About This NewsletterMeeting AnnouncementUpcoming Meeting ScheduleMeeting MinutesTelcom Industry NewsWireless Applications To ChangeFCC Looking At EAS ComplianceAmateur Radio NewsWisconsin's Utility-Protection Law: The Bouncing Ball Of LiabilityDo You Have SBE Meeting Program Ideas?Local LegalsSBE Short CircuitsStreaming Media: Art & ApplicationFCC RulemakingsChapter Sustaining MembersReturn to 2000 Newsletter Archives The Chapter 24 Newsletter is published monthly by Chapter 24 of the Society of Broadcast Engineers; Madison, Wisconsin. Original hard copy edited by Mike Norton on Pagemaker 5.0. Submissions of interest to the broadcast technical community are welcome. You can make your submissions by e-mail to:
Information and/or articles are also accepted by US Mail. Please address them to:
SBE Chapter 24 Newsletter Editor
2029 Greenway Cross #11
Madison, WI 53713-3000
Please submit text file on DOS or Windows 3.5" floppy diskette if possible.
Steve Paugh is the editor for the Electronic Version of this Newsletter uploaded monthly onto SBE Chapter 24's web page.
Thanks to Leonard Charles for his work on the Chapter 24 WWW page and electronic newsletter.
Contributors this month:
Lloyd Berg
Neal McLain
John Poray
John Rustad
Tom Smith
Tom Weeden
© 2000 by SBE Chapter 24. Views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the Society, its officers, or its members. SBE Chapter 24 regrets, but is not liable for, any omissions or errors. The Chapter 24 Newsletter is published twelve times per year. Other SBE Chapters are permitted to use excerpts if attributed to the original author, sources, and SBE Chapter 24.
Thank you to WKOW-TV for providing copying and folding facilities for the Chapter 24 newsletter!
Thank you to WISC-TV for maintaining the web server for the Chapter 24 Web page!
This month's program will consist of a tour of the Madison Radio Group facility, located at 2651 S. Fish Hatchery Road. Madison Radio Group Director of Engineering Doug Campbell will give us a chance to see how the WIBA-AM/FM, WMAD, WMLI, WTSO and WZEE studios all share a common location.
Visitors and guests are welcome at all of our SBE meetings!
| Tentative 2000 Program Subjects | |||
| DAY | DATE | TOPIC | CONTACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weds | Apr 26 | Denise Maney | |
| Thur | May 25 | Steve Paugh | |
| Tues | Jun 20 | Kerry Maki | |
Submitted by Lloyd Berg, Secretary
Chapter 24 of the Society of Broadcast Engineers met on Thursday, February 24, 2000 at WISC-TV in Madison, Wisconsin. There were 17 members, and 5 guests present.
The meeting was called to order by Chair Kevin Ruppert at 7:03 PM. Minutes of the January meeting, as published in the February newsletter, were approved as published.
Treasurer, Stan Scharch, reported a balanced checking account that was in the black.
Kevin announced the deadline for the next newsletter would be 3-3-00 at Midnight.
It was reported that we have 23 sustaining members, with WKOW-TV-27, Richardson Electronics, Scharch Electronics, and Harris Corporation as recent renewals.
Program Coordinator, Denise Maney, announced information for the next two meetings has been published in the newsletter.
Certification, Jim Hermanson, reported that two people took SBE certification exams in February. The next opportunity for certification will be on April 11 at the NAB convention. Also, the NAB convention will be your first opportunity to take the new "networking" exam.
Frequency Coordinator, Tom Smith reported that frequency coordinators are concerned about wireless microphones presently operating on the high-UHF channels, as these frequencies are being re-allocated to other services.
Kevin reported that Chapter 24 has received our copy of the Annual Report from the SBE national office. He also reminded everyone that memberships must be renewed by April 1st. Lastly, the SBE’s Leadership Skills seminars will be split into two courses this year. The first will be held from June 7 to 9 and the second will be held from August 16 to 18. Registration forms for these events are available from the SBE National Office.
Kevin adjourned the business meeting at 7:09 PM.
The evening’s program on leased data communications was presented by representatives from Charter Communications / Fiber-Link.
PROTECTING WMSN'S FIBER
In the eyes of a fiber optic engineer, the busiest intersection in Madison these days is the interchange where the highway 12/14 Beltline crosses over West Mineral Point Road.
The congested surface traffic on Mineral Point Road is obvious. The rapid growth of the City of Madison west of the Beltline -- particularly around Prairie Towne Center -- has caused a huge increase in vehicular traffic. According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the traffic volume on Mineral Point Road now exceeds the Department's original projections for year 2020.
But the real congestion we're talking about here concerns what's under Mineral Point Road: utility lines. Besides the usual water, gas, and sewer lines that exist under most public roads, at least five fiber optic lines, including WMSN's STL, cross under the Beltline at this interchange.
All of this has become relevant because of WISDOT's expansion plans. Starting next month, WISDOT will embark on a two-year reconstruction project to widen Mineral Point Road and make several other changes.
And that, of course, gives fiber optic engineers nightmares.
THE SIX-LANE EXPANSION
WISDOT's plans call for adding two more through lanes to Mineral Point Road. By the time the job is done, Mineral Point will have six through lanes all the way from Gammon Road to Junction Road. In the area immediately under the Beltline overpass, there will be eight lanes, six for through traffic and two for left-turn traffic:
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In order to accommodate the additional lanes, the plans call for the construction of retaining walls. Right now, the typical cross section looks like this:
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After the retaining walls are built, the cross section will look like this. Note that two new through lanes will be added.
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Five communications companies own fiber optic cables in this area: Charter Communications, KMC Telecom, Mid-Plains Telephone, TDS MetroCom, and WMSN. Once the construction is completed, most of these cables will end up under pavement -- either under the roadway itself or under one of the retaining walls (except for TDS, which is rerouting its facilities well away from the interchange).
WMSN'S FIBER CABLE
WMSN, Madison's Fox affiliate, owns a fiber optic cable between its studio (7847 Big Sky Drive) and its transmitter, at the Madison Community Tower, 8559 West Mineral Point Road:
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This cable contains four separate fibers, all of which are used:
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In view of the importance of this fiber to WMSN's operations, it's obviously essential to protect it from damage during any nearby construction projects.
To protect its cable from damage, WMSN has established contractual agreements with three companies:
Fortunately, past construction projects have not directly conflicted with the fiber cable. Back in 1986, when the cable was installed, it was placed south of the drainage ditch on the south side of Mineral Point Road. When the road was widened to four lanes, the ditch was filled in, and the cable ended up several feet below the surface -- so deep that the road construction work didn't affect it.
YEAR 2000 CONSTRUCTION
WMSN won't be so fortunate this year. This year's construction project takes place directly under the Beltline overpass, where the fiber cable isn't nearly so deep. To verify the depth, CTI dug several test pits:
 and an unidentified employee of InterCon Construction, Inc. |
In this area, the fiber is located under the sidewalk on the south side of the roadway:
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And that's going to cause a conflict when the new curb is built:
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To avoid damage to the cable, WMSN will have to lower it.
The construction documents include provisions for this. Every construction company submitting a bid for this project must agree to the following:
Will this procedure safely protect WMSN's fiber?
Stay tuned. We'll have a followup report when the job's done.
On April 1st, the FCC will accept applications for certain microwave licenses by electronic means only. This is part of the introduction of the Universal Licensing System. This is a database system that allows for viewing of wireless license information on the internet. Applications will be able to be filed on the internet in the near future, with the system currently supporting a dial-up entry system. It will be mandatory to file applications electronically for common carrier services, local multipoint distribution services and 29 GHz market areas. Broadcast Auxiliary licenses and private point to point may be filed manually, but the FCC would prefer electronic filing.
As part of the transition to the new system, the FCC will no longer accept the following applications as of March 1st: Forms 313, 313R, 402R, 415, 415T, 430, 701,702,703 and 704. 313 and 313R were broadcast auxiliary forms. All users must use forms 601 and 603 where appropriate. Manual applications must use the version of form 601 issued after August 1999, and form 603 issued after February 1999.
Before filing any application for a broadcast auxiliary license, read the notices from the wireless bureau on the new licensing. Notices were released on February 4th (DA 00-27) and 18th (DA 00-317) with instructions on the changes, including how to use the phone system on the February 4th notice. You will also need a certification number from the local frequency coordinator when filing the application.
This is a new method of handling all wireless applications, so don’t be suprised if you have some problems. There is much discussion of the changes among the SBE frequency coordinators including the use of the different forms. Checking with an attorney or consultant may also be helpful.
From FCC Notices (www.fcc.gov)
As a reminder to all broadcasters, the FCC began to inspect stations for EAS compliance on February 1, 1999. You should make every effort to see that your station is in full compliance with FCC EAS Rules.
The FCC requires the following to be in compliance:
• All broadcast stations must have installed an approved EAS encoder/decoder. Each station in your facility must be connected to the system. Most importantly it must be fully operational.
• All broadcast stations must transmit a Required Weekly Test (RWT), once each week, at random days and times except for the week of the Required Monthly Test (RMT).
• All broadcast stations receiving a Required Monthly Test (RMT) must re-transmit this test within 15 minutes of receiving it. (For Daytime-only stations receiving a night-time RMT, this test must be re-transmitted within 15 minutes of sign-on.)
• All broadcast stations receiving a National level alert should re-broadcast it immediately.
• All broadcast stations must have a copy of the EAS Handbook. If you do not have a Copy, go to http://www.fcc.gov/cib/eas/handbook.htm.
The most important item is to keep accurate records of all RWT transmitted, RMT received and relayed, and any other test or alerts that are received from the two monitoring sources assigned by your State Committee. The paper from the EAS printer can be attached to your operation log or may be filed in an appropriate folder. Chief operators should inspect these records weekly and note any discrepancies plus indicate any corrective action that has been taken to correct the problem.
The FCC has indicated that it may issue fines to stations that do not meet the EAS requirements.
• Hams who will be eligible for higher-class licenses as a result of the FCC’s recent restructuring of the amateur radio service are scrambling to take advantage of the upcoming April 15th rules change. The FCC action, reducing the number of license classes to three and establishing 5 words per minute as the sole Morse code examination element, has caused a brisk demand for study materials.
On April 15th, hams who had previously passed a higher class written exam within the last year but had not passed the higher code speed test will become eligible for the higher class license due to the relaxed code speed requirement. Here in Madison there will likely be more people lined up to take written exams at the monthly sessions in March and April. A special "no exam" session will also take place locally on April 16th for those eligible hams to fill out their paperwork and obtain their higher class license.
• On March 1st, the FCC began accepting requests from amateur radio organizations interested in becoming club call sign administrators. Organizations which meet FCC requirements will be authorized to process applications from ham clubs or military recreation stations seeking their own call signs. This delegation of authority to volunteers in the private sector is similar to the commission’s creation of the volunteer examiner program several years ago.
• A Mississippi ham arrested for interfering with his neighbors’ telephones is off the hook. Bennie Stewart, KJ6TY, was arrested and charged last September under a Mississippi law making it illegal to interrupt telephone communications. Stewart asked the court to throw out the complaint on the grounds that only the FCC had jurisdiction. The court tabled the criminal action, saying it had jurisdiction over the subject criminal matters, but that the state court’s jurisdiction had been preempted by federal law.
(Excerpts from March 2000 "QST" magazine)
The recent house fire on Erin Street underscores the importance of Wisconsin's Utility-Protection Law. In that particular case, a construction company was hired to install a "lateral" to connect the building to the water main under the street. Instead of digging a trench, the construction crew utilized a device known as a "bullet" to penetrate through the ground. The bullet hit a gas main, and the escaping gas followed the bullet hole right back into the building basement where the construction crew was working.
Fortunately, nobody was injured. The residents were away, and the construction crew realized what had happened in time to escape. But property damage was severe: the building literally exploded, then burned.
The construction crew had failed to notify the local gas utility, Madison Gas and Electric. Had they done so, they would have known about the gas main.
This failure was a direct violation of Wisconsin's Utility Protection Law, Section 182.0175 of the Wisconsin Statues. This is the law that specifies notification and liability procedures related to excavations in the vicinity of underground utility facilities.
Section 182.0175 establishes a "bouncing ball" of liability:
• A contractor — or anyone else — planning any kind of excavation is required to notify the owners of all underground transmission facilities. The statute is intentionally broad in its definition of underground facilities: it includes every kind of facility without regard to ownership, purpose, or contents. If the contractor fails to notify the owner of any such facility, he is liable for any resulting damage.
• Once the contractor has notified the owners, the liability ball is now in their court. Each owner must, within three working days, mark the location of his facilities in the field. Markings may be made with paint, flags, or a combination of both. The color of the marking is specified in the statute (Figure 4). If the owner fails to mark his facilities, or marks them inaccurately, he is liable for any resulting damage.
• Once the owner has marked the facilities, he has tossed the liability ball back to the contractor. The contractor must take all necessary precautions to protect the facilities. One noteworthy precaution: he cannot use any kind of power-operated excavating equipment (backhoe, bulldozer, jackhammer, etc.) within 18 inches of any marked facility. If the contractor damages any properly-marked facility, he is liable for any resulting damage.
Under this law, the Erin Street crew is clearly liable for the damage because of its failure to notify MGE.
DIGGERS HOTLINE
There are two ways the contractor could have notified MGE: either by calling MGE directly, or by calling Diggers Hotline. Diggers Hotline is a "one call" notification service; its purpose is to make it easy for contractors to comply with the notification requirements: "one call does it all." Similar one-call systems exist in every state.
When a contractor calls Diggers Hotline, an operator enters the information into a computer. The computer figures out which companies own underground facilities in the work area, and relays the information to all owners via teletype or fax.
Diggers Hotline is operated by Diggers Hotline, Inc., a non-profit corporation owned by its members. Membership is open to any party that owns any kind of underground facility located anywhere in Wisconsin. The membership roster includes public utility companies, gas transmission companies, cable television companies, municipal and county governments, utility districts, and several departments of the state government. Several private companies, including WMSN, are members.
When Diggers Hotline was first organized, membership was voluntary. However, under recent changes in state law, membership is now mandatory for most facility owners. There are now only two exceptions to the mandatory-membership requirement:
• A transmission-facilities owner whose facilities are located entirely on its own property.
• A governmental unit (county, city, township, village, school district, or other special-purpose district).
Under this law, WMSN was required to become a member of Diggers Hotline.
PROPOSED
Family Worship Center Church Inc. seeks permission to build FM translators in the following cities at the frequencies listed: Platteville at 91.9 MHz, Baraboo at 90.5 MHz, Prairie Du Chein at 89.5 MHz, Portage At 98.5 MHz and Richland Center at 90.7 MHz. Family Worship Center Church Inc. has applied for a number of other translators in other parts of Wisconsin and across the country. Announced by the FCC on February 1 and 2, 2000.
GRANTED
New 90.3 Mhz Marshall, WI.
The FCC has granted a construction permit to CSN International for a new non-commercial FM station. The transmitter is to be located west of Columbus off of Highway 60. The station will operate with 3.9 kilowatts of power at 101 meters above average terrain with the height above ground of 105 meters. Action was on February 25, 2000 and released on March 1, 2000.
W33CT, Channel 33 Low Power TV, Madison, WI
The FCC has granted Trinity Broadcasting Network permission to change from channel 33 to channel 38. The transmitter will be located at 5727 Tokay Boulevard with the antenna mounted on the existing tower owned by WKOW-TV. The station will operate with transmitter power of two kilowatts and effective radiated power of 10 kilowatts. Antenna will be mounted at 478 meters above sea level. The channel 33 transmitter is currently located on Springfield Hill between Madison and Sauk City. Action on February 8, 2000 and released on February 28th.
DISMISSED
W54BH, Channel 54 Low Power TV, Madison, WI
The FCC dismissed the displacement application of Three Angels Broadcasting to move to channel 38. They had applied to increase power to 11.5 kilowatts. The channel 54 transmitter is located in downtown Madison on a high-rise building on West Washington Avenue. Action on February 8, 2000 and released on February 28th. The channel 38 license was included in the broadcast auction last fall.
From the FCC Daily Notices (www.fcc.gov)
NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR 1999 SBE AWARDS
Nominations are now being accepted for the 1999 SBE Annual Awards. Awards will be presented in 13 categories during the SBE National Meeting and Pittsburgh SBE Regional Convention, October 4, 2000 in Pittsburgh, PA. Chapter Awards will be presented in eight categories, including Best Convention or Conference, Best Chapter Newsletter and Best Chapter Website. For the first time, five of the Chapter Categories will have winners in two classes, recognizing achievement in both smaller and larger chapters. There are five individual award categories, including Engineer of the Year and Educator of the Year. For more details and a nomination form, see the March issue of the SBE SIGNAL.
MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS DUE APRIL 1
Regular, Associate and Student memberships are due for renewal by April 1. Please encourage members to renew by the deadline. Renewal forms were mailed in early February. If you have not received yours, contact Scott Jones at the SBE National Office at (317) 253-1640 or kjones@sbe.org.
MEMBERSHIP DRIVE KICKS OFF MARCH 1
The SBE Annual Membership Drive, "One New Member" will run March 1 through May 31. Each member is asked to recruit one new member during that time. New member prospects can be co-workers, friends and associates in the broadcast engineering field. Some great prizes have been donated by many Sustaining Members, along with the Grand Prize of a "Trip to Mars", as in Mars, Pennsylvania, the suburban area of Pittsburgh where the SBE National Meeting will take place, October 4. The winner will receive a round-trip air ticket from within the Continental US to Pittsburgh, two nights stay at the Pittsburgh Sheraton North Hotel, complimentary ticket to the SBE National Awards Dinner and admission to the Pittsburgh SBE Regional Convention exhibits and technical papers. For more information, see the flyer mailed to all members in February, the March issue of the SBE SIGNAL or the SBE Web site, www.sbe.org.
SBE INTRODUCES CERTIFIED BROADCAST NETWORKING TECHNOLOGIST
SBE has rolled out a new certification program designed to respond to the convergence of the broadcast and information technology fields. Applications are now being accepted to take an exam to become a SBE Certified Broadcast Network Technologist. Terry Baun, CPBE, SBE National Certification Chairman, explains that the new certification level will delve into networks as much as possible without becoming specific to any vendor. Topics covered by the exams will include the basics of broadcast local area network installation, recognizing what a hub is, knowing what the different wire categories do and understanding the basic layers of network protocol common to all systems.
ENNES WORKSHOPS SET FOR ST. LOUIS, MO
The Ennes Educational Foundation Trust, in cooperation with the Society of Broadcast Engineers, will present a one-day Ennes Workshop in St. Louis, MO on Saturday, June 17. The Workshop will be held in conjunction with the Missouri Broadcasters Association summer conference. The Workshop will be held at the Adam’s Mark Hotel in St. Louis’ downtown, just across the street from the famous arch.
Register through the Missouri Broadcasters Association by calling (573) 636-6692. Cost is $35 for members of SBE and the MBA and $45 for non-members. Registration includes box lunch and breaks.
Quick, whip out your trusty Palm V and clear your schedule for an awesome teleconference - Streaming Media: Art & Application, April 27th, at the Pyle Center.
Damn, I blew it! It’s winter in Wisconsin. I should have known better than to use the words "Streaming" and "April" in the same sentence. Now you’re probably drifting off into a trance-like state* with visions of enticing a wily two pound brook trout into swallowing a hand-tied midge attached to the business end of your tapered monofilament leader.
Well, snap out of it! I hate to have to drag you kicking and screaming back to reality, but the term "Streaming Media," doth not refer to a tackle box full of artificial lures. Though it certainly could in Wisconsin.
Streaming Media is all the rage on the web these days. And if you’ve ever tried to work with it, you’ve probably experienced some of that rage. It’s a great concept, but I know from personal experience, there are still a few jagged rocks left in the stream. Audio quality, for example, could puncture a gaping hole in your Coast Guard Approved PFD (Personal Floatation Device). But not to fear. This live, nationwide, interactive teleconference will provide a boatload of information designed to help you safely navigate any treacherous whitewater you may encounter in your webstream – even if you have yet to get your feet wet. (Excuse me. I’m suffering from a really bad case of metaphoria.)
Streaming Media: Art & Application, is part of the New Media Seminar Series developed by the non-profit Webb Foundation (formerly the ITVA Foundation) who’s mission is "to help others understand, apply, and manage the power of electronic communication media in a positive manner." The teleconference will originate from studios in Cupertino, CA and Boston, MA.
As of this writing, panelists will include: AMY JOHNS, Senior Associate Editor, Wired Magazine; PAUL McCROSSON, Director or Streaming Services, VStream, Inc.; plus representatives from Yahoo/Broadcst.com; Real Networks; Pittard-Sullivan; and Intimate Brands/Victoria’s Secret.
Content will include: Marketplace and streaming applications; a technical tutorial on webstream production; costs$$$; limitations of the medium and how they’re being addressed; live vs. archived; viewer tracking methods; video fieldtrips to the headquarters of major players; and a live Q&A segment where you get to quiz the panelists.
National sponsors include Convergent Media Systems, Pacific Video Resources – Silicon Valley, The Home Depot, John Hancock Financial Services, Inc. and Knwledge Industry Publications, Inc. Local sponsors will be announced shortly.
The date, once again, is Thursday, April 27th,2000. The Madison ITVA downlink site will be the University of Wisconsin-Extension’s Pyle Center (next to the Old Red Gym), 702 Langdon Street. Registration opens at 5:00 PM with refreshments and hot hors d’ ordourves. The teleconference begins at 6:00 PM and ends at 7:45 PM.
Advance registration is a modest $10.00 for ITVA members, and $20.00 for non-members. Registration at the door will be $15.00 and $25.00. To register, contact Lois Wieland at 831-9242 or e-mail Lois at loiswei@aol.com. You can use a major credit card if you’d like. See your there!
(*Come to think of it, Wisconsin is a trance-like state. But that’s another article.)
FINAL RULEMAKING
MM Docket No. 97-247; FCC 99-362
Fees for Ancillary or Supplementary Use of Digital Television Spectrum
The FCC rejected petitions from the National Association of Broadcasters and the Association for Maximum Service Television to reduce the fee that broadcasters would have to pay to the government for using their DTV spectrum for subscription services. Congress ordered the FCC to charge broadcasters a fee for use of the digital spectrum when used for subscription services. This fee was to make up for lost revenue that the government could have made, if the spectrum was auctioned. The NAB and the AMST asked that the fee be lowered from five percent to two percent. Two arguments were made. The first was that the fee was too high for an unproven technology and the second was that the fee should be reduced because recent auctions had lower than expected outcomes. If the auction prices were decreasing the petitioners argued the fee should be lowered. The FCC rejected both arguments.
In a second part of the notice, the FCC rejected a petition from the United Church of Christ, the Benton Foundation, Center for Media Education, the Civil Rights Forum and the Media Access Project that home shopping and informercials and direct marking services be subject to the fee. The FCC stated that because these were allowed on the existing commercial TV services, they were not subject to the fee. The FCC considers them a form of commercial advertisement.
This notice became effective on January 15, 2000 and was published in the FEDERAL REGISTER on February 10, 2000 on pages 6544-6548. The FCC adopted the notice on November 19, 1999 and released it on November 24, 1999.
PROPOSED RULEMAKING
DA 00-222; Docket No. 99-81; RM-9328
Authorization of 2 GHz Mobil Satellite Service Systems
The FCC has sought supplemental comments on four methods of awarding licenses in the 1990-2025 / 2165-2200 Mhz bands. There are currently nine applicants seeking licenses in these bands.
The four methods proposed include awarding each applicant 2.5 Mhz in uplink and downlink spectrum, allowing the nine applicants to negotiate or coordinate the band themselves, the FCC allocating spectrum as a function of transmission system used, and finally using auctions, if the other methods do not work.
While not stated in the notice, the FCC seems to be trying to avoid burdening the licenses with auction payments in light of the bankruptcy of the Iridium system. Some of this spectrum is currently in use for TV remote pick-up.
This notice was published in the FEDERAL REGISTER on February 11, 2000 with comments due on February 17, 2000.
From the FEDERAL REGISTER (www.access.gpo.gov)
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