August 2-3

JW Marriott

Downtown Austin

Steve Hasskamp enjoyed a long and noteworthy career in Broadcasting that began when he worked at a radio station when he was in High School.  From there, he went on to become a VP & Director of Engineering for a TV station for many years and was also a former broadcast station owner. 

When Steve sold his broadcast station, he worked at Continental Electronics in Dallas in the AM & FM broadcast department before transitioning to high power VLF, LF and shortwave projects around the world.

Steve ended up forming Rock Tex Technologies in Lubbock, Texas and began refurbishing Continental transmitters exclusively and other Continental products.  Ultimately Rock Tex became the largest  parts supplier of transmitter parts and other broadcast related services.   

August 2-3

JW Marriott

Downtown Austin

A 55-year industry veteran, Gil has done almost everything there is to do in Radio – and better than most anyone else – but engineering was his calling card and we’re all the better for it.

He spent 35 of those years helping build Clear Channel Communications (now iHeartMedia).

As a Corporate Regional Vice President of Engineering, he managed technical operations for more than 125 stations in Texas and across the nation.

He also served as disaster coordinator for 1,200 Clear Channel Radio stations during several hurricanes and disasters.

Throughout his career, his natural curiosity and eagerness to apply new insights and share them with others, made him a natural teacher.

And as a keen observer of the industry, he knew that – just as he was retiring – it was more important than ever before to start teaching future engineers and other station leaders in charge of a station’s physical plant.

After a few long conversations with the TAB team, the TAB Technical Academy was born!

Tapping every resource he had – former colleagues, longtime friends, the folks at the Society of Broadcast Engineers and, of course, his own wealth of knowledge – Gil got to work developing a new Radio Chief Operator curriculum reflecting station operations and demands of the 21st Century.

Hundreds of slides, dozens of real-world examples, custom video instruction…he left no stone unturned.

The program graduated its first class of students in May, 2022 – after being delayed for two years by the pandemic.