Broadcast Industry Tech Leader Alec Shapiro Dead at 72

Broadcast Industry Tech Leader Alec Shapiro Dead at 72 For more than 40 years he changed the industry while leading Sony, Panasonic, Chyron, and the industry at large By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director

Tuesday, August 26, 2025 - 2:50 pm

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Alec Shapiro, former Sony Electronics Professional Solutions of America president and a long-time broadcast industry executive who played a key role in the adoption of a wide range of technologies during a career which also included working for Chyron and Panasonic, died earlier this week due to injuries sustained in an automobile accident. He was 72 and is survived by his wife Ellen, his son Andrew and his wife and daughter Ashley and Sophie, his daughter Amanda and her family Josh Rozelle and their daughters Charlotte and Remi, and his sister Arlene Weil and her family.

Alec Shapiro, who played an important role not only at leading companies like Sony, Panasonic, and Chyron but the entire broadcast industry, died earlier this week from injuries sustained in an automobile accident.

For more than 20 years at Sony Shapiro played an integral part in the marketing and launch of revolutionary imaging technologies, including Betacam SP, XDCAM, the Sony CineAlta line, HD, 4K and HDR. As such, in his role at Sony, Shapiro's marketing strategies helped frame the look of the industry's HD transition and reinvent its HD production workflows. In 2012, after nine years with the company, he was promoted to president of Sony's Professional Solutions Group Americas, a role he held until 2017 when he retired. He also worked closely with the Sports Video Group from its inception in 2006 and during his years at Sony.

Theresa Alesso, President of Imaging Products & Solutions of America, says Shapiro was a visionary who led by example and seamlessly managed the dynamics of a global organization with unyielding measure, composure, and knowledge.

He provided me and others the opportunity for growth, was an amazing manager, and had a lasting impact on us all, she says. His fingerprints can be seen on the work that the company continues to do, and his influence will remain with Sony for years to come.

Shapiro was committed to pushing forward production technologies that were designed to keep up with the continuing evolution of consumer devices. That included everything from the move to HDTV while he was at Chyron and Panasonic (as well as a publicist for Sony) as well as 3D and 4K. In 2010, the launch of 3D television sets at the Consumer Electronics Show led to a flurry of developments with respect to the production and delivery of the next-generation format. Shapiro was a key decision maker in pioneering and underwriting 3D productions for events like the Masters and US. Open tennis as well as completing deals with production companies.

Edward Grebow, now managing director of Lakewood Advisors but who recruited Shapiro to join him at Chyron in 1997 and then at Sony a few years later, says Alec was great with people, valuing everyone's opinion, regardless of their rank.

He worked hard to understand customers' needs and what it would take to solve their problems, he explains. Those skills are what made him probably the foremost media technology sales and marketing executive of our generation. We were colleagues and friends for over 25 years, and I will miss his wise counsel.

Shapiro understood the value of sports production as an engine of growth for the entire sports broadcasting manufacturing industry. Under his direction, the company's HDC-4300 camera dominated the field in all major sports in the US and became the standard for all major mobile providers.

Relative to the rest of the traditional-broadcast market, the amount of sports production keeps expanding as over-the-top delivery and the number of events grow, he said in 2016 when streaming live sports content was still in its infancy. What is exciting is that a lot more sports than not are getting covered, and more and more fans want to watch those additional events.

While at Sony the company was rewarded for its technical achievements, most notably in 2016 Sony when it received a Technical Emmy for its HDC-4300 camera which arguably is part of the most important camera lineup in broadcast production history.

We're excited to get the Emmy, Shapiro said at the time. It's a rare opportunity to hit a home run with a new production these days. But we managed to hit a grand slam, as practically every major sport and live event has used the 4300. The success of it is the result of listening to the sports and live-production customer base as evidenced by the industry icons that were on the stage when we introduced it.

A graduate of the University of Maryland, Shapiro's career in the broadcast video industry began in 1980 when he was a marketing and public relations consultant. In 1991 he then joined Chyron before moving on to Panasonic and then Sony Broadcast and Business Solutions Company in 2003 where he was VP of marketing communications until 2012.

Beyond his professional life, Alec was a caring, generous, and devoted family man, says Alesso. He prioritized and cherished time with his loved ones, including his wife, Ellen, children, Andrew and Amanda, and grandchildren, who brought him endless joy and remain in our thoughts during this difficult time. Alec will truly be missed, and we share our condolences with all who knew him as we honor his memory and celebrate the remarkable individual he was.

LINK:	https://www.sportsvideo.org/2025/08/26/broadcast-industry-tech-leader-...
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