The former Executive VP of Technology Policy & Standards for Paramount is joining A3SA, the ATSC 3.0 Security Authority, as Managing Director.
Joe St. Jean takes over from Ron Wheeler, who served as Managing Director of the organization from its formation.
“Joe is the perfect choice to lead A3SA as we work to continue to support the ATSC 3.0 content security requirements and content protection needs of publishers across NEXTGEN TV receivers,” said A3SA Board Chair Anne Schelle, of Pearl TV. “Joe’s extensive experience working at both studios and content distribution organizations will help us navigate the needs of both content owners, distributors like local broadcasters, and receiver manufacturers.”
At Paramount Global, St. Jean spearheaded ATSC 3.0 deployment initiatives for CBS, drove 4K HDR distribution for live sports, led the adoption of automated speech recognition technologies for live closed captioning of news, and provided technical leadership in various regulatory proceedings. Previously, he worked for PanAmSat.
St. Jean commented, “Having been a long-time member of the A3SA technical committee, I have been fortunate to participate in A3SA’s amazing journey to develop a set of ATSC 3.0 Security capabilities with Ron’s dedication and leadership. I am excited to work with broadcasters and technology manufacturers to continue to support the delivery of high quality, high value content with enhanced viewing experiences to its consumers in a trusted and secure IP-based NEXTGEN TV transmission system.” St. Jean said.
Wheeler commented, “When we launched A3SA in August 2019, we set out to create something truly groundbreaking—the first-ever platform designed to bring Internet-style security to over-the-air (OTA) broadcast content, even without an internet connection. This has never been done before. Today, that vision has become a reality, providing broadcasters with a secure environment for delivering free high-value sports and entertainment content at scale. Through a collaborative effort with leading manufacturers and broadcasters, we now support over 14 million NEXTGEN TVs and set-top boxes, unlocking new opportunities for both broadcasters and consumers. This achievement represents a major leap forward for the industry, ensuring content protection and authentication for ATSC 3.0 signals while paving the way for even greater advancements ahead. I am proud of the progress we have made and pleased to leave the organization in Joe’s capable hands.”
