Introduction

The Royal Television Society Technology Award is presented to a young television engineer. This Award was established by the RTS with funds received from the family of A.M. Beresford-Cooke, who was a distinguished engineer who contributed much to the development of British broadcasting technology through his work on towers and masts for VHF and UHF transmition.  

Click here to read about last year's award

Purpose

The purpose of the Award is to advance education in the science, practice, technology and art of television and its allied fields by enabling the award winner to attend the International Broadcasting Conference and Exhibition held annually in Amsterdam.

The IBC Conference

The IBC2010 Conference will take place from the 9th to the 14th September 2010 at the RAI Centre, Amsterdam, and it will focus on the latest technical information and market/economic analyses for delegates, whilst providing the learning opportunities that have made the conference the world leader for content creation, management and delivery. The IBC Exhibition runs alongside the Conference, and is the second largest content creation and delivery exhibition in the world.

Requirement overview

The judges will be looking for an application that demonstrates:

¨        how the receipt of the Award will enhance the applicant’s understanding of the role of technology in television and related fields

¨        how the applicant proposes to share this enhanced understanding with others, both within RTS and beyond

The prize is a full conference place at IBC, together with costs of travel to IBC and accommodation for the duration of the conference. In the application the candidate must prepare a realistic plan for attendance at IBC to demonstrate how he or she will make best use of the opportunity.

The Award-winner will be required to write a report or presentation within 3 months of attending IBC setting out how the visit has helped to achieve its purpose of advancing education in the science, practice, technology or art of television or its allied fields.

Formal criteria

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1. The Award is intended to provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to advance his or her own knowledge and understanding of technology in the television industry and/or related areas and preference is therefore likely to be given to applications from people who are at an early stage in their career.

2. The judges are keen not to limit the range and types of technologist applying more than is necessary.  However it is likely that the successful applicant will already be working, or have worked recently, as a technologist in a television environment.   Such environments include but are not limited to:

a.      television broadcasters

b.      television production companies

c.      television facilities houses

d.      hardware and software suppliers to the television industry

e.      telecommunications suppliers of television capacity services

f.        recognised research institutions which are contributing in a demonstrable way to television in the UK. 

3. The judges are also keen to allow each applicant the maximum possible freedom to demonstrate in their own style the reasons why they think they should be the winner.

4. A key part of the applicant’s part of the submission will be an explanation by the applicant of why they should be given the Award.  This part must not exceed a maximum of 250 words. 

5. The judges may wish to interview one or more applicants before making their decision.   
    

Application process

Application for the RTS Young Technologist Award will be by downloadable Word document, submitted electronically: no paper-based applications will be accepted. The closing date for entry is Wednesday 11th August 2010.

DOWNLOAD AND PRINT APPLICATION FORM 

Judging process

Applications for the Award will be considered by a panel of judges appointed by the RTS and the winner will be announced at the RTS’s Technical Innovation Awards evening or at another suitable event.

Selection of judging panel

The judging panel will comprise at least three individuals, including at least two engineers, and two working in television or related industries. There will be an element of diversity on the Judging Panel. The RTS will assign the role of Chair.

The panel will be sent all applications digitally by the RTS at least two weeks before the judging process.

Convening of judging panel

Depending on number and range of entries, the panel may convene, and may also choose to interview candidates. The panel will judge the entries on the published criteria; the panel may at its discretion award the Coffey Award (a book, funded by a small bequest to the RTS London Centre) to the best runner-up.