SR0345 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0345 LRB104 13808 LAW 26590 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to congratulate Tony J. Yuscius on the occasion of his retirement on March 31, 2025; and

WHEREAS, Tony Yuscius was employed by the Illinois Information Service from 1976 to 1990, where as a teenager, he was trained in the use of a brand-new tool in the field of television broadcasting and a new sight in the Senate and House Chambers, a 40-pound mini-camera that cost $200,000; as a high school student, he found himself working alongside veteran television legends, including Mike Flannery at CBS 2, Dick Kay at NBC 5, and Hugh Hill at ABC 7; and

WHEREAS, In the early days of TV, cameras were allowed into several highly publicized criminal trials, and the problems from those trials led to an effective ban on courtroom photography for decades; in 1981, the Illinois Supreme Court in Chandler v. Florida opened the door for state courts to allow live television cameras, and Tony Yuscius was part of this important transition in media in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Tony Yuscius founded Advanced Digital Media, Inc. in June 2008, a full-service television production company that received many industry awards, including over 10 Telly and Axiem Awards; and

WHEREAS, Tony Yuscius founded and created the service known as BlueRoomStream in 2012, which is commonly considered the C-Span of Illinois by many; through his service, every television station in the State of Illinois receives live, gavel-to-gavel coverage from both chambers as well as committee meetings and press conferences; and

WHEREAS, Tony Yuscius, as the Covid-19 pandemic was announced in 2020, allowed BlueRoomStream to offer live, unedited coverage, at no cost, of every daily press conference held by Governor JB Pritzker to all citizens of Illinois sheltering in place at home; and

WHEREAS, Tony and Lisa E. Yuscius sold Advanced Digital in August 2023, which will continue the established tradition of excellence in news coverage and distribution; and

WHEREAS, Tony Yuscius is an active member of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, having been inducted into its prestigious ranks in 1991; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Tony J. Yuscius on his retirement, and we thank him for his service to the General Assembly and the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Tony Yuscius as an expression of our esteem and respect.