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Society of Broadcast Engineers
Chapter 24Newsletter
Madison, WisconsinJune 2009
Meeting Minutes....................... .2Member News.......................... .3Amateur Radio News.................4White Space Debate..................5 New Chair >>> continued on page 3
Next Meeting
Coming Up In this Issue
>>> by Fred Sperry
Tues., July 14 Token Creek Prod- uctions Facility TourWed., Aug 12 Loudspeakers, Part 3Thurs., Sept 17 TBD
Thursday, June 11
ANNUAL CHAPTER 24 PICNIC The Chapter will supply burgers and brats, condiments, buns, plates, cups and utensils. The grill will be started at 5:00 PM. Bring a dish to pass, an alternate entrée if desired and your preferred beverage. (We have an alcohol permit.)
Please sign up on the chapter web site, http://www.sbe24.org
There is a playground for the kids and we have an amplified music permit for the evening’s music provided by Trailing Edge Entertainment. Come for the food and company... stay for the relaxing atmosphere!
5:00 PM - 9:00 PMBadger Prairie Park
Shelter #1Verona, Wisconsin
No Park Admission is required.
There will be a brief business meeting about 7:00 PM to
introduce our newly-elected officers.
From the “New Chair”
I would like to start off by thanking everyone who participated in our recent Chapter election. I am pleased to have been elected Chair of Chapter 24. As some of you may be aware, I previously held this office back in the late 90’s. A lot has changed and many challenges have arisen in the past ten plus years in the field of broadcasting, but I’m happy to say our Chapter still remains strong.
The strength of our Chapter can be attributed to the membership-at-large along with the officers and committee appointees who certainly deserve some recognition. To begin with, I want to extend a big thank you to past Chair Dennis Baldridge who I think all would agree has left me with a tough act to follow. He, along with Vice Chair Clif Groth, Secretary Tom Smith and Treasurer Leslie Franzen, has done a great job keeping the Chapter strong.
In addition to the officers, there are the chairs of our different committees who also put in a lot of work behind the scenes. This is where a lot of the work to maintain the Chapter’s mission takes place. Please take a moment to review the list of committees and the chairs for these committees. Most of the chairs listed have been in these positions for more than 10 years.
Chapter LeadershipChair
Fred Sperry, ECB-OC W: 608-264-9806
Vice ChairBill Hamilton, Wisconsin EyeW: 608-316-6850 Ext. [email protected]
SecretaryMike Norton, WPTW: 608-264-9807
TreasurerKevin Trueblood
Midwest Family [email protected]
Past ChairDennis Baldridge W: 608-489-3999
Committee AppointeesProgram Committee
Steve Paugh 277-5139Steve Zimmerman 225-1293
Membership / Newsletter EditorPaul Stoffel
Sustaining MembershipFred Sperry
Certification & EducationJim Hermanson 608-271-4321
Frequency CoordinationTom Smith
National SBE Chapter LiasionLeonard CharlesW: 608-271-4321F: 608-271-1709
Page 2 SBE Chapter 24 Newsletter June 2009
Chapter Contacts Meeting Minutesfrom the May 2009 Business Meeting
Chapter 24 of the Society of Broadcast Engineers met at the studios of WISC-TV on May 13, 2009. There were 14 members present of which 13 were certified. There were 3 guests present. Chair Dennis Baldridge called the meeting to order at 7 PM. Visitors were asked to introduce themselves and Craig Simenz of Heartland Video Systems and Hal Buttermore of Linear Acoustic introduced themselves. On a motion by Steve Paugh and seconded by Fred Sperry, the minutes were approved for the April meeting. Before the minutes were accepted, Steve Paugh noted that Liner Acoustic had been misspelled in both the minutes for last month and in the meeting notice postcard. An “s” was inadvertently added to the end of Acoustic. Treasurer Leslie Franzen reported on the current balance in the Chapter’s checkbook and gave the yearly financial report. Sustaining membership Chair Fred Sperry reported that Alpha Video and Roscor had renewed their membership, totalling 21 sustaining members. Certification Chair Jim Hermanson reported that the next certification exam period was August 7-17 with applications due June 5th. The next exam after August will be on November 6-16 with applications due on September 18th. Leonard Charles reported the National Office of the SBE was planning on increasing it’s educational offerings by three times and will be hiring a person to oversee it’s educational efforts. Chuck noted that the SBE would be offering the RF safety course next week and there were still some open-ings. The last update on the National SBE news was that the deadline for the National Awards and the membership drive that ends May 31st. Frequency Coordinator Tom Smith gave an update on the current status of FCC Rulemakings that will affect the operation of wireless mikes particu-larly on channels 52-69. He noted that the FCC has not taken any action on prohibiting wireless mikes on channels 52-69 and wireless mikes were an issue in the ongoing TV White Spaces proceedings. Program Chair Steve Paugh gave the program line-up for the next three months. The June 11th meeting is the annual picnic; the July 14th meeting is the tour of Token Creek Production’s new HD remote truck and facility; and the August meeting will be part 3 of Steve’s loudspeaker design tutorial. Nomination Chair Steve Paugh reported on the Election Results. He noted that 18 ballots were received and none were disqualified. He then introduced the new officers, Fred Sperry, Chair; Bill Hamilton, Vice-Chair; Mike Norton, Secretary; and Kevin Trueblood, Treasurer.The meeting was the adjourned. Hal Buttermore of Linear Acoustic then presented the evening’s program on DTV audio processing. Craig Simenz of Heartland Video Systems was also instrumental in providing the evening’s program.
Respectfully submitted by Tom Smith, Outgoing Secretary
June 2009 SBE Chapter 24 Newsletter Page 3
>>> compiled by Paul Stoffel, Chapter 24 Membership Chair
821 University Ave.Madison WI 53706 www.wpt.org
Phone 608.263.2121Fax 608.263.9763
NED WHITEREgiONAL SALES MANAgER
316 N. Milwaukee St. #567Milwaukee, Wi 53202
Tel 414.266.2226 x26Fax 414.266.2181Cell [email protected]
Currently there is an opening on the Program Committee. If you have an interest in serving on this committee or if you have an interest in serving on any of these appointed committees, please feel free to e-mail me at [email protected] One of my goals as Chair is to keep Chapter members as informed as possible as to what is taking place within the Chapter. Besides passing information along at our monthly meetings, I also plan to write updates for the newsletter as needed, so please watch for future articles as to what is happening within our Chapter. I hope to see you at our June meeting which is our annual picnic at Badger Prairie Park in Verona. See page 1 of this newsletter for further details.
“New Chair”>>> continued from page 1
· Membership TallyThe National SBE has Chapter 24 with 62 members listed; 32 certified.
· Life Certification Achievement
Steve Zimmerman, Verona, WI, Certified Broadcast Television Engineer® (CBTE®), has been granted Life Certification. Steve is self-employed and works for a variety of sports and entertainment production companies as a video engineer, technical management, and engineering.
· NAB ExamsSteve Johnston, Fitchburg, WI, has achieved the level of Certified Senior Radio Engineer® (CSRE®) by testing at NAB2009 in April. Steve is the Director of Engineering and Operations of Wisconsin Public Radio.
· New Members since Feb ‘09
Duane Grotophorst — works at Avid Technology as a Software QA Engineer.
Matthew Glissendorf — works for AT&T in the Madison Video Hub Office (VHO) as a Video Site Operations Manager. The VHO is our headend office for the U-verse TV service in this area.
James Klas — works at the State of Wisconsin Educational Communications Board (ECB) as the Director of Media Technology.
(Some information from the SBE’s June 2009 The Signal)
Member News
http://www.madcityhd.com/
7847 BIg Sky DRIvE
MADISoN, WISCoNSIN 53719
(608) 833-0047 • FAX (608) 833-5055
http://www.milwaukeehdtv.org/
http://www.angelfire.com/wi/jrosin5765/tv/witv.html
Web Visits:
Page 4 SBE Chater 24 Newsletter June 2009
Thanks to Leonard Charles for maintaining the Chapter 24web site and to Steve Paugh for
mailing the meeting reminder postcards.
WMTVMADISoN
615 Forward DriveMadison, WI 53711
608-274-1515www.nbc15.com
compiled by Tom Weeden, WJ9H
Amateur Radio News
► At the annual Space Weather Workshop held in Boulder, Colorado in April, an international panel of experts led by NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) predicted that Solar Cycle 24 will peak in May 2013 with 90 sunspots per day on average. If the prediction proves true, Solar Cycle 24 will be the weakest cycle since Solar Cycle 16, which peaked with 78 daily sunspots in 1928, and ninth weakest since the 1750s, when numbered cycles began. The panel predicted that the lowest sunspot number between cycles – the solar minimum -- occurred in December 2008, marking the end of Solar Cycle 23 and the start of Solar Cycle 24. If December’s prediction holds up, at 12 years and seven months Solar Cycle 23 will be the longest since 1823 and the third longest since 1755. Solar cycles span 11 years on average, from minimum to minimum. An unusually long, deep lull in sunspots led the panel to revise its 2007 prediction that the next cycle of solar storms would start in March 2008 and peak in late 2011 or mid-2012. The persistence of a quiet sun also led the panel to a consensus that Solar Cycle 24 will be what they called “moderately weak.” Although the peak is still four years away, a new active period of Earth-threatening solar storms will be the weakest since 1928. Despite the prediction, the scientists said that Earth is still vulnerable to a severe solar storm. Solar storms are eruptions of energy and matter that escape from the Sun and may head toward Earth, where even a weak storm can damage satellites and power grids, disrupting
communications, the electric power supply and GPS. A single strong blast of “solar wind” can threaten national security, transportation, financial services and other essential functions. NOAA scientist Doug Biesecker, who chaired the panel, said, “The strongest solar storm on record occurred in 1859 during another below-average cycle.” The 1859 storm shorted out telegraph wires, causing fires in North America and Europe and sent readings of Earth’s magnetic field soaring. It also produced northern lights so bright that people read newspapers by their light, he said.
► The FCC has released the redacted portions of the studies on which they relied with regard to its Broadband over Powerline (BPL) rulemaking in 2004 after The American Radio Relay League filed an Freedom of Information Act request on March 31 for the studies. In October 2007, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit heard ARRL’s case against the Commission, stating, among other things, that the FCC not only withheld the internal studies until it was too late to comment, but had yet to release portions of studies that may not support its own conclusions regarding BPL. The FCC claimed that the studies were “internal communications” that it did not rely upon in reaching its decision to adopt the BPL rules. In its April 2008 ruling, the Court ordered the FCC to release the studies. In its decision, the Court agreed with the ARRL that the FCC had failed to comply with the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) by
not fully disclosing for public comment the staff studies on which it relied and that “there is no APA precedent allowing an agency to cherry-pick a study on which it has chosen to rely in part.” A look at the unredacted studies show that the FCC knew BPL was not a point source, but these same studies in redacted form show just the opposite -- information proving BPL was not a point source was deleted. An unredacted study regarding Access BPL concluded that “The tested overhead PLC devices do not act as point sources. Emission from line shows virtually no decay 230 m from coupler. Differential two-wire signal injection affects the polarization of radiated emissions from overhead devices”. Amateur Radio groups have been battling the BPL industry and the FCC over interference to amateur frequencies in excess of normal Part 15 limits. (Excerpts from the American Radio Relay League’s <arrl.org> web site)
WHITE SPACEDEBATE CONTINUES
After the White Space rules where published in the Federal Register on February 17th, the major parties involved filed petitions for reconsideration. As part of the reconsideration procedure, the FCC allowed for oppositions to the reconsideration petitions to be filed and then each petitioner could file a reply to the opposition to their petition. The petitions of opposition and their replies lined up according to the stance each party took in their petitions for reconsideration. Those from the computer and Internet service industry lined up on one side asking for more lenient rules. The broadcasters, wireless mike users and the cable and satellite industry lined up on the other side asking for stricter rules. The filers for the computer industry and Internet providers included Dell and Microsoft filing together, Motorola, Google, Public Interest Spectrum Coalition (PISC), and the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA). Filers for the broadcasters and wireless mike users included the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and the Association of Maximum Service Telecasters (MSTV) filing jointly, Shure, Community Broadcasters Association (CBA), National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NTCA), Wireless Microphone Users Coalition, Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE), the engineering firm of Cohen, Dippell and Everest, and Richard Rudman and Dane Ericksen filing jointly. Others that filed include Los Angeles County, the Association of Public Safety Officials International (APCO), Fiber Tower with Sprint, Comptel and the Rural Telecomm Group, and KeyBridge. The computer companies and the wireless Internet providers wanted the FCC to decrease the protections to TV and wireless mike operations and most wanted the elimination of sensing of wireless mikes and use the database only for protection of the mikes. They also wanted to decrease operation of TV broadband devices (TVBD) from 2 km’s down to 1 km from venues using wireless mikes. Dell, Microsoft and PISC objected to allowing unlicensed mikes in the database and with WISPA to greater
June 2009 SBE Chapter 24 Newsletter Page 5
>>> by Tom Smith
compiled by Tom Smith
FCCRulemakings
WISC-TVCBS
MA
DIS
ON
protection to cable head ends. PISC, WISPA, and Motorola asked for a power increase to 20 watts in rural areas with tower heights to 100 meters and operation of personal devices on channels below channel 21. Motorola asked for operation on channels 2-13 and 21 and above. PISC also objected to providing 2 safe harbor channels in each market for wireless mikes. On the broadcasters and wireless mike users side, they objected to any relaxation of any of the interference standards, person devices below channel 21, stricter sensing rules and protection of cable and satellite pickup sites. The SBE noted errors in the testing procedures with Rudman and Ericksen, going step-by-step through each of the opposition filings from the computer and Internet interests. The CBA asked for the same protection given to full power stations. APCO and LA County asked that TVBD’s be restricted on channels 14-20, where public safety shares the band with TV in 13 markets. The Fiber Tower group asked that 6 TV channels be set aside for licensed use in rural markets for backhaul usage. PISC objected to any licensed use of that type in the TV band. Key Bridge asked that the FCC allow for multiple database providers and strict standards. The SBE also asked for strict database standards. These comments show how much friction exists between the various parties and this issue will not be over soon. NAB, MSTV, Broadway and the sports leagues will still have their day in court and all the parties have made many Ex Parte appearances before the FCC. To read the comments, go to http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/comsrch_v2.cgi on the FCC website and enter 04-186 in the proceedings window in the upper left corner.
FCC ASKS FOR HD POWER INCREASE INFO
On May 22nd, the FCC asked for comment on the proposed power increase for the HD signal. Last October 23rd, the FCC asked for comment on the power increase for FM HD operation. The FCC received comments on the subject both for and against the power increase. National Public Radio started a second study into possible interference issues since that comment period. The FCC asked if they should wait for the NPR study, how much the power increase should be. The current
proposal is from –20db of the FM carrier to –10db. Should it be –10db or something a little less? Finally, what interference protection should the first adjacent channel receive and what process should be created to handle interference complaints. Comments are due 21 days after being published in the Federal Register with replies due 14 days later. The docket number is MM Docket No. 99-325 and the release can be found at http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-09-1127A1.pdf.
PROPOSEDMM Docket No. 09-50; FCC-09-30Policies To Promote Rural Radio Service and to Streamline Allotment and Assignment Procedures.
On April 8th, the FCC adopted a rulemaking concerning allotment and other procedures that would affect rural stations and their potential moves into larger markets. This rulemaking was covered in the May Newsletter. On May 13th, the FCC published the notice of rulemaking in the Federal Register. They set July 13th, as the final comment day with reply comments due on August 11th. The comment dates and a summery of the rulemaking can be found at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-11067.pdf.
>>> by Tom Smith
Page 6 SBE Chapter 24 Newsletter June 2009
CHAPTER 24SUSTAININg MEMBERS
Recent Renewal:Token Creek Productions
Thanks to all ourSustaining Members
Alpha VideoBelden, inc.
Broadcast RichardsonClark Wire and Cable
Full Compass SystemsgEPCO international, inc.Heartland Video Systems
Madison Video Repairmaney-logic
Midwest Media groupResonant Results, Ltd.
Roscor WisconsinRoss Video
Scharch ElectronicsSound Devices, LLC
WiSC-DT 3WMTV-DT 15WKOW-DT 27WMSN-DT 47
Wisconsin Public Television
© 2009 by SBE Chapter 24, inc. Views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the Society, its officers, or its members. SBE Chapter 24, Inc. 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.
Society of Broadcast Engineers, Inc.
9102 N. Meridian St.
Suite 150 Indianapolis, IN 46260
Office: 317-846-9000 Fax: 317-846-9120
www.sbe.org
1355 Armour Blvd.Mundelein, iL 60060-4401
(800) CABLE-iT (847) 949-9944
Fax: (847) 949-9595e-mail: [email protected]
www.clarkwire.com
For more information about SBE Certification, contact Jim Hermanson, [email protected], Chapter 24 Certification Chair, or contact Megan Clappe, Certification Director at the SBE National Office at (317) 846-9000, or [email protected].
Certification Exam Session Dates
Exam Dates Location Application Application Deadline Nov. 6-16, 2009 Local Chapters September 18, 2009 February 5-15, 2010 Local Chapters December 31, 2009
July ‘09 Chapter 24Newsletter Deadline: Wednesday, July 1
[email protected] using Adobe InDesign CS4
5727 Tokay BoulevardMadison, Wisconsin 53719
(608) 274-1234Fax: (608) 274-9514
WKOWMadison
RON LEWANDOWSKI Senior Broadcast Technician(608) 274-3464 (800) 810-5865
Fax (608) 274-3176www.madisonvideorepair.com
[email protected] gREENWAY CROSS MADiSON, Wi 53713
June 2009 SBE Chapter 24 Newsletter Page 7
Don HeinzenSales Representative
Direct: [email protected]
9001 Hawks Reserve Lane Unit 103Verona, Wi 53593
Office: 608.848.2001Fax: 608.848.2001
WBA-SBESummer EngineeringWorkshop
The 2009 Summer Engineering Workshop will be held On June 17th at the Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. While finding the time to escape the day to day workload is difficult, this year’s program schedule will insure your time is well spent. Continuing education in the Broadcast Engineering field is always the goal of this one day conference, and still just $35 dollars for the day including all meals. Here is what will be covered:
10:00 am: Flash, Crash, We’re off the Air: Lightning prevention and other ways to protect your facility.
11:00 am: Expanding Radio’s Product Line, Marrying the Studio to the Web. A Panel Discussion.
1:00 pm: Managing and Engineer’s Responsibilities. More work with less Engineers; how to deal with it.
1:50 pm: VLAN, VPN, & Viruses; The 3 V’s of Network Security. With incoming content comes an incoming security threat.
3:00 pm: Antennas From the Top Down. A look at transmitting and receiving antennas; installing concerns as well as theoretical vs real patterns.
4:00 pm: The Top Ten DTV Consumer Help Calls. The good, bad, and ugly from the State’s phone banks of DTV transition. This one should be fun.
For full Workshop details:http://www.wi-broadcasters.org/events/Summer%20Conference/Engineers/engineeringsessions.htm
For full program details:http://www.wi-broadcasters.org/events/Summer%20Conference/summerconference.htm
To register on line, please go to: http://www.wi-broadcasters.org/events/Summer%20Conference/summerconfreg.htm
