CEA Pioneer Wayman Dies at 92

Jack Wayman, 92, pioneering consumer electronics industry association executive died Aug. 30, according to Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) President Gary Shapiro.

"The consumer electronics industry has lost a legend and, more personally, I have lost a great friend and mentor," said Shapiro in a statement.

Wayman founded the International CES and oversaw the Electronics Industries Association consumer products division, which eventually spun off as the standalone CEA.

He oversaw the creation of the first Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 1967. Then it boasted 100 exhibitors and 17,000 attendees. In 2014, those figures were 3,600 and 160,000, according to CEA.

Among the public policy victories during his tenure was the landmark Sony-Betamax case that established the fair use home videotaping right.

Wayman was also a highly decorated infantry commander in World War II, winning a Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart with Cluster, and two Presidential Citations for his service in the Normandy invasion and at the Battle of the Bulge.

Survivors include five children, 13 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Donations can be made in Wayman's name to Davidson College or the CEA Foundation.

CEA also has a memorial page for Wayman at www.ce.org.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.