Video Call Center Names Emmy-Winner Larry Thaler CEO
Former NBC Technology VP and Leading Media Industry Change Specialist Tapped to Drive Innovation and Growth as IP Video Pioneer VCC Reinvents Live, Hosted Call-In Programming
NEW YORK, Feb. 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Video Call Center (VCC), the live-caller-television innovation firm, named Larry Thaler to the new post of CEO, responsible for day-to-day activities of the technology and programming pioneer. Thaler reports to VCC founder and executive chairman, Tom Wolzien.
"For nearly three years, Larry has been crucial to the development of The Video Call Center, and its creation of a new type of efficient television content and the enabling technology," said Wolzien. "Larry has a unique understanding of what we are trying to build – the professional broadcast technology and a new programming genre based on IP video that enables our customers to engage millennial audiences in every show using remotes-by-smartphone. He has been crucial in perfecting our host-driven approach to live content creation that allows customers efficiently to open up new live content hours without the need for a production control room. I look forward to continuing this dynamic relationship as Larry takes over line management of our company."
Prior to joining as CEO, Thaler's work for VCC was through Positive Flux, a consulting firm that specializes in helping media companies take advantage of the rapid changes occurring in the industry and serving customers such as HBO Latin America Group, NBC Sports, Univision, Hearst Digital Media, Canoe Ventures, WAPA-TV and Clear Channel Media.
Thaler had served as an executive at NBC Universal before founding Positive Flux. While there, he led key efforts at the junction of traditional broadcasting and new media. He and his tech team were responsible for countless business acquisitions, the build-out of Today's street-level glass-enclosed studio, NBC's Cable Network Operations Center, MSNBC's production facilities, and the overhaul of NBC's 30 Rock headquarters, into a state-of-the-art HD production and distribution center. He also led the establishment of new infrastructure for NBC's digital media delivery platforms including technical leadership of the 2008 Olympics @Home effort.
Thaler's work has been honored with three Emmy awards for technical innovation -- for the 2006 and 2008 Olympic Games as well as a National Technical Emmy for NBC's implementation of AFD technology.
He received a BFA from New York University majoring in Broadcasting with a minor in Computer Science. An expert on the integration of digital and advanced technology into production workflow, Thaler has been a regular speaker at industry forums including NAB, SMPTE and CCW conferences and is a member of SMPTE and SCTE.
About The Video Call Center, LLC
The VCC delivers a totally new approach to live television creation, merging IP video, caller-based content acquisition, and host control through assistive automation without a control room. The Video Call Center LLC is owned by Wolzien LLC and TEGNA Inc, which is a significant investor and customer. VCC enables our customers to create extremely efficient video-caller programs via technology and production services. VCC also operates the Talk Center America OTT network. The specialized Video Call Center caller acquisition and host automation technology is covered by US Patent 8,767,031 issued in July 2014, with other patents pending. After more than 100 hours of live web broadcasts and dozens of programs transmitted live over the air for KUSA (TEGNA) in Denver, the systems have advanced so that on-air caller drop rate for IP video is just one percent.
See www.thevideocallcenter.com for details.
SOURCE Video Call Center
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