Wednesday, February 22nd Nominations and Broadcast Test & Measurement solutions for ATSC 3.0 by Eddy Vanderkerken of Sourcerer Therefore we will look into the newest Test & Measurement instrumentation that has come to the US market for different purposes: field testing, portable analyzers, 24/7 compliance monitoring or for installation and commissioning. We will discover the silver lining in the necessity to invest yet again in new Test & Measurement equipment. Meeting space details will be released via the Chapter email group in the days preceding the meeting Nominations are OpenOfficer descriptions are in Article V of the Chapter By Laws on the web site. Nominations are open until our March 23rd meeting. The election will be held electronically April 1st through our April 26th meeting. The changeover to new officers happens at our May 25th Chapter meeting. Kevin Ruppert, Eric Schwierske, and Leonard Charles are serving on this year's nominations committee. Please forward any nomination to any one of them and they'll take it from there. Our Chapter 10 Years AgoLast Meeting Minutes
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| WMTV TV, Broadcast Engineer |
| WKOW PT MC Operator |
Chapter 24 eNews Needs You
Be the FCC News Author
Program Ideas Appreciated
Amateur Radio News
Compiled by Tom Weeden, WJ9H
Three of the four new astronauts on February's planned launch of the SpaceX Crew-6 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) are amateur radio operators. Pilot Warren "Woody" Hoburg, KB3HTZ; Commander Stephen Bowen, KI5BKB, and Mission Specialist Sultan Al Neyadi, KI5VTV, will join Mission Specialist Andrey Fedyaev on board the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, Endeavour. The spacecraft will be atop a Falcon 9 rocket and, while a launch date has not been selected, the earliest date would be mid-February 2023.
All crew members have learned about Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS), received guidance on studying and testing, and learned how to operate the ARISS radios and the basics of on-the-air protocol from ARISS team members at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The crew will be able to participate in ARISS, using the ham radio station on the ISS to contact schools and other educational institutions.
ARISS is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the ISS. In the US, participating organizations include NASA, the ISS National Lab, ARRL: The National Association for Amateur Radio®, and AMSAT: the Amateur Satellite Corporation.
Sunspots Increase
Hams who operate on high frequencies (HF) and low-VHF are seeing more long-distance propagation via the ionosphere as Solar Cycle 25 becomes more active. The daily solar flux average for January 2023 was 182.6, a new high for the current cycle and the highest this value has been since August 2002 during Cycle 23. Sunspot cycles average around 11 years in duration, and the current cycle is expected to peak around mid-2025.
HAARP Thanks Amateur Radio Operators for Help with Latest Experiment
On Tuesday, December 27, 2022, the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) conducted its latest ionospheric experiment of bouncing radio signals off an asteroid passing near Earth's orbit. Amateur radio operators and radio astronomy enthusiasts were invited to monitor the test and send their results to HAARP for analysis. While the results of the experiment will take several weeks, Jessica Matthews, HAARP Program Manager, said the help was greatly appreciated. "So far we have received over 300 reception reports from the amateur radio and radio astronomy communities from six continents who confirmed the HAARP transmission."
HAARP officials say the results of the experiment could aid efforts to defend Earth from larger asteroids that could cause significant damage.
Budget for an EAS Unit Upgrade this Year
by Gary Timm, Wisconsin SECC Broadcast Chair
The FCC has mandated what they call a "CAP Prioritization" feature to be installed into all EAS units by December 12, 2023. This is where upon receiving a Legacy EAS message the EAS unit is to poll IPAWS for a duplicate CAP message and if found then the CAP message is to be broadcast in place of the initial Legacy EAS message.
In a recent webinar sponsored by the Alabama Broadcasters Association, representatives from Digital Alert Systems (DASDEC), Sage Alerting Systems (ENDEC), and Gorman-Redlich all stated that there would be a cost to upgrade their EAS units to comply with this looming new FCC rule. It has come to light that in particular, owners of older versions of the DASDEC and Monroe One-Net EAS units may need to trade in their current EAS units for a newer model in order to complete the upgrade. Trilithic, now owned by Viavi Solutions, did not have a representative on the ABA webinar, but one would presume theirs will be a paid upgrade as well.
Since some of these upgrades could involve significant time and expense, all EAS Participants are hereby encouraged to reach out to their EAS Unit manufacturer to determine the exact cost of this required EAS unit upgrade for their specific EAS unit (you will likely need to give the unit's serial number).
Note that you will be obligated to pay for this upgrade in order for your EAS unit to remain compliant with FCC EAS rules - it is not an option. Any FCC Inspector noting that you are running older software will immediately know that you are in violation of FCC EAS rules after December 12, 2023.
More details as they become available...
Geissler to WBA VP
(from Michelle Vetterkind, WBA President)
Kyle Geissler
SBE National Elections
Members of the Board are expected to attend two regularly called meetings each year: in the spring, held during the annual NAB Show, and in the fall, at the annual SBE National Meeting. Other meetings may be called via conference call during the year.
Directors serve two-year terms and officers serve one-year terms. Six director seats will be contested in 2023 as will all four officer positions. The SBE By-laws limit the number of terms for elected members of the Board.
If interested, contact SBE Nominations Committee Chair Wayne Pecena at wpecena@sbe.org or via the SBE National Office at 317-846-9000. The election runs from July 14 to Aug. 15. Those elected will be installed at the SBE National Meeting, held this fall.
From the Broadcast Law Blog of David Oxenford ESQ
Editor's Note: Wisconsin DMAs
Milwaukee - #37
Green Bay-Appleton - #69
Madison - #81
La Crosse-Eau Claire - #129
Wausau-Rhinelander - #136
Duluth-Superior - #140
Comments Sought on Closed Captioning Display Settings
In 2015 the Commission proposed rules that would require manufacturers of covered apparatus and multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) to make closed captioning display settings readily accessible to individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. In January 2022, the Media Bureau released a Public Notice seeking to refresh the record on the proposals contained in the Second Further Notice.
In response a coalition of consumer groups proposed that required closed captioning display settings be proximate, discoverable, previewable, and consistent and persistent. The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) expressed concern about the proposed factors, and asserted that further public comment was necessary. This latest PN seeks that further comment. Comments are due March 3rd, reply comments due March 20th.
FCC Fines FOX Entities
The Commission has issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture finding that FOX apparently willfully violated section 11.45(a) of the its rules on November 28, 2021, when it transmitted or caused the transmission of EAS Tones during a FOX NFL promotional segment in the absence of any actual emergency, authorized test of the EAS, qualified PSA, or other Permitted Uses. The prohibition on such transmissions has been in place for many years, and the Commission has repeatedly made its requirements clear.
In response FOX describes the Promotional Segment as a short comedic advertisement for an upcoming game, aired as part of the FOX NFL SUNDAY pre-game show. FOX admits that the Promotional Segment used an approximately three-second excerpt of the EAS Attention Signal that was downloaded or recorded from a YouTube video.
Accordingly the FCC proposes a forfeiture of $504,000 against FOX.
By the Numbers
| AM, FM, FM Educational | 15,377 |
| UHF, VHF Commercial and Educational | 1758 |
| UHF, VHF Class A | 383 |
| FM, UHF, VHF Translators/Boosters | 12,072 |
| UHF, VHF Low Power TV | 1912 |
| Low Power FM | 2015 |
| _____________________________ | ______ |
| TOTAL BROADCAST STATIONS | 33,517 |
Certification and Education
compiled by Jim Hermanson
| Exam Dates | Location | Application Deadline (to SBE National Office) |
Ennes Workshop ATSC3 Specialist exam session: April 15, 2023 following two-day workshop |
Westgate Resort, Las Vegas |
March 3, 2023 |
SBE exams during the NAB Show: April 18, 2023 |
LVCC West Hall Room TBD |
March 3, 2023 |
June 1-12, 2023 |
Local Chapters (Madison Area) |
April 21, 2023 |
August 4-14, 2023 |
Local Chapters (Madison Area) |
June 16, 2023 |
November 3-13, 2023 |
Local Chapters (Madison Area) |
September 8, 2023 |
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. Before the exam time, your local certification chairman will receive a list of applicants and exams in his/her area 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.
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:
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Megan E. Clappe Certification Director 9102 N. Meridian St. Suite 150 Indianapolis, IN 46260 317-846-9120 Fax mclappe@sbe.org |
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.
SBE Education Committee Launches Disability Survey
The SBE Education Committee is undertaking a survey that could have far-reaching benefits for some of our current membership, as well as future membership. Spearheading the initiative is SBE Education Committee member Len Watson, CPBE. The goal is to help those members connect with opportunities or to help those who were forced to leave due to challenges.
SBE Plans Expanded Ennes Workshop at the 2023 NAB Show
The SBE is planning to hold a two-day SBE Ennes Workshop at the 2023 NAB Show. It will be held April 14 and 15 at the Westgate Resort and Casino. Registration for the Workshop will be separate from the NAB Show convention registration, and will be available on the SBE website, sbe.org, in January. The registration fee will include access to the two days of instruction in either the RF 101 or NextGen Broadcast track, and continental breakfast and a midday refreshment on both days.The NextGen track is suitable preparation to take the SBE ATSC3 Specialist Certification exam. An exam session will be provided after the Workshop. Separate advance exam registration is required. Applicants also need to hold the requisite SBE Certification. Details on the exam opportunity will be included with the online Workshop registration.
February Webinar
Testing, Measurement and Monitoring for ATSC 3.0 Broadcasting Systems
Thursday, February 16, 2023 | 1 p.m. CT
This presentation will focus on the testing, measurement and monitoring of ATSC 3.0 broadcast systems. It will provide a brief overview of the IP and RF signal parameters and discuss the "When, Where and How" of testing, measurement and monitoring of signal elements. These elements must be measured and monitored to ensure standards compliance and interoperability with downstream transmission and receiving devices. Hardware- and software-based devices and systems used to test, measure and monitor the signals will be discussed. A live demonstration of the measurement and monitoring of actual "on air" ATSC 3.0 transmission systems with currently available software-based products will be included.
Your Instructors
John B. Casey, CTO & Co-Founder, Airwavz.tv
John Casey is chief technology officer and co-founder at Airwavz.tv. John is an eminent mobile DTV hardware and software expert. He leads all ATSC 3.0 design, development and commercialization of Airwavz.tv's first-ever NextGen TV products. John is the inventor, and designer of TvXplorer professional test and measurement software, and the companion RedZone Receiver that are in-use widely by TV broadcasters today in the U.S. and abroad.
Jay Adrick, Consultant, Cavell Mertz & Associates Inc.
Jay is a 58-year veteran of the television broadcast industry, and a leader in the design and integration of digital broadcasting systems. Jay retired in 2013 as VP of broadcast technology from Harris Corporation's Broadcast Communications Division and returned on a part-time basis as a technology advisor to the Transmission business unit which is known as GatesAir. In his position at Harris, Jay led the development of the ATSC Mobile DTV system, provided strategic guidance for the development of new broadcast products and represented Harris in the world of broadcast standards.
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
Registration Link
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 MemberPlus membership option. You get all the live and archived Webinars by SBE in the SBE catalog plus any new webinars the SBE adds during the membership year, all 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.
Take Advantage of SBE's Comprehensive Archive of Webinars
Did you know that the SBE offers more than 140 archived webinars on technical, regulatory and management topics? Go to On-Demand Webinars - The Society of Broadcast Engineers (sbe.org) to see what is available to you. Is there a topic that is missing from our archives that you would like to see? Contact Education Director Cathy Orosz at corosz@sbe.org with your requests!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.