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NOTE TO LETTER USERS: DELETE ALL HIGHLIGHTED AREAS AND CUSTOMIZE THEM WITH DETAILS SPECIFIC TO YOUR SITUATION.Dear (Supervisor, GM, etc.),I am writing today for permission to attend the 2020 PBS Technology Conference, April 15-17, just prior to the NAB Show. The current Agenda and Schedule are posted here.My attendance at TechCon this year will be a professional development opportunity that I will use to benefit our station in multiple ways. The most critical importance is also the most simple: the opportunity to spend face-to-face time connecting and consulting with my station peers. Longtime attendees continue reporting on the value of this time spent together, and they return each year to TechCon to learn, coordinate, and educate. The broad range of sessions aimed across multiple disciplines is deep enough that we ought to ponder sending multiple staff members in order to take full advantage of the knowledge on hand. Once again the conference is running seven simultaneous breakout sessions over 2 ? days, and it’s not feasible for one person to cover all areas. Technology leaders from across public media and throughout the industry will be sharing their knowledge and expertise. TechCon’s built-in networking sessions are where I will reach out to those colleagues from stations dealing with similar challenges to ours. Staff from key PBS areas (T&O, Digital, Traffic, Programming, IT, etc.) will also be available for questions and consultation. Station leaders from committees such as ETAC, DMAC, and TAC will all be present and conducting sessions in which we can connect with colleagues. Topics I expect to learn more about at TechCon include: (please add, subtract, or customize these bullet points as needed or applicable to your role; we recommend this letter should only be one page in length; further session details, if needed, can be found in the most recent Agenda draft)Broadcast: Tracks on integrating Cloud with your operations and NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) both have multiple sessions for 2020. These two tracks will range from how to prepare develop our station’s strategy, to the business and operating implications for each of these technology shifts. Other related sessions that may affect our station will be on HDR, the ongoing expansion of the sIX project, the Media Supply Chain, Public Safety, Free and Low-cost Media Processing Tools, Codecs, and even Archiving, and Designing both Production and Core Plant Facilities for the future. Business Management: the usual Washington Update on regulatory issues will be on the agenda, to keep us informed about the FCC’s work. Sessions on Design Thinking, Time Management, Building an Internship Program, and Fostering Communication will also serve as professional development opportunities for attendees. A night owl session on tools ranging from the Google suite to Jira also presents some interesting opportunities.Digital: The wide terrain of Digital will be covering even more ground and topics in 2020. Key sessions are planned on: social media, multiplatform distribution, local livestreaming, fundraising, and much more. Other notable topics include our annual Steal This idea session, where you can learn from other station staff and replicate their success at your own station.I.T.: You guessed it: Cybersecurity continues to loom large on the IT track this year, which is only natural. How PBS developed their cybersecurity plan is on tap, along with securing the broadcast network, especially when it’s IP-based. Another topic, SNMP in the Broadcast Plant, will cover those protocols and include monitoring and notification alerting. Traffic: The experts from Myers will be conducting a free hands-on workshop on Wednesday morning before the conference which will be our station’s chance to get some updated training on ProTrack; this should enable us to improve our workflows. Our colleagues on the Traffic Advisory Committee (TAC) have a full complement of sessions this year covering topics around PBS Scheduling Practices/Strategies, a local look at Traffic and Digital collaboration, the latest on sIX, Metadata/Listing insights, and more. We definitely need to send our traffic team to this year’s TechCon! General Managers: For the third year in a row, GM Day at TechCon is happening again – with special Wednesday morning program designed by and intended for GMs, followed by an afternoon of TechCon breakout sessions that should be of interest to management. The day closes with an exclusive tour of the Exhibit Hall by Mario Vecchi and Ira Rubenstein, plus dinner to follow. Full details on the website.Beyond TechCon: there are things happening before, during, and after the conference, even just in opportunities to connect in the continuing TechConnections mentoring program. Add-on classes will help us learn in greater detail about PMWL (Public Media Women In Leadership), Myers ProTrack, Data Literacy and more. Beyond TechCon details can be found here.Attending TechCon is a professional development opportunity that I will take seriously. I will use the event to find answers and solutions to our current concerns regarding (insert area of station concern here). If approved to attend, I pledge to spend my time at the conference seeking answers and insight to provide the maximum level of benefit to our station. I will be glad to provide a report of what I’ve learned to both you and my colleagues.If I register before Friday, February 28, we can take advantage of the Early Bird Discount and save $100. Many thanks for your consideration.Sincerely,(your name & title here) ................
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