DEG Names Finalists for First Hedy Lamarr Award on Tech Entertainment Innovation

The Digital Entertainment Group announced four finalists for the inaugural Hedy Lamarr Award for Innovation in Entertainment Technology, it said Monday. Finalists are Geena Davis, founder, Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media; Nonny de la Peña, CEO, Emblematic Group; Dana Golub, senior director, public programs, PBS; and Cynthia McKenzie, chief information officer, Deluxe Entertainment Services Group. Lamarr, a Hollywood actress known for roles in such films as Samson and Delilah, The Strange Woman and Tortilla Flat, was a lifelong inventor whose work included pioneering "frequency hopping," which became the foundation for spread spectrum technology. The technology, conceived by Lamarr and composer George Antheil and patented in 1942, was used in World War II to secure Allied communications and weapons guidance. It resists interference and dropout, and is used today in cellular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth applications, said DEG. The awards recognize female executives in entertainment technology who have contributed to the industry. Winners will be announced next month.