NAB's PILOT is Funding Remote TV And Radio Innovations

NAB’s fifth annual PILOT Challenge will award up to $150,000 in funding for innovative projects to be presented at next year’s NAB 2021.

The 2020 Innovation Challenge winners will produce a working, extensible and implementable prototype that addresses limitations caused by remote television and radio operations and supports broadcasters’ current production environments.

PILOT, is NAB's technology innovation initiative. The Innovation Challenge is one in a series of PILOT initiatives that each support a facet of the full innovation cycle, including the ideation, validation, incubation, and acceleration of media and technology-focused ideas.

The program provides financial support to the winners to develop a working prototype for PILOT that allows broadcasters to expand and enhance remote television and radio operations. Broadcasters should be able to implement the prototype as a supporting element within their current environment.

PILOT is a coalition of innovators, educators and advocates dedicated to advancing broadcast technology and cultivating new media opportunities. PILOT mission is to propel broadcast television and radio into the future. It provides a platform for innovation, an engine for incubation, a venue for testing new technologies and a forum for broadcaster education.

“This year’s challenge looks to answer a timely question that has surfaced in the broadcast industry,” said PILOT Executive Director John Clark. “We are eager to see how technologists, many of whom are facing similar challenges, innovate to enhance remote production and overcome hurdles caused by physical distance, varying bandwidth speeds and remote operations.”

Up to $150,000 in funding will be allocated to up to two winners. Winners will also receive relevant mentorship, ongoing feedback during development and a trip to the annual NAB Show, held April 10-14, 2021 in Las Vegas to demonstrate their prototype.

US-based individuals, teams, companies, academic institutions and nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply. Up to five finalists will be selected by a panel of industry experts and will be notified by the end of September. Winners will be announced in October as part of NAB Show New York Digital Experience. Participants can review the judging criteria on the PILOT website.

Eligible participants must submit their proposal by 5 p.m. ET on August 28.