Engineer Kathleen Gray Named RTS Young Technologist Of The Year 2017

The Royal Television Society (RTS) has announced the winner of its annual RTS Young Technologist Award, which is presented in memory of A.M. Beresford-Cooke. Kathleen Gray, Guarantee Broadcast Engineer at NEP UK Broadcast Services, was chosen to receive the award by a panel of judges chaired by Terry Marsh, Digital Media Consultant.

Kathleen graduated from Southampton Solent University with a BSc in Live and Studio Sound before joining NEP UK Broadcast Services. Since then she has progressed from Junior Vision Engineer to Engineer in Charge on some of NEP UK's largest and most prestigious projects, including ITV's Love Island. She was also heavily involved in the installation and commissioning of four new UHD trucks and regularly takes the lead on Sky Sports UHD Premiership Football. Most recently she has headed-up the deployment of Host Broadcasting facilities at Wimbledon on behalf of the BBC.

Terry Marsh, Chair of the RTS Young Technologist Award jury, said: "The RTS Young Technologist Award is important as it recognises outstanding technologists of the future, who are vital to the success of the industry. Kathleen impressed the jury with her swift career trajectory and her total commitment and dedication to delivering quality to production teams, who see her as a trusted and respected point of contact. Her dedication was also clear in her ability to be across every detail of her work whilst also seeing the bigger picture."
 
Kathleen Gray added: "It is an exciting time to work in the broadcast engineering sector. The ever-changing and constant flow of new technologies means there is always something to learn and understand. In this competitive market I am proud to have been recognised and to have received such a prestigious award and I would like to thank NEP UK for the training, support and guidance they have offered. It has been invaluable. I now look forward to attending IBC in September to network and learn more about what the future holds."

Gareth Phillips, Head of Vision and VT, NEP UK Broadcast Services, adds: "Kathleen is a conscientious, driven and friendly colleague; who has not only progressed through the ranks in an exceptionally short period of time but has earnt the respect of her most senior colleagues. She is a deserved winner of the RTS Young Technologist Award."
 
The runner up prize, the Coffey Award for Excellence in Technology, is awarded to Matthew Carroll, Trainee Broadcast Engineer at the BBC. 
 
The Young Technologist Award was established by the RTS with funds received from the family of A.M. Beresford-Cooke – a distinguished engineer who contributed much to the development of British broadcasting technology through his work on towers and masts for VHF and UHF transmission. The aim of the award is to advance education in the science, practice, technology and art of television and its allied fields. The winner gets an all-expenses paid trip to IBC while the runner-up receives the Coffey Award and a technical book of choice.

rts.org.uk