miltag Media Technology; Chuck Pagano (retired) of ESPN; Bob Ross of CBS; and Larry Thorpe of Canon.

"Without question, SMPTEs next hundred years will be very different from the first. As our industry evolves, new developments are challenging every aspect of the media workflow -- from technology tools to business models, said Barbara Lange, executive director of SMPTE. "With their generous gifts, The Walt Disney Company, Panasonic, and Dolby Laboratories are providing a tremendous boost to the Societys ongoing expansion and evolution across our three pillars of activity: standards development, membership development, and education programs."

The Next Century Fund will support specific SMPTE standards activities that speed the development, adoption, use, and understanding of new industry standards, as well as creating tools such as a repository for test materials that are crucial for certifying new IP-based workflows. In the area of membership development, SMPTEs goals include international Section expansion as well as improving programming and networking for students. In education, the Society will focus on creating educational programs that support rapidly changing industry needs; establishing regular conference events throughout the world; and developing and deploying educational programs that serve all levels of membership.

Further information about the SMPTE Centennial Campaign is available at www.smpte100.org.

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