WASHINGTON, DC -- The recent rise of copper theft at radio stations and its impact on the broadcasting industry will be addressed during a panel discussion at The NAB Radio Show. The session, titled "Copper Theft at Broadcast Sites" will be held Friday, September 19 in Austin.

The escalating cost of metals has led to an increase in metals theft that has become a major issue for broadcasters. During the session, a panel of experts in security and engineering will discuss ways broadcasters can work with law enforcement officials and local communities to protect their facilities. Participants include:

Sterling Davis (moderator), is responsible for the technical activities of 86 radio and 15 TV stations as vice president of engineering for Cox Communications. During his 41-year career, Sterling has held a variety of technical, operational and managerial positions. He is currently the chairman of the Open Mobile Video Coalition's technical advisory group (OTAG), and chair of the Association For Maximum Service Television (MSTV) Engineering Committee. He is an active member of the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) and serves on the National Radio Systems Committee (NRSC) in the digital radio conversion process. Sterling is also a member of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE), the Audio Engineering Society (AES) and the Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE).

Bob Brand, is vice president of corporate security for Cox Enterprises, Inc. In that capacity, Brand oversees the development, implementation and direction of security programs for the company. Prior to joining Cox, Brand spent 22 years at the United States Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service. He retired from the Diplomatic Security Service in 1998 as the executive assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security. Brand is currently a member of the American Society for Industrial Security, International Security Management Association, Overseas Security Council, Georgia/Israeli Law Enforcement Exchange and STOP I.T., a Georgia-based private identity theft group.

Chuck Carr, serves as vice president of member services at the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISRI), where he works with more than 1,600 corporate member companies. In response to the needs of member companies that process, trade and consume scrap recyclable metals, ISRI has made metal theft a priority issue. At ISRI, Carr has worked with law enforcement and business groups to establish partnerships with the scrap industry in an effort to curtail metal theft in local communities. He has also worked to revitalize ISRI's Theft Alert system, a program that notifies scrap facilities of thefts reported by police. In the past year, Carr has addressed the issue of metal theft in presentations to law enforcement and other stakeholder groups in North America and South Africa.

Steve Davis, is the senior vice president of engineering at Clear Channel Radio. He has held various engineering positions within the company since 1982, when he was hired as chief engineer to build and upgrade towers at a Clear Channel-owned Tulsa radio station. As the company expanded, Davis began overseeing the construction of new, upgraded towers in several of Clear Channel's markets. He was subsequently promoted within the company, most recently to senior vice president in 2005. Davis is currently a member of SBE and is a Certified Senior Radio Engineer. He also serves on the NAB's Program Committee, the Media Security and Reliability Council, and the Federal Communications Commission's Independent Panel Reviewing the Impact of Hurricane Katrina on Communications Networks.

About The NAB Radio Show
The NAB Radio Show is the largest annual convention for radio. This year's show, Sep. 17 - 19 in Austin, delivers a one-of-a-kind networking opportunity for station professionals representing all format and market sizes and is co-located with the R&R Convention. More information about The NAB Radio Show is available at www.nabradioshow.com.