Report from NANBA.

Broadcast industry executives assembled February 8-10 in Los Angeles for the 20th Annual General Meeting of the North American National Broadcasters Association (NANBA) to discuss major industry issues, including high definition television (HDTV), the internationalization of Hollywood and the convergence of TV and computer.

One of the keynote speakers was Joseph Flaherty, senior vp of Technology for CBS, who discussed the politics surrounding the implementation of high definition television and urged an aggressive rollout of HDTV by the U.S. networks. "The digital era has begun, and every segment of the television business will feel the impact of this digital revolution," said Flaherty. "While some may still consider this historic invention unfortunate, its application is, at the same time, inevitable."

A discussion concerning computer/TV convergence was led by Ed Huguez, vp of the New Media and Interactive department at DirecTV, and Tom McMahon, architect of Digital TV and Video for Microsoft. Huguez said that DirecTV's strategy in the interactive arena is to deliver a combination of convenience, speed, control and simplicity. McMahon pointed the cost-value equation as the most critical factor, citing a recent survey in which cost was the most important consideration for consumer acceptance.

Antonio Villaraigosa, speaker of the California State Assembly, kicked off the opening reception with a talk that touched on the state of the entertainment industry, California's efforts to become more production-friendly and the shift of entertainment productions from California to areas like Canada.

The panel discussion "Is Hollywood Going International: Myth or Fact?" was led by media analyst and UCLA professor Jeffrey Cole. Panelists included actor Edward James Olmos and producers Lionel Chetwynd, Carol Kirschner and Johnathan Brownlee. According to Olmos, the internationalization of Hollywood into Latin America will gain momentum once financial incentive is a big enough lure. "People are already aware that smaller companies are producing for the Latin American market, and ultimately you will see the major producers in the United States producing for Latin America, with the money coming back to the U.S.," Olmos said.

"This meeting allowed for in-depth discussions among pre-eminent industry leaders concerning the challenges and issues that lie ahead for the broadcasting industry," concluded Bill Roberts, secretary general of NANBA.