2026 Agenda

Paul Kriegler gained experience as a PD and OM, GM, PD in markets large and small. He came to work for Telos Alliance in 2017 working with Frank Foti and Team Omnia to make AM FM HD and streaming audio sound better - while sharing good engineering practice and advice - along the way.

Nicolas holds a BSEE degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He works at Kintronic Labs. He has extensive experience as an iHeartMedia Tiger Team Corporate RF engineer working on project design, implementation, and execution for all major AM and FM projects in the 2017-2024 time frame. In addition, he has provided a wide range of contracting and consulting services that extended from studio buildouts and automation to transmitter site design and antenna modeling/tuning and implementation.

Jon Ellis is a lifelong DX'er who enjoys seeking out distant signals on the AM, FM, and TV bands. He often combines this hobby with travel to places like Minnesota's North Shore, remote campgrounds, and national parks. He also writes about Upper Midwest broadcasting on his longtime website, NorthPine.com. Ellis has worked in the TV news industry for more than 20 years and currently produces newscasts at KBJR in Superior-Duluth.

Javier Ruano is a Telecommunications Engineer with a Masters in Radiocommunications and Telematics and more than 25 years of experience across the broadcast and telecommunications ecosystem. His career integrates deep technical expertise in RF engineering, broadcast transmitters, antenna systems, professional test and measurement, RF distribution, optical transport, and in building network infrastructure solutions with more than a decade of senior executive leadership. As President and General Manager of Televes USA, Javier leads the North American operations of one of the world's most experienced broadcast technology groups. He oversees strategy, market development, and technical execution, working closely with broadcasters, chipset partners, integrators, tower crews, installation professionals, industry associations, and end users to align technology, deployment practices, and long-term industry needs. Living in the U.S. for the past 15 years, he has supported the full range of broadcast stakeholders from major network groups to independent stations, helping bridge the gap between transmission, reception, and distribution to ensure reliable real-world performance of digital terrestrial television systems. Internationally, Javier has played key roles in digital terrestrial television transitions and deployment initiatives across Europe and Latin America. His multilingual background and established global relationships help connect international best practices with domestic implementation, supporting ATSC's expanding global footprint and the continued growth of ATSC 3.0 in new markets. Based in Denver, Colorado, he remains closely connected to both engineering teams and field operations, committed to strengthening broadcasting as a modern, free, reliable, and universally accessible public service for all.

Jeff Welton has worked with Nautel for more than 35 years. He is currently the Nautel Sales Manager for U.S. Central Region. Previously he spent 16.5 years as a Nautel Customer Service Technician, was involved in the 2015 MA3 field tests with NAB Labs and has performed hundreds of transmitter site visits and field calls. Jeff has been recognized with the 2020 NAB Radio Engineering Achievement Award; 2019 APRE Engineering Achievement Award; and 2018 SBE Educator of the Year Award. He's also contributed to the most recent edition of the NAB Engineering Handbook, including authoring the chapter on Facility Grounding and performs several presentations a year on topics relevant to broadcast engineering.

Dan Merwin, CBNE, is a lifelong telecom veteran. In 2023, he started his own company, Broadcast Telecom, which is an agency that works with end-users and providers. He also works part-time as a contract broadcast field engineer, primarily for K-LOVE.

Matt Peschau has held various product management, market development, and sales management roles at Ottawa based Ross Video. Matt joined Ross during 2014 as part of the Ross acquisition of La Crosse, Wisconsin based ADS which originally developed and marketed various newsroom system, teleprompter, and closed captioning software applications for broadcasters, broadcast educators, and other markets. Matt is a proud 2nd generation WBA Member and looks forward to presenting on Innovative Uses of AI in Live Production.

James Stellpflug is Senior Vice President of Community Engagement and Live Ecosystem at EVS. In this role, he works at the intersection of customers, engineering, product leadership, and industry organizations to ensure real world workflows and practitioner insight directly inform EVS's product and platform evolution. With a career spanning broadcast engineering, product leadership, and ecosystem strategy, James brings more than three decades of experience across live sports, international events, and large scale production environments-including involvement in facilities and productions from some of the world's top events and productions. James is an active industry voice and contributor within organizations such as SMPTE, AIMS, SVG, HPA, DPP and regularly speaks on topics including live production workflows, product strategy, and the evolving role of software defined and IP based ecosystems in media.

Bio Coming Soon

Harvey Arnold is the Senior Vice President-Engineering for Sinclair Broadcast Group and has been with the company since 1998. He is responsible for supporting the engineering activities of Sinclair television stations. Harvey is working to implement The Broadcast Positing System (BPS and is focused on completing the industry transition to the newest and most advanced broadcast television transmission system, ATSC 3.0, as quickly as possible. Prior to joining Sinclair, Arnold spent 17 years with North Carolina Public Television, where he managed and expanded the engineering as well as transmission activities of one of the largest state-wide Public Television networks in the country. Harvey served as an engineering consultant for PBS and its member stations. He was an active member of the FCC Advisory Committee for Advanced Television Service (ACATS) to develop the ATSC standard and to implement over-the-air digital television in the United States. Harvey holds a BS in Communications from the University of Wisconsin. He is a member of the SMPTE Board of Editors and is a SMPTE Fellow. Additionally, Harvey serves as Chairman of the NAB TV Technology Committee. He is active in many broadcast-related technical organizations such as ATSC, Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE), and The Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers (AFCCE). Harvey is the recipient of the Broadcasting & Cable Technical Leadership Award and the 2026 NAB Television Engineering Achievement Award.

Chris Crump has served as the Sr. Director of Sales and Marketing for Comrex since 2004. In 1987, he began his professional radio career at ABC/Cap Cities Detroit before taking the Features Editor position at MediaBase Research/Monday Morning Replay. On-air, remote broadcast engineer, creative services director roles followed for Capitol Broadcasting (subsequently Paxson Communications) in Orlando and the Ron & Ron Radio Network in Tampa/St. Petersburg. In 1996, Crump moved to the manufacturing side of the broadcast business performing sales and marketing roles for Spectral, Inc., Euphonix, Symetrix and Klotz Digital America. Crump resides in Buford, Georgia (outside of Atlanta) with his wife Seval, 21-year-old daughter Zara (currently enrolled at University of North Carolina Greensboro), their Affenpinscher Olive, Chihuahua Nugget and Goldendoodle puppy Toast. He is a CBNE certified member of SBE Chapter 5 in Atlanta as well Assistant Scoutmaster of Troops 597 and 5597 in Dacula, Georgia.

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John Clark is the Chief Innovation Officer and Senior Vice President of Emerging Technology at the National Association of Broadcasters and leads NAB's efforts to identify, develop and expand next-generation tools, partnerships and technologies that empower local broadcasters. Clark works with broadcast and technology companies across the media ecosystem and works to identify emerging trends that will shape the future of the industry. -- He has a deep understanding of both broadcast operations and cutting-edge innovation. -- Previously, Clark was Executive Director of the Reese News Lab in the Hussman School of Media and Journalism at the University of North Carolina, where he taught media innovation and entrepreneurship. -- Prior to UNC, Clark was the general manager of WRAL.com, one of the nation's most successful local news websites. -- He has earned patents for delivering geographically restricted content over the Internet and was a winner of the Knight News Challenge, UNC's Harvey Award for commitment to innovation, and a Knight Prototype Grant. -- John is a native of Townsville, N.C., and earned a B.A. in Mass Communication from Campbell University as well as an M.B.A. from Campbell University's Lundy-Fetterman School of Business.

David Oxenford is a partner with the law firm of Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP and serves as the WBA and MBA's Washington regulatory counsel. He has represented broadcasters for 40 years on a wide array of matters from the negotiation and structuring of station purchase and sale agreements to regulatory matters. His regulatory expertise includes all areas of broadcast law including the FCC's multiple ownership limitations, the political broadcasting rules, EEO policy, advertising issues, and other programming matters and FCC technical rules. -- David's clients range from family-owned broadcasters to active mid-market venture-backed companies to one of the largest noncommercial radio licensees in the country. In addition to representing station groups, David represents a number of state broadcast associations, the trade association for media brokers, program and service providers to the broadcast and digital media industry and banks and others providing financing to media companies. He is also the principal author of the Broadcast Law Blog, read by thousands of broadcasters each week.

As the lead principal for E Three, Ched Keiler provides leadership and guidance to other corporations and individuals on matters that involve the broadcast industry. Ched is a telecommunications executive who has been an active participant in the telecommunication community for more than 30 years and has broad experience in all aspects of engineering, project, and operations management. Ched attended Florida Atlantic University where he studied electrical engineering and computer science. He holds a number of professional certifications including SBE professional certifications and currently serves on the National Board of Directors as Treasurer and as chair of the ABIP Committee. He also serves as a chair and a member on the board of SBE Chapter 53 in Miami, FL, and is active with a number of other professional associations.

Bio Coming Soon

As Broadcast Operations Manager, Bill oversees and manages all equipment and facility-related activities within Radio TV Film at UW-Oshkosh. Chief Engineer of WRST FM 90.3 and Titan TV, Bill works with General Managers, Wendell Ray and Justine Stokes ensuring proper broadcast operations. Bill works with faculty and staff in Radio TV Film solidifying proper operation of the UW-Oshkosh film production facilities as well, creating one of the finest facilities for broadcast production and single camera location production in the state. Bill has lived in Oshkosh with his wife and family since 1990 and is a member of SBE Chapter 80.

Ron has been with Precision for 29 years with a focus on project planning, from inception through scope development to execution. Clientele have ranged from large corporations with hundreds of stations to an owner of a single tower who out of necessity cares for his own engineering needs. And he is happy to share what he has learned along the way.

Bio Coming Soon

Steve Wilde is the Chief Executive Officer of American Amplifier Technologies, Shively Labs, Kathrein Broadcast-USA, and SWE Services. He has more than two decades of experience in the broadcast communications industry, specializing in electrical engineering, tower construction and maintenance, and manufacturing. Steve holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering.