Broadcast Electronics hires veteran David Sparano as CTO to lead R&D
Broadcast Electronics, a global leader in designing and manufacturing broadcast products, has appointed David Sparano as Chief Technology Officer. Sparano will lead the company's technology strategy and product development, aiming to drive innovation for broadcast customers. This appointment follows the company's recent acquisition by a US-based investor group and a Best of Show Award at NAB 2026.
Key Takeaways
- David Sparano named CTO with a background at industry majors including Harris, GatesAir, Comark, and Thomson.
- Sparano will lead innovation for FM, DAB, and digital television transmitters used by thousands of global broadcasters.
- Appointment follows the acquisition of Broadcast Electronics by The Alzana Group, a Boston-based investment firm, in March 2026.
- Strategic focus centers on the NAB 2026 award-winning AMX series, designed for high efficiency and scalability in AM broadcasting.
Why It Matters
The hiring of a high-profile veteran like Sparano signals a technical reinvigoration for an legacy hardware player under new ownership. As the industry shifts toward hybrid cloud and IP-based workflows, Broadcast Electronics is doubling down on high-efficiency, compact physical infrastructure to reduce total cost of ownership for terrestrial broadcasters. This move aims to bridge the gap between traditional radio reliability and the modern demand for energy-efficient, serviceable hardware. Watch for whether Sparano pushes for deeper integration between BE’s transmitter lines and its AudioVAULT media management software, indicating a move toward a more unified software-defined hardware ecosystem.
Additional Context
The appointment of Sparano follows the March 2026 acquisition of Broadcast Electronics (BE) by The Alzana Group, a Boston-based investment firm founded by former GatesAir Chairman John Danner. Per Radio World (March 2026), the deal was structured as an asset purchase from Italy-based Elenos S.r.l., which had owned the manufacturer since 2017. Under the new legal entity BE Systems, Inc., the company has retained CEO Rich Redmond, who characterized the ownership change as a shift toward aggressive new product development specifically targeting "underserved" global radio broadcast customers.
This leadership pivot occurs as BE attempts to capitalize on its recent technical successes. At the NAB 2026 show in April, the company's AMX ultra-compact AM transmitter platform received the Best of Show Award from Future/Radio World. The transmitter is notable for using silicon carbide MOSFETs—technology borrowed from electric vehicle drives—to deliver 5kW of power in a 5-rack-unit chassis. Per inBroadcast (April 2026), the AMX is the first AM transmitter platform capable of being shipped via standard couriers like UPS or FedEx, highlighting a strategic push toward modularity and reduced logistics costs for international deployments.
Broadly, the terrestrial hardware market is seeing a resurgence in infrastructure investment despite the rise of digital streaming. Market data from Fortune Business Insights (May 2026) projects the global broadcast equipment market will reach $11.93 billion in 2026, driven by a 17.6% CAGR as broadcasters upgrade aging analog systems. Sparano’s experience with liquid-cooled and air-cooled transmitter generations at GatesAir aligns with industry-wide pressure for sustainability and lower energy consumption. Recent reporting from NewscastStudio (December 2025) suggests that for 2026, operational profitability has become the primary driver for technology choices as firms move away from proprietary vendor lock-in toward interoperable, power-efficient hardware.
Read full article at bdcast.com
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