After a heroic battle against bladder cancer, Phil Livingston passed away at home on November 8, 2006.

Phil was Vice President for Technical Liaison for Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Company and possibly the most visible and respected ambassador for the company.

Phil began his career in broadcast engineering in radio at WVOS and WVIP in upstate New York. He helped build WOKR-TV in Rochester, NY and developed an instructional television system for the City School District there. Subsequently he served for ten years as Associate Director for Instructional Resources at the State University of New York at New Paltz. Phil has been with Panasonic Broadcast for more than 25 years and held numerous technical positions there; most recently Vice President for Technical Liaison. He spent a year as VP for Technology at the system engineering and integration company Azcar, USA, but re-joined Panasonic in 2001 in his former role. For the last four years his primary responsibility has been managing Panasonic's numerous third party relationships as our industry becomes increasingly IT-centric and seamless interoperability with those IT systems becomes increasingly important.

Phil represented Panasonic on the Board of WHD-TV, the Digital Model Station in Washington, and has been involved in the work of the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) since 1987. He served on the ATSC Board of Directors from 2002 to 2006 and as Board Chairman from 2002 to 2005. He was a member of SMPTE, a SMPTE Fellow, and chaired the Committee on Television Production Technology (P-18) for 2 years. He has written numerous white papers and articles, and given presentations throughout the U.S. and abroad on emerging technology.

It is needless to say that Phil will be missed not only at Panasonic but in the industry as well. He was a true gentleman and his pleasant nature made instant friendships where ever he traveled.

Phil is survived by his wife Jan Crittenden-Livingston who also is a member of the Panasonic family as product line business manager for DVCPRO products. Her address is:

Funeral services were held at Grace Episcopal Church, Rutherford, New Jersey on Thursday the 16th of November at 11 am.