About This Newsletter
Meeting AnnouncementUpcoming Meeting ScheduleMeeting MinutesEAS Updates Now AvailableFrom The Chair - Certification Part 2Amateur Radio NewsFCC Meets In ChicagoLocal LegalsFCC Issues New Must Carry RulesFCC RulemakingsGreen Bay Flight Station ClosedPROST! - Token Creek Open HouseSBE Notes & RemindersChapter Sustaining MembersReturn to 2007 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 John Salzwedel on InDesign CS. 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
3893 Terrace Circle
DeForest, WI 53532
Please submit articles as .txt or Word.doc files, images can be submitted as .jpg or .tif files, pdf files are also acceptable.
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:
Dennis Baldridge
Tom Smith
Tom Weeden
© 2007 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!
In 1921 the University of Wisconsin radio station 9XM began its regular schedule of voice broadcasts. Randall Davidson provides the first comprehensive history of the University of Wisconsin radio stations that became the network now known as Wisconsin Public Radio. Randall's new book , 9XM Talking, describes how, with homemade equipment and ideas developed from scratch, 9XM endured many struggles to become a tangible example of "the Wisconsin Idea," bringing the educational riches of the university to all the state's residents. Come and meet the author of this significant new book describing an important piece of Wisconsin history,
Visitors and guests are welcome at all of our SBE meetings!
| DAY | DATE | TOPIC | CONTACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weds | Nov 14 | Logitek | |
| Thur | Dec 13 | Fitzgerald's/ Steve Paugh | |
| Tentative 2008 Program Subjects | |||
| DAY | DATE | TOPIC | CONTACT |
Submitted by Tom Smith, Secretary
On September 13, 2007, Chapter 24 of the Society of Broadcast Engineers met at Fire Station Number 6 in Madison, Wisconsin. There were eight members present of which six were certified. There was also one guest.
Chair Dennis Baldridge called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. The minutes were approved on a motion by Clif Groth and seconded by Leslie Franzen. Treasurer Leslie Franzen reported the current balance in the chapter’s checking account. Vicki Kipp reported on the upcoming certification testing period of November 9-19, with applications due on September 21. She also noted Dennis Baldridge had received certification in AM directional antennas and Fred Sperry had received certification has a Certified Professional Broadcast Engineer.
Frequency Coordinator Tom Smith reported that WSUM had moved its STL transmitter to Vilas Hall and there were no reported problems. It was also noted that ABC had requested coordination for the first Badger Game at Camp Randall.
Program Chair Steve Paugh reported that the next meeting would be October 10 at Broadcasters Clinic, with Randall Davidson of WHA Radio giving a discussion of his book on the history of WHA and Wisconsin Public Radio. The November meeting would be at Channel 3 and would be on a low-cost TV console by Logitek. The December meeting will be the holiday dinner meeting at Fitzgerald’s in Middleton.
Chair Dennis Baldridge passed a sign-up sheet asking for help in the SBE booth at Broadcasters Clinic. The Booth will display and demo HD radios.
The meeting was adjourned and Steve Dahlgren of the Madison Fire Department’s Hazmat Unit presented the evening’s program, which include a tour of the Hazmat Response Unit.
The Wisconsin State EAS Plan has been updated. The revised Plan is available on the Wisconsin EAS Web site at www.sbe24.org/eas. Some State Plan Appendices were also updated. Look for files with "0907" in file name to determine files updated in September 2007. The changes were:
Main Plan: New NWS Lake Michigan Codes, effective 10/2/07. [If you carry SMW’s, see plan for new area codes.] Also, there is a new FCC EAS homepage.
Appendix B: Withee NWR no longer carries alerts for Price County.
Appendix C: Corrected a typo.
Appendix F: Updated e-mail addresses.
Other Wisconsin EAS News
As most of you are aware, there are new EAS rules going into effect; EAS is moving to CAP format. To keep everyone up to date on where Wisconsin is at with the transition to CAP, a new page called "Next Generation EAS Planning for Wisconsin" is now located on the Wisconsin EAS Web site; it is available at www.sbe24.org/eas/neweas.asp
Check out this page for links to an interpretation of the new rules and more info on CAP. Updates on how things are progressing in Wisconsin will be posted as they occur.
Last but not least, my thanks to Jim Hermanson of WISC-TV and Madison SBE Chapter 24 for his expedient and expert help in posting the plan updates. Thanks to Leonard Charles and SBE Chapter 24 for hosting the Wisconsin EAS Web site.
Last month I discussed the benefits of SBE certification but the question still remains, which classifications of certification are right for me?
The SBE offers six classes of engineering certifications, two operator certifications and one broadcast networking certification; all of which are valid for a period of five years. There are also two specialist certifications to document individual strengths.
Entry-level classes, which require no prior experience, are Certified Broadcast Technologist (CBT) and Certified Broadcast Networking Technologist (CBNT).
Candidates for Certified Audio Engineer (CEA) or Certified Video Engineer (CEV) must have five years of suitable experience in audio/video engineering or related technology and must achieve a passing grade on the proficiency examination.
Likewise, candidates for Certified Broadcast Radio Engineer (CBRE) or Certified Broadcast Television Engineer (CBTE) need 5 years of suitable experience in broadcast engineering or related technology and must achieve a passing grade on the proficiency examination.
Candidates for Certified Senior Broadcast Radio Engineer or Certified Senior Broadcast Television Engineer need 10 years of responsible broadcast engineering or related technology experience and achieve a passing grade on the proficiency examination.
The Certified Professional Broadcast Engineer must have at least 20 years of professional broadcast engineering or related technologies experience in radio and/or television
Life Certification is for Professional Broadcast Engineers and Senior Broadcast Engineers who have maintained SBE Certification continuously for 20 years and are current members of SBE as well as those who have who have retired from regular full-time employment.
There are also two specialist certifications to give proof of an individual’s personal strength’s. They are Certified 8-VSB Specialist (8-VSB) and Certified AM Directional Specialist (AMD).
The two operator certifications are Certified Radio Operator (CRO) and Certified Television Operator (CTO).
Specific details and requirements on any of the SBE certifications can be found at the SBE Web site www.sbe.org or by contacting our local SBE certification chair Jim Hermanson. Having the right SBE certification can affirm your expertise and indispensability in today’s ever changing marketplace.
Sputnik, 50 years later
Fifty years ago this month, the world’s first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, was launched by the Soviet Union. In an article titled "Sputnik and Amateur Radio," authors Ralph H. Didlake, KK5PM and Oleg P. Odinets, RA3DNC recount how amateurs in both the Soviet Union and the United States tracked the low Earth-orbiting satellite. Hams provided signal observations that were passed on to scientists and government agencies for analysis of the orbit and clues to the physics of the outer atmosphere. The full article is at www.arrl.org/news/features/2007/09/28/03/?nc=1.
Amateur radio goes to Washington
At press time, A Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) demonstration for Members of Congress was scheduled outside the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. on October 3. Hams around the country were asked to aid in the demonstration by making HF contacts during the day.
American Radio Relay League’s Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, said, "The October 3 demonstration of Amateur Radio and MARS emergency communications will be front and center in the open space between the Capitol building and the Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C." Pitts went on to say that the regional MARS organization is planning to conduct an exercise demonstrating emergency communications at the Capitol, as well.
The exercise assumed a mock Category 3 hurricane, Hurricane Quincy, would make landfall on October 2 over the coastal areas of Delaware, Maryland, D.C. and Virginia. Quincy would progress northward to New Jersey and Pennsylvania and then travel inland to the south, returning to the Atlantic Ocean on October 5 via the Carolinas and Georgia. During this time, MARS resources would be challenged by ongoing events in every part of the country, including ice storms, tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, and earthquakes.
While MARS was conducting their drill on their frequencies, Amateur Radio operations were to try HF voice contacts around 14.250 and 7.250 MHz, and on PSK at 14.070 MHz.
"By showing Members of Congress our nationwide capabilities and potentials, we advance the Service in many ways," Pitts said.
-Excerpts from the American Radio Relay League’s Web site, arrl.org
On September 20, the five FCC commissioners held a public hearing at Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow-Operation Push’s national headquarters in Chicago. The hearing was scheduled to start at 4 p.m. and last until 11 p.m. This was the fifth in a series of six hearings on the ownership rules and localism in broadcasting. This was the closest hearing to our area in either this series or the series of hearings that was held several years ago. The closest the hearings had been in this round of hearings is Nashville and Rapid City, South Dakota on the previous series.
The hearing schedule followed the same pattern as the previous four hearings with the comments by the five commissioners taking the first half-hour, followed by an hour of comments from an invited panel. They were followed by two hours of comments by the public. At 7:30 p.m., there was scheduled a half-hour break, followed by another panel lasting an hour and then 2 hours or more of public comment.
The first panel was on Perspectives on Media Ownership and the following persons were invited to participate:The second panel was titled the same and the following were invited to participate:
* Linda Sue Brown, TV News Producer, WBBM-TVThe main discussion and comments in this hearing were on minority ownership and, because of the proposed sale of WGN and The Chicago Tribune, the broadcast-newspaper cross-ownership rules were also at the forefront of the discussion. In their opening statements, Chairman Kevin Martin, Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein all mentioned the minority-ownership issue. The chairman also brought up the broadcast-newspaper cross-ownership issue, having met with The Chicago Tribune editorial board earlier in the day. All three statements ran three pages. Commissioner Robert McDowell’s one-page statement only mentioned the cross-ownership issue and Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate short statement basically said how nice to was to be there.
According to Broadcasting and Cable, the Rev. Jesse Jackson read a statement stating that consolidation was a "life or death issue for communities of color" and that "too few own too much at the expense of too many." Jackson called for the FCC to reinstate the FCC’s tax-certificate program that gave tax breaks to those who sold their stations to minority groups. In a statement read by an aide, Illinois Senator and presidential candidate Barack Obama was highly critical of the deregulation of the ownership rules under previous FCC Chairman Michael Powell. He asked that any new rules be subject to a new notice of proposed rulemaking and that license terms be shortened, renewals subject to closer scrutiny and public input, and that there be rules to promote more coverage of local news and responsiveness to the community.
With one more hearing, comments due on October 1 on the research papers on ownership and localism issued by the FCC, an order by a Federal Court to review its 2003 ownership rules, and the Tribune sale before the Commission, the question now is how soon will another rulemaking on ownership will come.
-From FCC Release (www.fcc.gov), The Chicago Tribune (www.chicagotribune.com) and Broadcasting and Cable (www.broadcastingcable.com)
PROPOSED
WRDB (AM), WDBL (FM), WNFM (FM), Reedsburg, WI; W290AL Baraboo, WI
NRG License Sub. LLC has proposed to sell WRDB (AM),WDBL (FM), WNFM (FM) and W290AL to Magnum Communications, Inc.
According to papers filed with the FCC, consideration for the sale is $1.1 million. NRG owns radio stations in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska. NRG is a part of a larger group, consisting of two other subsidiaries, of which one owns Acme Television, which operates WBUW (TV) Janesville-Madison. Magnum Communications, Inc. owns WBKY (FM) Portage, WI and WDLS (AM) and WNNO (FM), Wisconsin Dells. Co-owned Magnum Broadcast, Inc owns WAUN (FM) Kewaunee and WSRG (FM) Sturgeon Bay and co-owned Magnum Radio owns WBOG (AM), WTMB (FM), WXYM (FM) and WIBU-LP (TV) in Tomah.
WRDB (AM) operates with 1 kw on 1400 khz; WDBL (FM) operates with 3.6 KW at 129 meters HAAT on 102.9 MHz; WNFM (FM) operates at 3.2 kw at 137 meter HAAT and 1290AL operates with 4 watts at 14 meters above ground and –22 meters HAAT. Both WDBL and WNFM are co-located north of Reedsburg.
The proposed sale was announced in the FCC’s Daily Digest on September 6.
-From FCC Releases and Filings (www.fcc.gov)
On September 11, the FCC issued new rules for cable operators requiring certain levels of must-carry of broadcast TV signals. The new rules are meant to ensure that cable viewers with analog TVs to have access to broadcast TV signals after the analog broadcast TV shutdown on February 17, 2009. The rules require all cable companies to either carry the broadcast stations as an analog signal or ensure that all subscribers have access to the necessary equipment to receive a digital signal. They also required all cable systems to transmit all broadcast HDTV signals and to do it with the same quality as broadcast.
The FCC did not require cable systems to carry and multicast or other services that may be broadcast in a stations DTV data stream.
-From FCC Release (www.fcc.gov)
PROPOSED
MB Docket Nos. 06-121, 04-277, 04-228, MM Docket Nos. 01-235, 01-317, 00-244
2006 Quadrennial Regulatory Review, Review of the Commission’s Broadcast Ownership Rules and Other Rules Adopted Pursuant to Section 202 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996
On September 11, Free Press, Consumer Federation of America and the Consumer Union filed a joint request for an extension to the comment period on the ownership studies that were released by the FCC. They asked for a 90-day extension from the date that the Commission released underlying data to the studies, which was September 6.
The FCC extended the comment period to October 22 from the original date of October 1. They extended the reply period from October 16 to November 1.
The Office of Communications of the United Church of Christ (UCC), the National Organization of Women, Common Cause and Benton Foundation also filed joint requests for additional time for comments. The UCC proposed as an alternative to the extension that the Commission should issue another notice of proposed rulemaking detailing any proposed rule changes concerning broadcast ownership. Broadcaster Media General filed comments in opposition to any extension saying that there was not any sufficient reason for any delay. The Commission agreed with Media General that undo delays should be avoided, but some additional time for comments was warranted to provide a complete record in the proceeding.
-From FCC Release (www.fcc.gov)
The FAA has closed the Green Bay Flight Service Station, which was the FAA notification point for all tower light outages and restoration reports.
For all Wisconsin-based towers, the new reporting number for tower light outages now changes to 877-487-6867. Stations with current open notifications to the Green Bay FSS will need to call this new number when the notification can be cleared.
Token Creek Mobile Television is having an Octoberfest Party to celebrate our new home and our new 53-foot HD production truck, Varsity
When: Tuesday, Octtober 9, 4-10 P.M.There will be plenty of brats, sauerkraut, potato salad and, of course, beer. Plus, we'll have a Polka band.
Come, check out the new truck and grab yourself a brat!
Directions/Madison: From Northport Drive/113N, left on Arboretum Drive, Arboretum turns into Moraviam Valley Road.
SBE CHAPTER OF THE AIR:
HamNet meets the second Sunday of each month at 0000 GMT on 14.205 MHz. Hal Hostetler WA7BGX is the Control Station. Any amateur operator is welcome and encouraged to participate.
The SBE National Certification Committee has announced exam session dates. Check the list below for the exam period that is best for you. For more information about SBE Certification, see your Chapter Certification Chair or contact Megan Clappe, Certification Director at the SBE National Office at (317) 846-9000, or mclappe@sbe.org .
| February 8-18, 2008 | Local Chapters | December 31, 2007 |
| April 15, 2008 | NAB | February 29, 2008 |
| June 6-16, 2008 | Local Chapters | April 18, 2008 |
| August 8-18, 2008 | Local Chapters | June 6, 2008 |
| November 7-17, 2008 | Local Chapters | September 19, 2008 |
USING THE SBE LOGO
SBE chapters and members may use the SBE logo on business cards, letterhead and chapter newsletters. When referring to a chapter, it must be used with that chapter’s name or number adjacent to the logo. Members must put "Member of" or "Certified by" adjacent to the logo.
The proper logo must be used in any case. The correct logo can be obtained only through the SBE National Office. Send an e-mail with your request to Angel Bates at abates@sbe.org.
SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER DEADLINES
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