About This NewsletterMeeting AnnouncementUpcoming Meeting ScheduleMeeting MinutesLocal EAS Plan Moving ForwardLPFM Move ForwardChapter 24 Election ResultsAmateur Radio NewsSBE Resume ServicePork Bellies And SpectrumSBE Short CircuitsWBA/SBE Summer Engineering WorkshopFCC RulemakingsEmployment OppertunityChapter 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
Leonard Charles
Steve Paugh
John Poray
Tom Smith
Paul Stoffel
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 meeting will be held at Mike Dorrough's short-wave broadcast facility located at 5500 Lincoln Road in Oregon, Wisconsin. You can reach the facility by taking Fish Hatchery Road South for about 10 miles until you reach Lincoln Road. Turn left on Lincoln (Lincoln 'T's with Fish Hatchery at this point). Mike's facility is about 1/3rd mile, on the left, at the top of the hill (see map below) Mike also has a large collection of vintage broadcast gear in addition to his substantial short-wave operation.
Visitors and guests are welcome at all of our SBE meetings!
| Tentative 2000 Program Subjects | |||
| DAY | DATE | TOPIC | CONTACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tues | Jun 20 | Kerry Maki | |
Submitted by Lloyd Berg, Secretary
Chapter 24 of the Society of Broadcast Engineers met on Wednesday, April 26, 2000 at J.T. Whitney’s Restaraunt in Madison, Wisconsin. There were 17 members and 1 guest present.
The meeting was called to order by Chair Kevin Ruppert at 7:00 PM. Minutes of the March meeting, as published in the April newsletter, were approved as published.
Treasurer, Stan Scharch, reported a balanced checking account.
Newsletter Editor, Mike Norton, reported the deadline for the next newsletter as 5-5-00, with the folding party the following Wednesday.
Fred Sperry reported that we have 23 sustaining members, with Alpha Video as a recent renewal and Swiderski Electronics as a new member.
Program Committee, Denise Maney, announced that the next meeting will be May 25th. Dinner will be at Wildcat Lanes in Verona, followed by a tour of Mike Dorrough’s Short Wave Radio Broadcast station in the town of Oregon.
Certification, Jim Hermanson, reported that the next local exam session would be held between August 18th and 28th, and that July 7th is the deadline for applications. Jim also announced that sample tests for the SBE "Networking Certification" are now available from the national office at a cost of $28.
Frequency Coordinator, Tom Smith reported that UW-Classroom Media Management is sharing their frequency database with the SBE. The Kohl Center and UW sports have been contacted regarding frequency coordination for wireless "Coach-Com" systems. Also, Los Angeles County Sheriff is asking for spectrum in the 6 GHz range for links to law enforcement helicopters, and that other organizations are also looking for space in the 7 and 13 GHz bands. Tom also reminded broadcasters that fixed site RPU uses, such as Tower-Cams, must be licensed as point-to-point links.
National Liaison, Leonard Charles, reported that the SBE’s Leadership Skills seminars would 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. Also, nominations are now open for National Awards.
It was announced that the Madison Radio Group (WIBA etc) is looking for a Chief Engineer as Doug Campbell has taken a job as Chief with WCCO Radio in Minneapolis.
Kevin thanked the present Officers of SBE Chapter 24 for their service this last year. Steve Paugh collected year 2000 SBE Chapter 24 Election Ballots.
Kevin adjourned the business meeting at 7:20 PM.
The evening’s program, EAS in the year 2000 and beyond, was presented by Mr. David Janda, from Dane County Emergency Management.
Counties around Wisconsin have implemented or are beginning to develop Local EAS plans. As written in a recent SBE Chapter 80 newsletter, "...Outagamie County will be activating its local [EAS]..., tested during the month of March." Also written, "Fond Du Lac County already has a... system in place." Other counties considering plans are Winnebago, Brown, and Calumet. More have started and more are about to start.
Of the county plans mentioned, the local plans include the use of the statewide local EAS channel at 45.12 MHz. Back in October, 1996, Gary Timm, State Emergency Communications Committee Chair, wrote, "We have at long last located a two-way radio channel for individual counties to use for transmitting EAS alerts to local broadcasters on a statewide basis." County Emergency Government offices are working with local broadcasters and cable TV to develop Local EAS plans that include utilization of current, valid EAS codes, as well as to write alert testing procedures.
At SBE Chapter 24’s April meeting and program in Madison, local broadcasters met with Dane County Emergency Management’s Communications & Warning Specialist, Dave Janda, to talk about rekindling a local plan for the Madison area. A draft version of Dane County EAS plan was written by Jim Engeseth (now retired) a couple of years ago and Janda wants to reorganize efforts to get a Dane County plan developed and implemented.
The meeting’s discussion topics included: existing and future hardware infrastructure; message coding and content; authorized originators; backup method to LP-1; testing; and reassembling a local EAS committee. Some initial questions included: Which current EAS codes will be used? What about those proposed additional codes in the State EAS Plan? Will broadcast stations and cable TV air the alerts live? What about adjacent counties? And, Where can I get a receiver? Those interested in joining the effort to write a Dane County Local EAS Plan should contact Paul Stoffel at <stoffel@wpt.org>.
By the time you read this, a State EAS Update meeting will have taken place (on May 10) at the Wisconsin Emergency Management Office in Madison, hosted by Gary Timm and Al Wohlferd. Besides other topics, a State EAS Activation Plan will be discussed. Information from this meeting will be forthcoming and should be of use to Local EAS planning efforts.
The FCC has set the dates for the first filing window for low-power FM stations. The dates are from May 30th to June 5th. Applications will be accepted for stations in the following states and territories; Alaska, California, Washington DC, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maiana Island, Maryland, Oklahoma, Rhode Island and Utah.
Meanwhile, on April 13th, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would limit the number of LPFM stations from what the FCC rules would allow. While some in Congress and the NAB would like to bury LPFM, this bill would allow the service to start.
The bill would require that the FCC maintain third adjacent spacing between the new LPFM stations and full power and translator stations. The FCC would be required to conduct tests in nine markets with LPFM stations operating without the required third adjacent spacing to test for possible interference. The stations would be located in a mix of urban, suburban and rural markets. One station shall be selected to evaluate the effects on FM translator stations. The bill also limits the FCC from making any other entities eligible for LPFM stations other then those eligible in the original rules.
The FCC cannot modify the rules concerning these issues without an act from Congress. The FCC must also report the results of the interference tests to the Committees in Congress responsible for the FCC by February 1, 2001. The Congress wants information on the analysis of the tests and the impact on listeners, large and small stations, particularly small markets, the digital radio transition, on reading services to the blind, and on translators.
Just before the vote in Congress, FCC Chairman William Kennard, in a speech before the National Association of Broadcasters, scolded them for wasting so much goodwill fighting LPFM. He asked what the broadcasters had to fear from non-commercial stations run by schools, churches and community groups.
Even with the possible enactment of the bill from Congress, we can expect some LPFM stations by the end of the year.
From Releases from the FCC (www.fcc.gov) and House of Representatives (www.thomas.loc.gov)
The Chapter 24 election ballots were certified and counted on April 28th. There are 66 voting members in Chapter 24. We received 19 ballots and all ballots were certified as valid. Seventeen ballots were collected at the April 26th chapter meeting and two ballots were received by mail prior to the chapter meeting. Congratulations to our newly elected officers.
The nomination committee members were Steve Paugh, Jim Hermanson and Denise Maney.
• Amateur radio now has supporting legislation in the US Senate that mirrors HR.783, The Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act, in the House. The new Senate legislation, S.2183, would require the FCC to provide equivalent replacement spectrum should it ever be necessary to reallocate amateur radio frequencies for some other purpose. The House version has 142 co-sponsors and has met with no opposition, but it has not yet moved out of committee.
• The long-awaited "Phase 3D" next-generation amateur radio satellite has been tentatively scheduled to launch in late July. The satellite is being stored in a clean room at the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. When launched, the satellite will provide amateurs with transponders from HF (15 meters) through the microwave bands.
• What could be called the "NAB convention of ham radio," the Dayton
Hamvention, takes place during the third week of May. Hams from around the world will converge on Dayton, Ohio for the nation’s biggest hamfest and take part in exhibits, flea markets, conferences and special speakers. The Smothers Brothers will highlight the entertainment. Master of ceremonies for the 2000 Hamvention will be Carl Nichols, N8WFQ, chief meteorologist for WDTN-TV in Dayton.
(Excerpts from May 2000 "QST" magazine and the American Radio Relay League’s "ARRL Letter")
Want to get your resume out to employers? Participate in SBE’s new Resume Service, available to SBE members only free of charge. Call the SBE National Office at (317) 253-1640 or e-mail Scott Jones at kjones@sbe.org for a Resume Service participation form.
The FCC will be holding a public forum on May 31st to discuss a proposal on the creation of a secondary market for radio spectrum. This is a proposal that FCC Chairman William Kennard proposed in a speech before the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association on February 28th. In that speech, he stated his desire that the FCC have "rules and polices that allow a secondary market in spectrum, so that it flows as freely in the market as any commodity." The FCC is looking for more efficient use of the spectrum due to the increased demand caused by new wireless services. The idea is that licenses would sell excess capacity to others on a temporary basis.
The FCC would like to hear from those having viewpoints on the use of secondary markets from the following perspective: Those who believe that a secondary market could aid in deploying and creating new services; those who would sell excess capacity; those who have the knowledge or experience to deal spectrum on a short term or spot basis; and those who have views on the legal, economic and financial factors for the success in the use of secondary markets and how it would compare to other markets. The FCC would also like to hear comment on what rules would be need to be retained, changed, or dropped to create incentives for the use of secondary markets. Comments are requested on other FCC actions besides rule and policy changes that would aid in the use of secondary markets.
This proposal could lead to the trading of spectrum in a similar method to the stock or commodity markets. It is possible that entities could start to bid at FCC auctions for new licenses with no intention of providing a new service, but to create and sell as much excess capacity as possible. Services could come and go, depending on the market for spectrum, leaving consumers with much useless electronic equipment.
From FCC Press Release (www.fcc.gov)
MEMBERSHIP DRIVE ENTERS HOME STRECH
The SBE Annual Membership Drive, "One New Member" continues 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 broadcast engineering or a related 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 March issue of the SBE SIGNAL or the SBE Web site, www.sbe.org.
SBE INTRODUCES CERTIFIED BROADCAST NETWORKING TECHNOLOGIST
The roll out continues on SBE’s new Certified Broadcast Networking Technologist certification program. The new program is 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 Networking Technologist. Terry Baun, CPBE, SBE National Certification Chairman, explains that the new certification level delves 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 Ritz-Carlton Hotel (changed from the Adam’s Mark Hotel originally announced)in the Clayton area of St. Louis.
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 a box lunch and breaks. Check the SBE web site at www.sbe.org for details about speakers and topics.
RENEW NOW TO AVOID LOSING MEMBER BENEFITS
If you have not renewed you membership in the Society of Broadcast Engineers yet, you can still do it and preserve your benefits of membership, including insurance coverage, access to the SBE Job Line and discounts on workshops, seminars and books. 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.
SIGN UP EXTENDED FOR LEADER SKILLS SEMINARS
Registration has been extended through May 22 to sign up for Course I of the SBE Leader Skills Seminar. Course I will be held June 7-9 in Indianapolis, providing the essentials to understanding leadership styles of yourself and others. It will offer the technical individual the essential skills on how to manage other people successfully. Course II will be held August 16-18, also in Indianapolis. It will pick up where Course I left off, going into further depth and providing the participant with a solid foundation to manage others in a broadcast engineering setting. Deadline to sign up for Course II is July 10.
The cost for each course is $425, which includes instruction, materials and refreshment breaks. Transportation, hotel and meals are additional. Those wishing to attend Course II must have attended either Course I or any of the SBE or NAB sponsored Leader Skills programs held since 1965. Registration Forms are available in the March issue of the SBE SIGNAL and from the SBE National Office. Course presentation is subject to minimum attendance requirement.
NOMNATIONS FOR SBE FELLOWS SOUGHT
SBE members are invited to nominate a deserving member to be considered for the honor of Fellow in the Society of Broadcast Engineers, according to Fellowship Chairman, Ralph Hogan, CPBE. Only 51 members have been bestowed with Fellow status in SBE’s 36-year history.
To be considered for the Fellow honor, a member must have rendered long and conspicuous service to the Society at the local or national level. He or she may also qualify if recognized as having made valuable contributions to the advancement of broadcast engineering or its allied professions, the dissemination of knowledge thereof or the promotion of its application in practice.
Those elected as Fellows will be presented at the SBE National Awards Dinner, held at the Sheraton Pittsburgh North in suburban Mars, PA on October 4, 2000.
To nominate someone, send the person’s name, address and current employer if applicable, to the Fellowship Committee, in care of the SBE National Office, 8445 Keystone Crossing, Suite 140, Indianapolis, IN 46240. Include a summary of why this person should receive the Fellow honor.
For more information, contact Ralph Hogan at Washington State University at rhogan@mail.wsu.edu or (509) 335-6510.
AWARD NOMINATIONS DUE BY JUNE 1
Nominations are 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. Award Nominations should be received at the SBE National Office by June 1.
WEDNESDAY JUNE 14th 2000
Ramada Capital Conference Center, Eau Claire"KEEPING UP WITH YOUR STATION’S FUTURE"
PROPOSED
The FCC has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking concerning issues related to compatibility between cable TV systems and digital TV receivers, set-top boxes and other consumer electronic equipment. Comments are sought on the two remaining issues that the cable and consumer electronic industries have not been able to come to agreement about. The first is on how to label DTV receivers with regards to different features, particularly two-way capability and the use of the IEEE-1394 connection. The second issue concerns the licensing terms for copy protection. The two industries came to agreement on February 22, 2000 on the issues of direct connection of DTV receivers to cable and on provisions concerning tuning and programming information for on-screen program guides.
The FCC also is seeking comment on how receiver compatibility issues affect enhanced closed captioning services. This is a technically detailed notice covering many design issues involving consumer features and their related signal and data interfaces. With the adoption of these rules, access to services on DTV transmissions by receivers should be defined.
This notice was adopted on April 13, 2000 and released on April 14, 2000. Comments are due on May 24, 2000 and replies on June 6, 2000.
FINAL RULEMAKING
On April 13, 2000, the FCC adopted and released a final rulemaking that will require broadcasters, cablecasters, and other multi-channel program suppliers to provide emergency information for those with hearing disabilities. The new rules will require all video providers to air open captioning, video crawls or scrolls giving the emergency information unless the information has been provided by closed captioning. The FCC gave a partial list of examples of emergencies and actions that should be provided to the hearing impaired by the use of on screen information.
From FCC Notices and Press releases (www.fcc.gov)
Chief Engineer – Madison Radio Group
AMFM, Inc., (soon to be Clear Channel) the nation’s top broadcasting company, is looking for a Chief Engineer for our six Madison, WI radio properties, including WZEE, WIBA AM/FM, WMAD, WTSO, and WMLI. Newly built consolidated studios, Prophet Systems throughout.
Successful applicant will have at least five years hands-on Chief Engineer experience. Transmitters and directional antenna experience is a must. Strong computer background is helpful. SBE certification desired. Good people/communication skills and desire to work in a corporate environment is a must. Salary commensurate with experience.
Send or e-mail resume in confidence to:
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