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CHAPTER 24, Inc., MADISON, WI
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Monthly eNews
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September 2021
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Our Next Meeting:
Thursday, September 9th
WebRTC
by Chris Crump of Comrex
This is a live meeting with a 6pm start time.
When Apple, Google, Microsoft and Mozilla team up, you might think, "Nothing good is going to come of this." But you might just possibly be wrong. WebRTC is a pretty fascinating example of how good things can be born of necessity and how they can foster cooperation on multiple levels. We'll discuss the basics of WebRTC and the multitude of applications that are already using it to change the way the world communicates. We'll also cover broadcast-specific applications, best practices and the future of live content creation.
This is a live face to face meeting held at the annual Broadcasters Clinic. You do not have to be a registered attendee of the conference to attend this meeting at the Madison Marriott West in Middleton.
Last Meeting's Minutes
Submitted by Mike Travis, Secretary
The SBE Chapter 24 meeting was called to order by Matt Mommaerts at 7:02pm, August 25th, 2021 via Microsoft Teams.
Michael Travis made a motion to approve the secretary meeting minutes from 7/29/2021, seconded by Matt Mommaerts and approved as submitted.
Mike Norton, as Chapter Treasurer, reported there was one sustaining membership check received in August, from Full Compass Systems. Following that deposit the Chapter 24 checking account balance remains in the black.
The deadline for articles for the September issue of the Chapter eNewsletter is Wednesday September 1st at 5pm. If you have an article of interest to Chapter 24 members please do not reply to this email but rather address it to Lcharles@sbe.org .
For the membership report, Matt Mommaerts reports there are no changes to our existing membership.
Fred Sperry was unavailable but Matt Mommaerts reports we have no new sustaining members.
Matt Mommaerts, as head of the program committee, reports we have programs for the rest of the year. The next meeting is at the Wisconsin Broadcasters Clinic.
With certifications and education, Jim Hermanson was unavailable but Matt Mommaerts reports the exam session is coming up November 5th - November 15th. September 10th is the deadline to sign up for that exam session.
Tom Smith, with frequency coordination, reported he had a request for some 450 Mhz and 455 Mhz RPU frequencies and 6-7 Ghz for video but the request for video was cancelled. University Media Group wanted some information on wireless mics and the frequencies available.
With SBE national news, Leonard Charles reports the annual election of officers and directors for the national SBE Board of Directors concludes August 25th. The SBE national meeting will be held during the 2021 NAB show in October. The National SBE meeting events occur October 9th - 12th. Checkout sbe.org for the meeting schedule. The highlight of the SBE national meetings is the membership meeting and national awards presentation on October 11th at 5pm Pacific time. The program will be followed by a member reception. On Saturday October 9th from 9am - 12pm Pacific time, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the SBE's annual Ennes workshop at the NAB show kicks off the NAB's Broadcast, Engineering and IT conference. The theme of the Ennes workshop is Advancements in Broadcast Technology and What is Real Now. If you're registered for NAB you can get into the workshop.
Leonard Charles made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Matt Mommaerts. Meeting adjourned at 7:10pm.
The meeting was followed by a presentation on "CueScript". The presentation was hosted by Meghan Tyler and Michael Accardi. Check out the CueScript teleprompter products at www.cuescript.tv/ . Thank you Meghan and Michael!
Broadcasters Clinic
The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association and the four Wisconsin SBE Chapters welcome the Broadcasters Clinic back as a live event! The dates are September 8-10 at the Madison Marriott West. Click Here for the session agenda. Pre-registration is closed, on site registration will be accepted.
Books at the Clinic
From Chapter 24 member Dennis Baldridge:
I will have broadcast books to pass on Thursday morning at the Broadcasters Clinic. Categories include:
• Digital Radio books (used to study for the SBE DRB exam)
• ATSC3 & 8VSB books (used to study for the SBE ATSC3 & 8VSB exams)
• Networking books (used to study for the SBE CBNT exam)
The books are free or a donation of any amount would be appreciated.
Don Borchert Fellowship
The Don Borchert Broadcasters Clinic Fellowship honors the founder of the conference and will provide all expenses to attend the Clinic in Madison Sept. 8-10, 2021. The program is possible through the financial support of all four Wisconsin SBE Chapters, and the WBA. Applications are now being accepted for the 2021 Broadcasters Clinic Conference. Download the application form.
Job Opening: WKOW TV
Part Time Master Control Operator
For information Click Here
Search for a new Sustaining Membership Chair
Chapter 24 is searching for an individual to take over as Sustaining Membership Chair for the chapter. Tasks involve sending out renewal notices to existing sustaining members of Chapter 24, sending application materials to prospective sustaining members, forwarding the received payments to the Chapter 24 Treasurer and providing announcements of new members and renewals at chapter meetings. All the necessary paperwork to do these tasks have already been created, so the workload for this position is minimal. This is a great way to be involved in Chapter 24 with a minimal time commitment.
If you are interested in taking over this position, please contact Chapter Chair Matt Mommaerts or current Sustaining Membership Chair Fred Sperry.
Thank you for your consideration!
SBE National Election Results
Andrea Cummis, CBT, CTO, was elected as the society's president. Cummis is the chief technical officer of PBS39/WLVT-TV, in Bethlehem, PA. She is the first woman to be elected to hold the office. She is a member of SBE Chapter 15 in New York City.
Elected to serve one-year terms as officers are:
Vice President: Ted Hand, CPBE, 8-VSB, AMD, ATSC3, DRB; Chapter 45 Charlotte; Charlotte, NC
Secretary: Kevin Trueblood, CBRE, CBNT; Chapter 90 Southwest FL; Ft. Myers, FL
Treasurer: Jason Ornellas, CBRE, CRO; Chapter 43 Sacramento; Sacramento, CA
Elected to serve two years terms on the board of directors are:
Zhulieta Ibisheva, CBTE, CBT; Chapter 50 Hawaii; Honolulu, HI
Jeff Juniet, CBTE; Chapter 42 Central Florida; Casselberry, FL
Charles "Ched" Keiler, CPBE, 8-VSB, CBNE; Chapter 53 South Florida; Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Geary S. Morrill, CPBE, AMD, CBNE; Chapter 91 Central Michigan; Saginaw, MI
David Ratener, CPBE, CBNT; Chapter 16 Seattle; Seattle, WA
Dan Whealy, CBTE; Chapter 96 Rockford; Sumner, IA
These newly elected directors will join those with one year remaining in their terms:
Stephen Brown, CPBE, CBNT; Chapter 80 Fox Valley; Appleton, WI
Roswell Clark, CPBE, CBNT; Chapter 39 Tampa Bay Area; Clearwater, FL
Kirk Harnack, CBRE, CBNE; Chapter 103 Nashville; Nashville, TN
Thomas McGinley, CPBE, AMD, CBNT; Chapter 16 Seattle; Missoula, MT
Shane Toven, CPBE, DRB, CBNE; Chapter 43 Sacramento; Antelope, CA
Fred Willard, CPBE, 8-VSB, CBNT; Chapter 37 District of Columbia; Washington, DC
The newly elected will begin their terms at the National Meeting of the SBE on October 11, 2021, at the NAB Show in Las Vegas. Congratulations to all.
Program Ideas Appreciated
The Chapter 24 meeting schedule is available here. While our 2021 schedule is full our 2022 calendar is wide open. Is there a topic you would like to see covered at one of our local Chapter 24 meetings? Or, better yet, is there a topic that you'd like to speak about at an upcoming meeting? Please forward any ideas to Matt Mommaerts or to one of the Chapter 24 officers for consideration.
Early 2021 EAS Test Results
Though the final EAS national test results are not yet reported, and the analysis of those results is still pending, preliminary chatter on the internet appears to indicate that the non IPAWS, broadcast only, relay infrastructure utilized in this test did indeed relay a test in some form in almost all areas. However, as was the result in the 2019 test the audio quality was often an issue. In some cases there was no audio message at all (just tones), in other cases the audio was so severely distorted it was unintelligible, and in some areas it was good.
Here are some early observations as compiled by The Broadcasters' Desktop Resource.
Wisconsin Public Radio Director Stepping Down
WPR Director Mike Crane is stepping down effective October 1st after a decade in the position. In a letter to supporters he said "I am grateful to our many members and supporters, whose generosity and commitment has been inspiring. I will continue to be an avid listener and supporter."
WPR is a partnership of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Wisconsin Public Media (WPM) and the Educational Communications Board (ECB), the state agency that distributes public broadcasting in Wisconsin. The leadership of WPM and the ECB plan to name an interim director and identify organizational needs before beginning a national search for the new head of the organization.
Amateur Radio News
Compiled by Tom Weeden, WJ9H
Hurricane Waiver
The FCC has granted an ARRL emergency request for a temporary waiver intended to facilitate relief communications in the wake of Hurricane Ida. The waiver was orally granted on Saturday, August 28, and immediately permitted amateur data transmissions related to Hurricane Ida traffic to employ a higher symbol rate for data transmissions than the current limit of 300 baud.
ARRL pointed out in its request that Amateur Radio Emergency Service members are working with federal, state, and local emergency management officials to assist with disaster relief. Many use radio modems and personal computers capable of using digital protocols and modes that would permit faster messaging rates than normally permitted under the FCC's rules. ARRL pointed out that higher data rates can be critical to timely transmission of relief communications, such as lists of needed and distributed supplies. To qualify for the waiver, a protocol or mode exceeding the 300 baud symbol rate limit must (1) be publicly documented, (2) use no more bandwidth than the currently permissible slower protocols (generally accepted to be the bandwidth of a single-sideband audio signal, or 2.8 kHz), and (3) be used solely for communications related to Hurricane Ida.
In 2016, in response to an ARRL petition for rulemaking, the FCC proposed to remove the symbol rate limitations, which it tentatively concluded had become unnecessary due to advances in modulation techniques and no longer served a useful purpose. That proceeding, WT Docket 16-239, is still pending.
Fees Implementation Delayed
The previously announced schedule of FCC amateur radio application fees likely will not go into effect before 2022. FCC staff confirmed during a recent virtual meeting with Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (VECs) that the agency is still working on the necessary changes to the Universal Licensing System (ULS) software and other processes and procedures that must be in place before it starts collecting fees from amateur applicants. Earlier this year, the FCC said it would not start collecting fees from amateur applicants before this summer. The new estimate is that the fees won't go into effect until early next year.
Once it's effective, a $35 application fee will apply to new, modification (upgrade and sequential call sign change), renewal, and vanity call sign applications. All fees will be per application. Administrative update applications, such as those to change a licensee's name, mailing, or email address, will be exempt from fees.
Exposure Limits
The FCC has adopted guidelines and procedures for evaluating environmental effects of RF emissions. Under the new FCC rules, some amateurs need to perform routine station evaluations to ensure that their stations comply with the RF exposure rules. This can be as simple as running an online calculator to determine the minimum safe distance between any part of your antenna and areas where people might be exposed to RF energy from your station. Although amateurs can make measurements of their stations, evaluations can also be done by calculation.
The FCC guidelines already incorporate two tiers of exposure limits based on whether exposure occurs in an occupational or "controlled" situation, or whether the general population is exposed or exposure is in an "uncontrolled" situation.
To make this easy for amateurs, ARRL now provides an RF exposure calculator on its RF Exposure page. To use the calculator, enter your transmit peak-envelope power (PEP) and operating mode, and answer the questions about the maximum amount of time you might be transmitting. The calculator will give you the minimum distance people must be from your antenna and human exposure.
(Excerpts from the American Radio Relay League's arrl.org web site)
FCC NEWS
compiled by Tom Smith
New Political Rules
The FCC adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FCC-21-91A1) on August 3rd concerning the definition of a qualified candidate. This action is mainly for determining the eligibility of write-in candidates. They are also extending political records keeping to write-in candidates that may have not been previously covered. Besides the current definition of political activity that shows that a candidate is qualified such as forming a campaign committee, receiving donations, making speeches, distributing campaign literature, and having a campaign headquarters, it would allow the creation of a website or use of social media to qualify as eligible actions to determine if a write-in candidate is truly qualified under FCC rules.
The second proposed action would extend political ad recordkeeping to political issue advertising of a national interest. This could affect issues ads that promote candidates indirectly by third parties.
Auction Winners Announced
On August 12th, the FCC announced the winning bids (DA-21-983A2) in the latest FM auction. There were 97 allocations that received winning bids in the auction by 67 bidders. There were over 130 FM allocations available along with 4 AM allocations. There were two FM channels that were up for bidding in Wisconsin. They were both won by one group, The Salvation Poem Foundation, INC. They won the Tomahawk allocation with a bid of $129,000 and the Crandon allocation with a winning bid of $58,000.
Personal Radio Rules Updated
On August 3rd, the FCC adopted rules (FCC-21-90A1) that expanded modes of operation of personal radio transmissions. Personal radios include the 27 MHz CB band, the UHF Family Radio Service (FRS), and the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS). This action is in response to a number of Personal Radio manufacturers including Motorola and Cobra. The FCC will allow FM modulation in all three services along with the current AM modulation standard. CB radios also use Single Side Band Modulation. The FCC is also allowing data transmission between FRS and GMRS radios. This could allow location information such as GPS to be shared between users such as hikers and hunters to keep track of each. The FCC also cleaned up some other language in the personal radio rules and medical services rules.
WIBA On The Move
by Tom Smith
Madison's oldest commercial radio station, WIBA-AM is moving its transmitter after nearly 80 years. I-heart has submitted an application to co-locate the WIBA-AM transmitter site with the WTSO transmitter. WIBA will diplex it's transmitter on four of the WTSO-AM towers using one tower during the day and 4 towers at night. The daytime signal will be reduced to 4.8 KW non-directional from 5 KW non-directional. With the location change and the power reduction, WIBA will lose some coverage on the western most edge of its current daytime coverage. The night time directional pattern will use the 4 towers with 1.4 KW transmitter output. The current nighttime pattern uses 3 towers and the transmitter output is 5 KW. The current nighttime pattern reduces coverage to the south. The proposed nighttime coverage will be significantly reduced with two main signal lobes. One lobe will point NNW over Madison and the other lobe will point in the direction of Cottage Grove and Sun Prairie.
WIBA went on the air in March of 1925 with an antenna at 16 East Mifflin Street. The station was owned at the time by the Capital Times Newspaper and the Strand Theater. The antenna was most likely a long wire on the roof of the theater as were most radio station antennas at the time. From the History cards for WIBA-AM in the FCC files, the station operated with 100 W to 1 KW on various frequencies from 1210 kHz to 1280 kHz from 1925 to 1941 when the station moved to the current 1310 kHz channel. In 1929, the station applied to move the transmitter to the town of Burke, but the history cards never showed that the move was made. Instead, the construction permit was modified to a site near the Dane County Fairgrounds and the station went on the air at that site in September of 1930.* The application for the Burke site was dismissed in 1933 and an application to move the transmitter north of Waunakee was submitted. That site was never built. In 1933, the station applied for a directional antenna for nighttime operation with a power increase. The directional antenna went on the air in April of 1936. In December of 1939, WIBA was granted a construction permit to increase power both day and night to 5 KW with changes to the nighttime directional antenna. In January of 1941, the construction permit was changed to allow the transmitter to be moved to the current Fish Hatchery Road location with the license being granted for operation from that site in March of 1942. The WIBA studios have been moved from the Strand Theater on Mifflin Street to King street to the Tenny Building on Main Street to 3800 Regent street with the last FCC record showing it at that location in 1968. Sometime after 1968, WIBA moved its studio to the Fish Hatchery transmitter site. Currently WIBA-AM and FM, WTSO, WZEE, WXXM and WMAD have their studios at the WIBA-AM transmitter site. It is unknown if the studios will move to another location.
As property values increase and AM stations revenues decrease, it is getting more common for AM stations to diplex on common transmitter sites.
*Capital Times, December 13,1938 (wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Newspaper/BA8178)
For the Record
(Wisconsin FCC Actions Granted)
compiled by Leonard Charles
from the FCC Daily Digest
8/9/2021
Galaxie Broadcasting, LLC
WGXI, 1420 Khz, Plymouth, WI
Granted Direct Measurement
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Certification and Education
compiled by Jim Hermanson
Check the August 2021 National SBE publication The Signal Certification Update (Page 6) for a write-up on Vicki Kipp and Dennis Baldridge on their success passing the ATSC3 exams!
The Open Exam Schedule
| Exam Dates |
Location |
Application Deadline
(to SBE National Office) |
November 5-15, 2021
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Local Chapters (Madison Area)
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September 10, 2021
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Each year, account balance permitting, Chapter 24 will reimburse half the application fee to any member of Chapter 24 in good standing who successfully obtains any SBE certification level not previously held by that member. Contact the SBE Chapter 24 chairperson or certification chairperson for more information.
When you are ready to take an SBE exam, note the open exam schedule, complete the appropriate application (found here... http://www.sbe.org/applications) and send it directly to the SBE National office (see address below) with the respective fee. You will be notified once your application is approved. Your local certification chairman will receive a list of applicants and exams in his/her chapter and arrange for a proctor. He/she will then contact applicants to schedule a mutually agreeable date, time, and place for the exam(s) within the respective exam date window. This must be coordinated before the exam will be sent by SBE National. Completed exam(s) will be mailed back to SBE National for grading. Pass/fail results will be mailed directly to the applicants within approximately six weeks.
The majority of SBE certifications are open book and access to the Internet is allowed to give a more "real world" situation.
You may mail, email or fax your applications to:
Megan E. Clappe
Certification Director
9102 N. Meridian St.
Suite 150
Indianapolis, IN 46260
317-846-9120 Fax
mclappe@sbe.org
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To apply for a specialist certification, an individual must currently hold certification on the Broadcast Engineer, Senior Broadcast Engineer, Professional Broadcast Engineer or Broadcast Networking Engineer Certification level. Exams must be completed within three hours and consist of 50 multiple-choice questions (two points each) and one essay question (20 points maximum). Examinees are provided one essay question to answer. Exams are pass/fail, and a score of 84 is a passing grade.
September Webinars
SIP Series, Module 1: Introduction to Voice Over IP/SIP Technology Systems
September 16, 2021 | 1 p.m. CT
Module 1 kicks off this four-part SIP series and is designed specifically to provide introductory knowledge of VoIP and related protocols as they relate specifically to broadcast applications. The practical capabilities and application of VoIP and SIP in broadcast facilities and relevant topics like choke lines and audio quality, will be discussed.
This educational presentation will be useful for broadcast technologists with little to no direct experience with VoIP, as well as for those who are currently tasked with maintaining VoIP systems but would like to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying technology. It will serve as a basis for the topics discussed in the future SIP Series modules.
Your Instructors
Shaun Dolan, Partner, Inrush Broadcast Services
Kirk Harnack, CBRE, CBNE, Telos Alliance
Shaun Dolan is a partner at Inrush Broadcast Services, a technology integration firm. He focuses on delivering the benefits of virtualized architectures while incorporating tried-and-true broadcast technology. His team provides turnkey project management, solutions consulting, and outsourced engineering support to respected media creators across the US. Previously, Shaun was a product manager at Telos Alliance, where his team developed a new virtualized broadcast talk show system and managed the VoIP product line.
Kirk Harnack, CBRE, CBNE, brings 40 years of hands-on experience in broadcast engineering and education to his position as senior solutions consultant at the Telos Alliance. His expertise in putting technology to work in broadcast facilities has driven notable expansion in IP-Audio and other new technology adoption. He currently serves on the SBE Board of Directors.
SBE Recertification Credit
The completion of a Webinar from Webinars by SBE qualifies for 1 credit, identified under Category I of the Recertification Schedule for SBE Certifications.
Registration and Pricing
This webinar will be approximately 90 minutes long.
SBE Members: $62
MemberPlus Members FREE
Non-Members: $92
Register Here
Questions?
If you have questions regarding this course, contact Cathy Orosz via email or by phone at 317-846-9000.
SMPTE - ST2110 Basics
Sept. 23, 2021 | 1 p.m. CT
This webinar provides an overview of SMPTE ST2110 - the industry standard for IP-based studio and playout-center infrastructure. It is targeted at broadcast professionals with basic knowledge of IP networking, but does not expect any pre-requisite knowledge about SMPTE ST2110 or PTP. The relevant standards will be introduced in summary, then a practical guide to some implementation considerations for small/medium sized projects. Attendees will leave with a basic understanding of the standards involved and how they fit together, and pointers to more information for continued exploration in a self-paced manner.
Your Instructor
John Mailhot, CTO & Director of Product Management, Infrastructure & Networking, Imagine Communications
John Mailhot has worked in the field of digital high-definition (HD) television systems since its North American inception in 1990. He began as part of the AT&T-Zenith team, responsible for system architecture and integration of the digital spectrum compatible high-definition television (DSC-HDTV) system prototype, and then served as technical lead for the Grand Alliance encoder at Lucent Technologies. He subsequently held engineering manager and general manager roles at Lucent Digital Video, Aastra Digital Video, and the Harris Broadcast Video Networking Group. Today, Mailhot is chief technology officer of the networking and infrastructure team at Imagine Communications. He has dual bachelor's degrees in computer science and electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and has been recognized as a SMPTE Fellow.
SBE Recertification Credit
The completion of a Webinar from Webinars by SBE qualifies for 1 credit, identified under Category I of the Recertification Schedule for SBE Certifications.
Registration and Pricing
This webinar will be approximately 90 minutes long.
SBE Members: $62
MemberPlus Members FREE
Non-Members: $92
Register Here
Questions?
If you have questions regarding this course, contact Cathy Orosz via email or by phone at 317-846-9000.
More information about registering using the SBE MemberPlus benefit
All SBE webinars are included at no additional cost for members who renew or join using the $175 SBE Member Plus membership option. Through this option you get access to all SBE webinars for no extra cost. Members can renew and newcomers may join online at the SBE website using the SBE MemberPlus option.
Access to the SBE webinars through the SBE MemberPlus program is limited to the MemberPlus-purchaser only. You are not permitted to distribute, sell, copy, share, project or otherwise make the webinars available to any other individual or group without express written permission by the SBE.
Several state-of-the-art radio, TV, multimedia, and IT engineering training is available through this page...
http://sbe.org/education/webinars-by-sbe/on-demand-webinars/
More information on SBE Education Programs is available here...
http://www.sbe.org/education/
Views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE), its officers, or its members. SBE Chapter 24, Inc. regrets, but is not liable for, any omissions or errors. Articles of interest to Chapter 24 members are accepted up to the close of business the 1st day of each month. Send your article to lcharles@sbe.org.
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