Updated April 9, 2008

SBE MEETINGS AND EXHIBITS DURING 2008 NAB SHOW

The SBE will have a full slate of meeting and activities during this year’s NAB Show in Las Vegas, April 12-17. If you will be attending, we hope you’ll take part in many of them and stop by the SBE exhibit booth as well.

Booth Hours

Sunday -  2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

              Monday – Wednesday  9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

              Thursday  9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Booth Location  

Booth L-27, located in the Las Vegas Convention Center, South Hall 2nd Floor Concourse near the entrance to the exhibit floor and the Broadcast Engineering Conference Rooms.

SBE Meetings

SBE will hold a number of meetings during the NAB convention that may be of interest to you. (Meetings located at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel unless otherwise indicated; list was as of March 17; subject to change)

Register for exhibit-only passes through SBE

https://registration.expoexchange.com/ShowNAB081/DefaultFull.aspx?SCode=AE2347

Saturday, 4/12

Certification Committee (partially closed meeting), 6:30 pm to 11:00 pm, Conference Room 7

Sunday, 4/13

Board of Directors Meeting, 8:30 a.m. to noon; Conference Rooms 4-5 (note change from earlier assigned meeting rooms 1-2)

EAS Committee Meeting, 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm; Conference Rooms 1-2

Monday, 4/14

SBE/NFL Game Day Coordinators Meeting, 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Conference Rooms 7-8

Strategic Planning Committee Meeting, 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm, Conference Room 11

(Ennes Trust meeting has been cancelled)

SBE/U.S. Department of Defense (closed meeting), 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm Board Room

Tuesday, 4/15

SBE Certification Exams will be conducted from 9 a.m. to noon for those who have pre-registered by the February 29th deadline. Conference Rooms 9-10

Meet Tom Ray, author of, "Implementation of HD Radio Handbook,." 10:00 am to 11:00 am, SBE Booth

SBE Frequency Coordinators Meeting, 10 a.m. to noon, Conference Room 7-8

SBE/ U.S. Department of Defense Mtg.; 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm, Conference Rooms 7-8

SBE Membership Meeting, Tuesday, 4/15, 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., Rooms S226/227, Las Vegas Convention Center.

Wednesday, 4/16

SBE Publications Committee Meeting, 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm, SBE Booth

SBE Marketing & PR Committee Meeting, 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm, SBE Booth

NAB Broadcast Engineering Conference

SBE is proud to be partnering again with NAB to produce the NAB Broadcast Engineering Conference (BEC). The BEC features a special Saturday in-depth Ennes Workshop on file-based workflow, plus more than 20 informative sessions covering the latest in broadcast technology beginning Sunday and running through Thursday morning.

FCC Extends 2 GHz BAS/LTTS Transition Date to March 5, 2009

By Chris Imlay, FCC Liaison Committee Chair and SBE General Counsel

SBE is well-aware that broadcast engineers are typically responsible for broadcast auxiliary operations (BAS), and that 2 GHz TV BAS service is at the heart of local news, sports, and weather coverage that are the essence of broadcast localism.  Last week, SBE and its strategic partners, Sprint Nextel, NAB and MSTV achieved a major victory for BAS licensees across the country by convincing the FCC to recognize the inordinate complexity of reconfiguring BAS systems and extend the deadline for Sprint Nextel to relocate BAS licensees to spectrum between 2025 and 2110 MHz until March 5, 2009.  The FCC also stated that it might extend the deadline until August 2009 so long as all parties continue to work in good faith to move BAS above 2025 MHz as expeditiously as possible. 

This decision is extremely good news.  The BAS transition has not proceeded as quickly as we would like, despite good faith by licensees, Sprint Nextel, manufacturers and systems integrators. The short extension will give broadcasters, manufacturers, and Sprint Nextel the time they need to produce, integrate, and install new equipment in local markets across the country. 

But neither the BAS licensees, nor Sprint Nextel can take the additional time for granted.  The FCC has sought comment on whether and how to allow MSS and MSS ATC operations to commence nationwide regardless of whether the transition is complete beginning January 1, 2009.  To allow mobile-satellite service licensees to enter the 2000-2020 MHz band this year, moreover, the FCC has required Sprint Nextel to transition four additional market clusters – Salt Lake City, Utah; Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; Washington, DC; and Houston, Texas – no later than September 30, 2008.  In addition, the FCC required Sprint Nextel to file station-specific reports every other month on BAS relocation progress beginning April 1, 2008.  The reports must identify each station’s progress in obtaining price quotes for BAS equipment, finalizing frequency relocation agreements with Sprint Nextel, submitting purchase orders, and other areas.  The existing schedule also includes several important benchmarks for BAS performance, including:

• March 18, 2008 – Quote Packages for Replacement BAS Equipment Due
• July 1, 2008 – Signed Frequency Relocation Agreements Due

With MSS market entry looming, nationwide MSS-BAS sharing on the horizon, and detailed reporting requirements beginning in April, every day counts. 

The FCC now knows, thanks to the joint parties’ ongoing and extensive lobbying efforts at the FCC, how challenging the BAS relocation is.  The FCC has acknowledged the unanticipated complexity of the relocation effort, the highly specialized equipment, and the limited number of qualified manufacturers and installers.  While the FCC has done the right thing in granting additional time, the agency’s patience will not last forever.  Therefore, we urge you to pay close attention to the cut-over schedule and make every effort to meet the interim benchmarks for relocation performance leading up to the anticipated relocation weekend in your market.  If problems arise, contact your market’s frequency coordinator, SBE, and/or the local market’s Sprint Nextel representative, before issues can contribute to delay. Working together, we will complete a smooth BAS relocation.

HD Radio Implementation First Offering in SBE/Focal Press Joint Effort

SBE and Focal Press will introduce their first co-produced book during the 2008 NAB Show in Las Vegas. HD Radio Implementation is written by Thomas R. Ray, III.

HD Radio is the FCC-approved standard for high-definition digital radio. Since its official approval in 2005, stations around the world have started converting their analog stations to also contain a digital signal. So far, 1,216 stations have converted, and there is currently a 50% yearly conversion growth trend. This growth is driven by radio audience market share depletion from podcasting and satellite radio. HD Radio is the only way stations can compete commercially. Currently, the only place individuals can become trained for an HD Radio conversion is through Harris Corporation's five-day course for $995 plus travel/lodging. The new SBE/Focal Press book provides the same in-depth information for a fraction of the cost--an excellent value for any station budgeting a conversion. It covers the installation process, uses examples from real-life implementations and information not found in manufacturer's manuals.

The book is available through the SBE Bookstore and other retail outlets. It will also be available at the SBE Booth, L-27, during the NAB Show.

224 Pages

Non-Member $89.95, Member:  $71.96, Shipping $6.00

Category:  Radio

Marietta, Georgia site of June 6 Ennes Workshop

For the second consecutive year, SBE Chapter 5 in Atlanta and the Georgia Association of Broadcasters (GAB) will be sponsoring an Ennes Workshop as a part of the GAB Annual Convention. This year, the workshop will be held June 6 at the Marietta Conference Center and Resort in Marietta, Georgia. The program, presented in cooperation with the national Society of Broadcast Engineers, will feature a full day of technical presentations of interest to broadcast engineers and technicians. Those working in television or radio, as well as in related fields, will find the Ennes Workshop an excellent educational experience. Attendance at Ennes Workshops qualifies for SBE recertification credit.

The complete program and registration information will be posted on the SBE website, www.sbe.org in mid-April, in the calendar and education sections.

Ennes Trustee, Fred Baumgartner, CPBE, of Qualcomm, MediaFlo USA, is organizing the program and will serve as moderator. Local organizational support is being provided by SBE Chapter 5 Chairman, Bill Magliocco, CPBE, CBNT, 8-VSB; Vice-Chairman, Mark Fehlig, P.E., CPBE, CBNT and Jere Pigue, President of the GAB.

The Ennes Workshop is open to anyone interested in broadcast engineering and technology. Those from outside the state of Georgia are welcome to attend.  Marietta is located approximately 18 miles northeast of Atlanta. The Marietta Conference Center and Resort is a AAA Four Diamond rated facility.  

Other regional Ennes Workshop locations and dates planned for 2008 include August 27 in Oklahoma City, a date in September to be announced in Hartford, Connecticut and October 24 in Eugene, Oregon. The Ennes Trust and SBE will also present the annual Ennes Workshop on April 12 in Las Vegas. as a part of the NAB Broadcast Engineering Conference.

RF Safety Courses Scheduled

SBE has added two more opportunities to take the SBE RF Safety Course. The first will be Wednesday, April 30 with a second course scheduled for Tuesday, May 20. Both courses will be held from 2:00 pm to 5:30 pm, EDT. The courses will be presented via live web cast and are designed for broadcast station personnel including chief and assistant chief engineers, transmitter site engineers, ENG and SNG maintenance personnel and management that need an understanding of RF safety issues and regulations. Instructing the SBE course will be RF safety expert, Richard Strickland of RF Safety Solutions.

The course makes use of MS Power Point and is interactive - questions can be asked at any time during the course.  Those who complete the course will receive a certificate of completion from SBE.

To reserve your space, contact Debbie Hennessey at the SBE National Office, dhennessey@sbe.org.  The cost is $75 per person for sites with four or more participants. $125 per person for sites with less than four participants. Use this Registration Form in MS Word to sign up.   Or, PDF.

Membership Drive March 1 through May 31
The annual SBE Membership Drive is under way now through May 31st. Though new members are welcome all throughout the year, now is a particularly good time to recruit new members for SBE.

There are some great prizes and you will receive a five-dollar discount on your 2008 membership renewal for each new member you recruit (up to five).  This year’s Grand Prize is a trip to the SBE National Meeting in Madison, Wisc. from October 14-16.      

“Be a part of a winning team” is this year’s membership drive theme. You have a chance to win in this year’s SBE Membership Drive and help someone you know win the benefits of being a part of the SBE team.

SBE is the only organization devoted to the advancement of all levels and types of broadcast engineering. Through its members, SBE provides forums for the exchange of ideas, where sharing information helps you keep pace with the rapidly changing industry.

A special post card mailing was sent to all members in February. To participate, just be sure your name is on the “sponsor” line of the new member’s application. Send your new recruits to the SBE website, www.sbe.org to use the on-line membership application.

FCC¹s PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU RELEASES 2007 EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM (EAS) HANDBOOKS

Washington, DC ­ The Federal Communications Commission¹s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) released on December 3rd, the 2007 Emergency Alert System (EAS) Handbooks for EAS participants.  This year¹s handbooks include newly developed guidance for satellite digital audio radio, direct broadcast satellite and wireline video service providers.  In addition, the existing handbooks have been updated for analog and digital television and radio stations, as well as cable systems.

The handbooks provide procedures.  The materials also include sample scripts that may be used by broadcasters and other participants during EAS activations and tests.

The Commission¹s rules require that copies of the handbooks be located at ³normal duty positions or EAS equipment locations when an operator is required to be on duty and be immediately available to staff responsible for authenticating messages and initiating actions² (47 CFR §11.15).

The EAS is a national public warning system that requires broadcasters, cable television systems, wireless cable systems, as well as wireline video, satellite digital audio radio and direct broadcast satellite service providers to make their communications facilities available to the President during a National emergency.  The system also may be used by state and local authorities to deliver important emergency information such as AMBER alerts and severe weather warnings targeted to specific geographical areas or regions.

To access the 2007 EAS Handbooks online, please visit the FCC web site at: www.fcc.gov/pshs/eas/Welcome.html.

For additional information concerning the new handbooks, please contact Bonnie Gay at (202) 418-1228.