Consumer Electronics Association Inducts Twelve Industry Leaders into 2008 CE Hall of Fame

Business Wire, Oct 22, 2008

ARLINGTON, Va. -- At the ninth annual Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame awards ceremony held last night, 12 prominent industry leaders joined the 121 inventors, engineers, retailers, journalists and executives inducted since 2000.

Speaking at the Consumer Electronics Association's (CEA)([R]) Industry Forum in Las Vegas, Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the association that created the awards program, praised the inductees for their phenomenal contributions to the growth of the industry, which is expected to exceed $173 billion this year.

"The energy and commitment of these Hall of Fame inductees is behind the phenomenal growth and strength of our industry. And now, their great contributions are influencing a new generation of innovators to continue our success," he said.

The 12 new members of the CE Hall of Fame are:

* Jewel and David Abt, founders of Abt Electronics

* Joe Clayton, chairman, former president and CEO of Sirius Satellite Radio

* Dean Dunlavey, attorney, who argued the Sony 'Betamax' case before the Supreme Court

* Hans Fantel, founding editor of Stereo Review and New York Times columnist

* Eddy Hartenstein, founder and chairman of DirecTV

* Ken Kutaragi, lead developer of the Sony PlayStation gaming console

* Warren Lieberfarb, helped to broker a DVD format while president of Warner Home Video

* Dr. Fritz Sennheiser, founder of Sennheiser

* Richard L. Sharp, former chairman and CEO of Circuit City

* Martin Cooper and Donald Linder, developers of the first cellular phone

All of the inductees were present or had representatives accepting the awards on their behalf. Daniel Sennheiser accepted the award for his grandfather, Dr. Fritz Sennheiser, who is 96 and unable to travel from Germany. He said that he sent his appreciation for the award and added, "We will continue to produce excellent products. We hope to earn your confidence and respect."

Another inductee, Rick Sharp, formerly of Circuit City said, "Business is a team sport. I am so proud of the team that we put together during those years. The most important commodity you have is your people. It was a critical component." Referencing Circuit City's current difficulties, he added, "I certainly hope the industry will help Circuit City continue to be successful."

Donald Linder and Marty Cooper received a team award for developing the first cellular phone that has revolutionized the way the world communicates. Linder said, "We saw the advantage of having a radio that you could take with you not one that was bolted in your car. Our marketing people thought it would be successful if 100,000 people used it, today 3 u billion people in the world have cell phones." Marty Cooper said, "It used to be that you called a place, now you call a person wherever they are."

Joe Clayton, former RCA executive and CEA chair concluded the awards ceremony. He said, "Tonight I share this honor with my team. The success of our products is driven by one constituency, the consumer, not government mandates." He added, "The consumer is king and will determine our success in the marketplace."

The Hall of Fame inductees were chosen by a panel of judges from nominations submitted by industry professionals. Judging for the 2008 Hall of Fame took place on February 19 in New York.

Additional information about the CE Hall of Fame and bios of the inductees are available at www.CE.org.

About CEA:

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $173 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry. More than 2,200 companies enjoy the benefits of CEA membership, including legislative advocacy, market research, technical training and education, industry promotion and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA also sponsors and manages the International CES - Where Entertainment, Technology and Business Converge. All profits from CES are reinvested into CEA's industry services. Find CEA online at www.CE.org.

Follow the 2009 International CES on Twitter at http://twitter.com/2009CES and visit the International CES Page on Facebook.

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