Entercom Changes Its Name to Audacy

Effective immediately . More

December 1, 2020

Society of Broadcast Engineers to Launch Technical Professional Training Program

The Society of Broadcast Engineers has developed a response to the ongoing concern about new technical talent choosing broadcasting as a career by creating the Technical Professional Training Program (TPTP). As technology and the average age and tenure of technical professionals advances (as shown in the annual SBE Compensation Survey), there is concern to adequately fulfill the technical staffing needs in the long term.

In the past, part-time employees and smaller market stations served as a training ground for new talent. Streamlining the workforce, consolidation of ownership and a reduction in the electronic technology programs at trade schools and colleges have culminated in a looming crisis. The SBE is uniquely positioned to provide a solution. Drawing on existing SBE programs, the society has assembled a valuable service to the broadcast industry going forward. The goal: Training new entrants to the field of broadcast technology. There are four elements that combine to create the new Technical Professional Training Program.

• The extensive Webinars by SBE collection developed and cataloged for on-demand use of SBE members is regularly expanded and updated to reflect the latest developments in the industry. The advent of SBE MemberPlus provides access to the library for a fixed annual fee.

• The SBE Engineering Handbook is a hard-copy reference volume for hands-on use in designing and maintaining technical facilities.

• The SBE Mentor Program provides new entrants to the technical broadcast field regular access and guidance from a seasoned professional – a personal touch not unlike days of old when the senior staff would take the new person under a wing to show him or her the ropes. • The SBE Certification Program entry-level certification (Certified Broadcast Technologist) demonstrates a comprehension of regulatory and technical requirements of station operation. The SBE CertPreview for this certification level can be utilized by a mentor to curate the preparation experience of a mentee utilizing the Webinars by SBE library supplemented with the mentor’s knowledge and experience.

The SBE Technical Professional Training Program is a membership option that includes all the elements listed above in one package. Stations and media outlets can groom young talent to fast track their technical skills with one application and one purchase. The cost of the SBE TPTP is $475. This includes a one-year SBE membership with SBE MemberPlus, a copy of SBE CertPreview, a copy of the SBE Engineering Handbook, enrollment in the SBE Mentor Program, and the SBE CBT certification exam application fee to be taken later.

The program is designed to be deployable by group broadcasters, independent broadcasters and even state broadcaster associations. Ideally, the mentor would come from within the ranks of the organization in which the mentee is employed, but the mentor role can be filled by any qualified engineer willing to invest the time. The SBE will assist in arranging a mentor for the TPTP applicant.

On the announcement, SBE Education Committee Chair Geary Morrill, CPBE, CBNE, said, “The TPTP simplifies the steps to engage someone new to the technical career path in broadcasting and media. This bundles the individual membership and education offerings to help broadcast and media outlets engage the next generation of technicians.” SBE President Wayne Pecena, CPBE, 8-VSB, AMD, DRB, CBNE, adds, “The SBE has significantly increased its education efforts over the last decade – and more. The TPTP is a natural step in making these efforts accessible and convenient to individuals for personal growth, and for groups to groom the next generation.”

Updated November 18, 2020

Society of Broadcast Engineers Releases ATSC3 Specialist Certification November 18, 2020

Deadline to register for first exam is Dec. 31 The Society of Broadcast Engineers, in its continuing effort to advance its program of certification, has added a new Specialist Certification to its offerings: The ATSC3 Specialist. In addition to various certification levels that require a certain time of professional career experience and cover a broad knowledge base, the SBE offers several Specialist Certifications, each one focusing on a specific understanding of a technology. The SBE began its program of certification in 1975. The new level of certification was developed by the Society of Broadcast Engineers Certification Committee, chaired by Ralph Hogan, CPBE, DRB, CBNE, with direct assistance from the Advanced Television Systems Committee. The first ATSC3 SBE Certification exams will be made available during the February 2021 SBE exam period. The application deadline to take those exams is Dec. 31, 2020. The initial idea to create the SBE ATSC3 Specialist Certification began in 2018. The SBE Certification Committee worked closely with key ATSC members for input on suitable information to include in the exam. The Certification Committee also worked with several SBE members with direct experience installing ATSC 3.0 systems. From this, a set of questions was created, beta tests were conducted, the questions were reviewed and adjusted and additional beta testing was held. The final question pool covers a mix of practical application and technology standards. “The SBE is grateful to the ATSC for its help in assembling the exam question pool,” said SBE Certification Chair Ralph Hogan. “As is the practice in creating any level of SBE Certification, a group of subject matter experts is consulted.” “I also extend my thanks to the ATSC members who helped in the exam development process. As the foremost experts on ATSC 3.0, their contributions were invaluable. I was also continually impressed by the SBE’s methodical exam development process, ensuring that the exam would fairly and accurately assess a candidate’s understanding of ATSC 3.0. Individuals who successfully pass the exam will have earned a truly meaningful certificate,” added Madeleine Noland, president of ATSC. Like all SBE Certifications, the exam questions will continue an ongoing review process to ensure the information being covered is relevant and current. Certifications are valid for five years, and then must be renewed or advanced to a higher level. On the announcement, SBE President Wayne Pecena, CPBE, 8-VSB, AMD, DRB, CBNE, said, “Certification is one of the foundation blocks of the SBE. Just as the 8-VSB and DRB Specialist Certifications covered new technologies when they were introduced, so does the ATSC3 Specialist Certification.” The first SBE Specialist Certification was offered in 2005. The existing Specialist Certifications are the 8-VSB Specialist (8-VSB), AM Directional Specialist (AMD) and Digital Radio Broadcast Specialist (DRB). 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.
MORE.

October 12, 2020

Next SBE Certification Exam Period

The SBE provides four convenient eleven-day periods each year when SBE certification exams may be taken locally, proctored by local SBE chapters. The next exam period is February 5-15, 2021. The deadline to apply to take an exam during this period is December 31, 2020. See your local SBE Certification chair and visit the SBE website for details.>> READ MORE

September 3, 2020

SBE Re-Elects Wayne Pecena as President

The Society of Broadcast Engineers announces the results of the 2020 election for the national board of directors. Wayne Pecena, CPBE, 8-VSB, AMD, DRB, CBNE, was re-elected as the society’s president. Pecena is the associate director of educational broadcast services at Texas A&M University who operates public broadcast stations KAMU FM & TV. He is a member of SBE Chapter 99 in College Station, TX.

Regarding the election, President Pecena said, “I look to my second term as our industry and our personal lives have experienced change and challenge like never before. I want to ensure the Society brings a sense of normalcy to our members. This uniformity is accomplished through our professional development continuing education, certification and frequency coordination programs, while making the right decisions for change in the future to insure continued value to our members.”

Others serving one-year terms as officers, which begin on Sept. 23, are:
* Vice President: Andrea Cummis, CBT, CTO; Chapter 15 New York; Roseland, NJ
* Secretary: Kevin Trueblood, CBRE, CBNT; Chapter 90 Southwest FL; Ft. Myers, FL
* Treasurer: Ted Hand, CPBE, 8-VSB, AMD, DRB; Chapter 45 Charlotte; Charlotte, NC

Posted: July 2, 2020

EAS Users, Is Your Gear Ready for TLS Changeover?

Stations that haven’t updated will stop receiving EAS messages from IPAWS on Monday July 6th.

There’s a technical change happening Monday (July 6), and if your equipment isn’t current, it could affect your station’s ability to receive EAS messages from IPAWS, the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System.

We’ve reported on this over the past year and a half but now a practical deadline is here. Radio World checked in with Deputy Press Secretary Janet Montesi of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Radio World: We understand that an older version of the Transport Layer Security protocol will be turned off next week and that some EAS devices in the field could be affected. Why is that?

Janet Montesi: Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a protocol that enables privacy and integrity for communications with web servers. In order to maintain compliance with DHS security requirements, IPAWS has updated the EAS feed servers to use the current and approved Transport Layer Security version (TLS 1.2). IPAWS will discontinue the use of older, less secure versions. Older versions of TLS have vulnerabilities that could compromise the integrity of EAS communications.

[Read more about the background of this story: “Broadcasters Need to Keep an Eye on Latest Updates”]

RW: What will happen if a device is not up to date?

Montesi: There may be some broadcasters who may not have updated their EAS receivers by July 6, 2020. These broadcasters would be out of compliance with FCC rules and will not receive EAS messages via the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System. It is their responsibility to ensure compliance and keep their EAS receivers updated. FEMA, the FCC and the EAS vendor community have provided ample time to make these updates.

RW: How many devices in the field might be affected?

Montesi: Each EAS participant is required to have at least one device. FEMA does not maintain information on the number of devices installed in broadcast facilities.

RW: How would a user know whether their device is current?

Montesi: This has been in the works for over 18 months, allowing device manufacturers to make the necessary updates to their devices. This has been communicated to broadcasters via EAS participant listservs as well. Broadcasters should work check with their device manufacturer to ensure their device(s) contain the most up to date versions of software.

RW: Anything else we should know?

Montesi: IPAWS has worked with the EAS vendor community for 18 months to ensure EAS receivers can support the current and approved TLS version. The 18-month timeframe was necessary for EAS vendors to create software updates and to give broadcasters enough time to update their EAS devices. IPAWS will implement the change on July 6, 2020.

More information can be found in the NIST Special Publication 800-52 Revision 2: Guidelines for the Selection, Configuration, and Use of Transport Layer Security (TLS) Implementations (https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-52r2)

For more stories like this, and to keep up to date with all our market leading news, features and analysis, sign up to our newsletter here.

Posted: May 26, 2020

**A BIG LOSS IN THE BROADCAST ENGINEERING WORLD**

Bob Groome, a former radio chief engineer who went on to a 41-year career in broadcast sales, marketing and technical support, died this month at age 77.

According to his Facebook page, he passed away May 17 at his home in Florida after a long battle with cancer. At his death he worked in sales engineering for RF Specialties.

“Although his working career extended an extraordinary 59 years, he was particularly proud of his technical position in 1963, working on NASA’s Apollo project, as a lead (PWB) technician for General Electric, on contract supporting NASA in Daytona, Fla.,” according to an obituary on his Facebook page.

“But his love of music and technology ultimately led him to the broadcast industry, beginning with his very first job at WOOO radio (1310 AM) in Deland, Fla. in 1961, as chief engineer and DJ personality ‘Bob the Bachelor’ and later, chief engineer at WGCL radio, Fort Myers, Fla., from 1969–76.”

Radio World readers will know him best for his work with numerous prominent equipment and service companies including Audio Associates, Harris Broadcast, Allied Broadcast Equipment, Arrakis Systems, Jampro Antennas, Electronic Research Incorporated (ERI) and RF Specialties.

“As a member of Society of Broadcast Engineers, Bob authored and presented papers at local, regional and national conferences. Bob presented to Mexico’s Ametra, Japan’s InterBEE and Canada’s CCBE meetings. He presented papers and was invited to attend engineering roundtables at professional conferences held by Texas Association of Broadcasters, Broadcasters’ Clinic, Iowa Public Symposium, Tampa’s SBE Symposium, among others.”

According to the obituary, Groome was a spiritual man and a devoted Christian. His interests included technical projects such as building an electric car, computers, collecting music, woodworking, and visiting the traces of the “old Florida” of his youth.

“He loved his wife [Philippa Jeffreys], Krispy Kremes, Rod McKuen poetry, the ocean, and Tina Turner. He watched ‘Young Frankenstein’ at least once a year. Everyone loved his crooked smile.”

Groome maintained a website, the Sweet Old Bob Website, www.bobgroome.us that includes FM and AM formula calculators “to help his radio broadcasting comrades with their work. This site is up and helping others at the time of this writing, and we hope to maintain this website to honor Sweet Old Bob, the wonderful husband, dad, brother, grandfather and friend who touched so many lives and will be dearly missed.”

A family service is planned at a future date.

2020 SHOW CANCELLED

March 11, 2020

As you most likely have heard, the NAB announced earlier this afternoon that it has “decided not to move forward with the NAB Show in April,” due to the evolving situation involving the coronavirus (Covid-19).

The SBE events and meetings scheduled to coincide with the April NAB Show have been cancelled. This includes the SBE Ennes Workshop held in conjunction with the BEIT Conference. The SBE at PBS TechCon educational programs have also been cancelled.

The NAB has indicated that it is looking at potential alternatives to hold the show at a later date. Like everyone else, the SBE will await further word from the NAB and consider options for taking part.

Wayne Pecena, CPBE, 8-VSB, AMD, DRB, CBNE
President, Society of Broadcast Engineers

Recruit a new SBE member IN THE 2020 MEMBERSHIP DRIVE

Drive runs from March 1 until May 31. You should have received details in an email from National.

January 3, 2020

A SAD LOSS IN THE SACRAMENTO CHAPTER

Dave Sauer K6QFS, who had been the heart and soul of Sacramento Chapter 43, for many years, passed away at the end of 2019. He was the multitasker of that group as treasurer, webmaster, and web advertising manager. Our hearts go out to everyone who knew this silent key and his entire family. May he rest in peace.

It has been requested in honor of Dave, that gift cards be sent to a Veterans Hospice unit in your community. More.

EAS Update

Oct 31, 2019

Instructions to Download and Install Updated Security Firmware to EAS Units

FEMA has released the new Federal Bridge certificate bundle for Sage and DASDEC users. The certification must be installed by Nov. 8, 2019, for the proper validation of CAP alert messages from IPAWS.

Sage Endec Users

Sage Alerting Systems will have the mandatory firmware rev 95 posted sometime on Nov. 1. To download the software, go to www.sagealertingsystems.com, and enter the serial number of your Sage unit. If you do not qualify for the free upgrade, you must first contact a Sage distributor, pay the required fee and they will unlock your serial number for the download.

Only Sage units with serial numbers between B417611 through B429999 qualify for free upgrade. You do not have to contact your vendor if your unit serial number is in that range.

You must download and install into the Sage unit before Nov. 8. If you have multiple Sage units, each download is keyed to the serial number. If you accidentally upload to the wrong ENDEC, nothing bad will happen, but the update will not succeed and you’ll get an “update failed” message in the history on the Version page.

Download the firmware to a PC, log onto the Endec with a web browser, then click upload firmware.

DASDEC Users

The new FEMA IPAWS Certificate for DASDEC/One-Net is now posted:

www.digitalalertsystems.com/DAS_pages/resources_fsb.html. Instructions and download link for the bundle are found at that site.

This is a free certificate update, which may be used for versions 3.x and v4.x software. If you are running version 2.6 software, this certificate file should function as well.

On a separate matter, please note that FEMA’s upcoming TLS change is already supported in v3.x and v4.x software. If you are a DASDEC user, no further action is required for the TLS update. You do need to upload the certificate bundle for the new Federal Bridge Certificate by Nov. 8, 2019.

September 19, 2019

Stations: Confirm Your Station is Compliant with EAS Updates

The FCC and FEMA are in the process of making changes in the EAS and CAP system. Most of these changes concern security issues. To aid stations in understanding these changes and what will be required to keep your EAS units compliant, we have put together the following information.

A change in FCC EAS rules (Part 11) has come into effect that makes the validation of digital signatures in CAP messages a mandatory element. The FCC amended section 11.56 “Obligation to Process CAP-formatted EAS Messages” to add the following new paragraph:
(c) EAS Participants shall configure their systems to reject all CAP-formatted EAS messages that include an invalid digital signature.

The FCC has also changed its EAS rules to refine the time window within which an alert message is valid. The change is to 11.33(a)(10) “Message Validity”, where the existing sentence, “A header code must only be considered valid when two of the three headers match exactly;”, the FCC added: “the Origination Date/Time field (JJJHHMM) is not more than 15 minutes in the future and the expiration time (Origination Date/Time plus Valid Time TTTT) is in the future (i.e., current time at the EAS equipment when the alert is received is between origination time minus 15 minutes and expiration time).”

In a long-awaited move, FEMA is updating the IPAWS system with Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol. TLS is a cryptographic protocol providing end-to-end communications security over networks and is widely used for Internet communications.

The Federal Bridge Certificate Authority (CA) will expire on Nov. 8, 2019. Depending on the CA used by IPAWS, it may be necessary to provide a new CA for installation in all EAS decoders.

Finally, The FCC has put into effect a new false EAS alert reporting rule. Pursuant to section 11.45(b), an EAS Participant must inform the Commission if it discovers that it has transmitted a false alert. This rule provides that: No later than 24 hours of an EAS Participant’s discovery (i.e., actual knowledge) that it has transmitted or otherwise sent a false alert to the public, the EAS Participant send an email to the Commission at the FCC Ops Center at FCCOPS@fcc.gov, informing the Commission of the event and of any details that the EAS Participant may have concerning the event.

FEMA has indicated the target date to update the IPAWS server to TLS is Nov. 8, 2019.

What do stations need to do to remain compliant with FCC and FEMA guidelines?Sage Alerting Systems Endec Sage added support for the Part 11.33 15-minute change in its 89-34 release. Sage has supported the ability to validate the digital signature since 2012, it is enabled by default.

Sage’s September 2019 release, called Rev95, will support the TLS and certificate updates. This release will be mandatory. After the FEMA switchover, scheduled for Nov. 8, 2019, older versions of the ENDEC software will not be able to receive CAP messages from IPAWS. This will render the station in violation of FCC rules concerning EAS monitoring and logging.

Sage Alerting Systems has indicated there will be a one-time charge of $349 for the September release. The release will only be sold through their distributors. This update will be provided free of charge for ENDECs purchased new after March 1, 2018, (18 months prior to September 2019). If you have any questions regarding these updates, please email Sage at support@sagealertingsystems.com or call 914-872-4069 and press 1 for support.

Gorman-Redlich
Radio stations operating with E-prom V 9.5.8 and television stations operating with E-prom V 20.9.8 will remain compliant with the changes. Contact Gorman-Redlich at 740-593-3150.
DASDEC/One-Net
Units operating with software versions 3.1 or 4.0 will remain compliant with the items listed above. If an updated CA certificate for FEMA IPAWS is necessary, Digital Alert Systems will make it available to DASDEC and One-Net users as soon as possible at no charge.

While the upcoming FEMA TLS change can be handled by either v3.1 or v4.0 software, Digital Alert Systems wanted to let customers know about some of the additional features in v4.0. The v4.0 upgrade includes a complete OS upgrade (improved operating and security), Triggered CAP Polling, Blue Alert (BLU) event code support, and greater flexibility for future value-added enhancements. V4.0 is a highly recommended upgrade.

While V4.0 is an optional upgrade, users should be aware that Digital Alert Systems has deprecated development support on v3.0. New feature requests, updates, and software revisions will only be provided within the Version 4.x series of software.
Contact Digital Alert at support@digitalalertsystems.com or 585-765-2254.
Larry Wilkins, CPBE, CBNT, AMD
Chair, SBE EAS Advisory GroupInformation in this report was furnish with the permission of Digital Alert Systems, Sage Alerting Systems and Gorman-Redlich.

August 29. 2019

SBE Elects Wayne Pecena as President & Our Own Mike Fehlig on The Board for Another Term

The Society of Broadcast Engineers, the association for broadcast and multimedia technology professionals, announces the results of the 2019 election for the national board of directors. Wayne Pecena, CPBE, 8-VSB, AMD, DRB, CBNE, was elected as the society’s president. Pecena is the assistant director of educational broadcast services at Texas A&M University where he serves as director of engineering for public broadcast stations KAMU FM & TV. He is a member of SBE chapter 99 in College Station, TX.

Regarding the election, President-elect Pecena said, “I look to continue the strategic planning implementation work that began under President Leifer while insuring that future certification, continuing education, and professional service needs of all SBE members are met as our industry and technology continues to change.”

Others serving one-year terms as officers, which begin on Oct. 16, are:

* Vice President: Andrea Cummis, CBT, CTO; Chapter 15 New York; Roseland, NJ
* Secretary: Kevin Trueblood, CBRE, CBNT; Chapter 90 Southwest, FL; Ft. Myers, FL
* Treasurer: Ted Hand, CPBE, 8-VSB, AMD, DRB; Chapter 45 Charlotte; Charlotte, NC

Serving two-year terms on the board of directors, which also begin Oct. 16 are:

* Mark Fehlig, PE, CPBE, 8-VSB; Chapter 40 San Francisco; Walnut Creek, CA
* Charles “Ched” Keiler, CPBE, 8-VSB, CBNE; Chapter 53 South Florida; Ft. Lauderdale
* Geary Morrill, CPBE, CBNE; Chapter 91 Central Michigan; Saginaw, MI
* Jason Ornellas, CBRE, CRO; Chapter 43 Sacramento; Sacramento, CA
* Chris Tarr, CSRE, AMD, DRB, CBNE; Chapter 28 Milwaukee; Milwaukee, WI
* Dan Whealy, CBTE; Chapter 96 Rockford; Waterloo, IA

June 4, 2019

Advisory Group Lays Out 14 Key Proposals to Improve IPAWS

The nation’s emergency alerting system has evolved dramatically over many years, but few stakeholders believe the system is perfect or that its evolution is complete. Recently the Federal Emergency Management Agency released a series of 14 well-vetted recommendations from its own National Advisory Council, about how to improve the reach and reliability of IPAWS, the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System. Susan Ashworth has the story.

The nation’s emergency alerting system has evolved dramatically over many years, but few stakeholders believe the system is perfect or that its evolution is complete.

Now the Federal Emergency Management Agency has a series of 14 well-vetted recommendations from its own National Advisory Council, about how to improve the reach and reliability of IPAWS, the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System.

“As IPAWS moves into the future, FEMA must continue to promote the integration of alerting into existing and new dissemination technologies,” said the NAC in a report issued in February called “Modernizing the Nation’s Public Alert and Warning System.”

“It must expand IPAWS reach into the special needs and multilingual communities, and support multimedia presentation, while maintaining the capability to deliver simple text and audio when and where needed.”

The report released a total of 14 proposals broken into five themes that targeted specific areas of concern and opportunities for improvement. Those key areas include:

Improving alerting authorities’ ability to transmit effective alerts
Improving public and congressional understanding of emergency alerting
Optimizing technology
Identifying and adopting current and future technologies and
Initiating cross-functional management and administration of IPAWS

Each recommendation also included a timeline for estimated implementation and a checklist of things to consider.

[Advisory Group Issues Recommendations for Improving IPAWS]

It’s probably no surprise that the theme with the greatest number of suggestions was how to go about improving an alerting authority’s ability to transmit an effective alert.

“These recommendations create a set of standards for alert originator training and certification with annual updates, so preparation and resources are current and consistent,” the report said.

The NAC team suggested the creation of a centralized ’round-the-clock help desk with cross-functional tools and best practices for both new and experienced originators.

According to the report, the first priority for the IPAWS system is that it easily allow an alert originator to develop timely alerts that will allow members of the public to take appropriate protective actions. As a result, the NAC team offered suggestions on core message characteristics — thinking about the way the message is presented, how such a message can be cancelled or updated and how originators can quickly report false alerts.

That led to proposal number two: The suggestion that FEMA should develop multijurisdictional templates for alerts and warnings that will offer provide guidance and best practices for emergency alerting.

Next IPAWS test is set for August

“These recommendations create a set of standards for alert originator training and certification with annual updates, so preparation and resources are current and consistent,” the authors wrote.

Among other recommendations under this theme are suggestions that FEMA work with stakeholders to increase awareness of IPAWS; that FEMA work with subject-matter experts to develop training, testing and credentialing of alert originators; and that the agency establish 24/7 online and phone support.

That first recommendation — working with additional stakeholders — is a key one, said Digital Alert Systems Senior Director of Strategy & Regulatory Affairs Ed Czarnecki, who served on the iPAWS subcommittee that drafted the final report.

“In terms of prioritizing what FEMA could look at in the near term (12 to 24 months), FEMA would be well served to expand its engagement with the broad range of stakeholders involved in alert and warning systems,” Czarnecki said. The goal is to “build that critical feedback loop between IPAWS and the diverse array of technology developers, alert originators and disseminators like broadcast and cable,” he said.

BUILDING AWARENESS

The report also emphasized the importance of beefing up public knowledge of the IPAWS system. As part of “Improving public and congressional understanding of emergency alerting,” this education includes briefing the public on the difference between official IPAWS alerts and other types of alerts.

Why is this significant? Take one case in 2016 when the Kansas Turnpike Authority, a privately owned roadway operator, sent out tornado warning alerts to their nearly 12,000 subscribers. According to the National Weather Service, there was no tornado warning.

Since there were no official government warnings, the situation caused public considerable public confusion. The local chief meteorologist on KSNT(TV) went on air soon after to reassure those in the area that there was no sign of an impending tornado on radar.

“Currently, it is not easy for the public to recognize the difference between an IPAWS-distributed and private sector-distributed alert,” the report authors said. “Several private sector-distributed alerts have confused the public and eroded confidence in — and compliance with — alert guidance.”

The report also proposed that FEMA educate lawmakers about needed improvements to the nation’s emergency alerting systems by, among other things, clarifying the need for multiple and redundant alerting technologies and encouraging the use of public media broadcast capabilities to fill gaps in rural and underserved areas.

COMMON PRIORITIES

There are a number of priorities that pop up across all 14 proposed themes. One of those is that it’s vital for the alerting community to establish a series of best practice procedures across all levels of the emergency alerting strata. Another is that there needs to be an additional effort placed on educating the public about alerting and how individuals should respond in case of an emergency.

For example, the top recommendation under the theme “Optimizing technology” is that FEMA must lead the development of a comprehensive standard set of communication tools — be they visual images, pictograms, transcripts or captioning — so that populations can easily understand an alert.

This is even more important as populations become increasingly diverse; it’s paramount that IPAWS ensures that people with disabilities and those with limited English proficiency receive and comprehend alerts in a timely manner, the report said. It noted that uneven distribution of alerts in various languages was an issue during the 2018 Northern California wildfires.

“Local agencies, which originate most alerts, vary widely in their capacity to generate alerts in languages other than English,” said California’s Office of Emergency Services in the wake of the wildfire that destroyed 18,000 structures and killed 86 people. “In many cases, this capability varies depending on which language-skilled staff happens to be on duty when an alert is required.”

The report proposed, as an example, that FEMA develop a nationwide, standardized hazard symbol set for use by alert originators and for public outreach.

[Xperi Seeks Bigger Role in Alerting]

The report also proposed that FEMA develop a policy for redundant alert origination as noted in the section “Identifying and Adopting Current and Future Technologies.”

“Considering that a jurisdiction’s primary alerting capability can be compromised and/or fail during a catastrophic event, alternate alert origination is a critical life-saving capability,” the report said. It cited the malfunctioning of part of the alert system in Texas during Hurricane Harvey and damage caused to the communications infrastructure in the Caribbean islands during Hurricane Maria. In the latter case, emergency management officials were unable to issue a WEA alert to notify residents of where to find shelter, food and water.

The report also includes details on considerations such as staffing needs and equipment requirements. The complete version can be found at www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/177192.

May 29, 2019

June 20th Meeting at the Net App Founders’ Theater in Sunnyvale for a special presentation on Storage for Media. Click HERE for details in pdf format.

May 27, 2019

Arno Meyer (and his wife Isobel) literally gave their names to broadcast modulation monitors –Belar(Bel-Ar) in 1964 . It is with deep sadness that Arno passed away as a result of declining health at the age of 90. Details in this pdf.

March 25, 2019

Bryan Broadcasting Asks FCC to Allow All-Digital AM

“It is time to allow licensees to have this tool in their kit to fight AM audience loss” by Paul McLane.

A prominent advocate for the AM band is petitioning the FCC to allow stations to use all-digital transmissions in the United States.

Bryan Broadcasting Corp. on Monday filed a petition for rulemaking asking the commission to initiate a proceeding to authorize the MA3 all-digital mode of HD Radio for any AM station that chooses to do so.

Permitting such modernization would “give AM broadcasters a needed innovative tool with which to compete” without harming others in the spectrum ecosystem, it wrote.

Bryan is licensee of four AM stations, five FMs and six FM translators in Central Texas. Ben Downs is the vice president and general manager, and submitted the petition along with the company’s attorney David Oxenford of Wilkinson Barker Knauer. Downs also has served on the NAB board in the past, and he has been a vocal advocate for various regulatory steps to “revitalize” the AM band.

All HD Radio receivers in the market that have AM functionality would be able to receive such all-digital signals. But legacy AM receivers would not, which has long been a barrier to serious discussion of all-digital. Now, some observers say, the availability of FM translators for AM licensees has made something that once seemed unthinkable at least worth discussing.

There is one AM station in the country with special temporary authority to broadcast in all-digital. Hubbard’s WWFD in Frederick, Md., near the nation’s capital has been on the air since last summer. The station’s Dave Kolesar has been speaking in public about the ongoing experiment and will do so again at the upcoming NAB Show.

[Read: “All-Digital AM Radio Starts Here”]

An FCC official told Radio World this month that the commission had not received any proposals for widespread approval or adoption of all-digital AM broadcasts, so the Bryan petition appears to be the first, though this idea has been mentioned as a topic of possible interest at various times in the commission’s AM revitalization process.

Downs wrote in the petition: “In a room full of AM operators, one is likely to hear a specter of concern hanging over all-digital (especially forced conversion). Almost all such fears can be ameliorated by — as BBC proposes — making the transition to MA3 an optional election for AM licensees.

“Industry’s experimentation with an all-digital approach could be accelerated by actually allowing stations to fully switch to MA3; actual experiential knowledge by stations that elect to switch will provide economic proof-of-concept for stations that delay in order to see how others fare,” he wrote.

“Additionally, such a market-based approach will provide for customer-optimal outcomes — in markets where HD receiver penetration is insufficient among consumers, AM licensees will be incented to remain analog to maximize listener base; similarly, in markets where HD receiver penetration is high, AM licensees will be incented to serve the maximum number of consumers the best product possible by switching to MA3. And in the end, when an all-digital product goes on the air, listeners will have no reason to consider AM to be inferior.”

Downs reminded the commission of arguments that the AM band has “become so overwhelmed by interference and impulse noise that the resultant audio product is rendered unacceptable to modern listeners. Indeed, the noise floor generated by unlicensed devices impacting the AM band has been noticeable — and increasing — for years.”

He said his company has tried to quantify this rise but that “it appears studies spanning several years at specific locations have not been undertaken in the United States.” Experience in other countries, he said, suggests that the noise floor “jumped from anywhere between 10 dB and 40 dB between the 1970s and the early 2000s,” even before widespread use of later interference-contributing technologies like phone chargers and compact fluorescent lamp bulbs.

“The time has come to allow AM licensees the option to license their stations as all-digital, using the HD MA3 mode,” Downs wrote, calling for a formal rulemaking to adopt rules permitting AM licensees to have the option to go all-digital using the currently experimental MA3 mode. There may be further work needed on that mode, he wrote, but in the meantime, the audience for AM radio continues to erode. “As we have all read, some electric car manufacturers are excluding AM radio from their dashboard radios due to impulse noise. All-digital operation would be the cure for that.”

Downs said that Bryan Broadcasting has been very pleased with the audio quality of its current HD Radio hybrid signal at WTAW. “The audio broadcast is free of noise, demonstrating the proof-of-concept of a full-digital transition. To listen to WTAW in hybrid HD is to listen without the noise, pops and buzzes that plague analog AM today. However, the radio frequency mask has a larger footprint than the all-digital MA3; MA3 represents a far superior solution. And [Bryan Broadcasting] has found the hybrid mode MA1 signal to be fragile; dropouts occur in places where no obvious cause exists. By comparison, the chief engineer of WWFD has reported he must work hard to ‘break’ his stations’ MA3 signal.”

Noting that paired FM translators “critically extend the shelf life” of AM licensees and have been a welcome help, Downs wrote that “they do not fix the underlying problem of a poor listening experience when tuned to AM,” and many stations don’t have the option of using a translator, for instance in major markets.

Industry technologists have been exploring the potential implications of all-digital broadcasting for a number of years. NAB Labs (later renamed Pilot) led an all-digital HD Radio AM testing project consisting of several phases: field work to help demonstrate real-world signal coverage; lab work to establish interference behavior between stations; and allocation studies to understand the impact on FCC rules should all-digital be authorized. Companies involved included Hatfield & Dawson, Cavell Mertz, Nautel and several broadcast groups.

Pilot also conducted tests to see if all-digital would harm other occupants of the dial. Its conclusion, in brief: “Interference concerns of all-digital signals into existing analog stations should not be an impediment to the rollout of all-digital.”

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March 18, 2019 Stories

The developer of HD Radio says its technology could further enhance the nation’s emergency alerting capabilities.

Xperi Corp. last week pitched using HD Radio for enhanced text notifications, multilingual audio and geographically-targeted messaging to representatives from the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) in Washington, according to an ex parte filing by the company.

[Read: IBC2018: Xperi Shows Off Global Hybrid Radio Solution]

In a further development, the licensor of HD Radio has also released a white paper entitled, “Upgrading the Emergency Alert System: HD Radio Digital Emergency Alerting.” It further details possible alerting enhancements like wake-up signaling and delivery of visual images, including photos and maps.

Ashruf El-Dinary, vice president of radio technology solutions for Xperi, met PSHSB staff on March 13 and detailed the potential benefits of using the In-Band On-Channel/IBOC digital transmission system originally developed by iBiquity.

Xperi, which is based in San Jose, Calif., cited a recent report from the FCC’s Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council that recommended upgrading several aspects of the public alerting ecosystem, including: improving geographic targeting, enhancing public alerting systems with multimedia, improving resiliency and redundancy and improving accessibility of alert info.

“While each method of public alerting has particular strengths, HD Radio technology is uniquely positioned to enhance the overall system and fulfill many of the important recommendations made by CSRIC in its December 2018 Final Report,” Xperi wrote in the new document.

The digital data capabilities of HD Radio technology enable digital broadcasters to “enhance their
emergency messaging broadcasts by providing more rich and detailed content, including, for example,
alternate languages, message text, pictures, and map,” Xperi says.

And “notably, the HD Radio emergency alerting broadcast protocol is completely CAP [Common Alerting Protocol]-compliant, thus allowing dissemination of all the rich content facilitated by CAP,” according to the company.

The FCC already mandates that EAS participants be able to receive CAP-formatted alert messages. The Federal Emergency Management Administration is responsible for the EAS implementation and testing.

In addition, in the paper Xperi proposes a new concept in emergency alerting, one that uses its HD Radio technology to alert motorists of an approaching emergency service vehicle. The Emergency Vehicle Warning System would allow for emergency vehicles, equipped with an in-vehicle transmitter, to transmit a warning message on a fixed frequency to nearby cars.

The company’s comments were filed in a notice of ex parte comments in the matter of Amendments to Part 11 of the FCC’s Rules Regarding the Emergency Alert System, PS Docket No. 15‐94; and In the Matter of Improving Wireless Emergency Alerts and Community‐Initiated Alerting, PS Docket No. 15‐91.

By Randy J. Stine

Advisory Group Issues Recommendations for Improving IPAWS

The National Advisory Council (NAC) took a good hard look at the nation’s emergency alerting system and issued a set of 14 recommendations at its last session designed to identify areas of concern and opportunities for improvement.

The report, called “Modernizing the Nation’s Public Alert and Warning System” and issued on Feb. 15, broke its primary proposals into five themes related to IPAWS and emergency alerting:

Improving Alerting Authorities’ Ability to Transmit Effective Alerts;
Improving Public and Congressional Understanding of Emergency Alerting;
Optimizing Technology;
Identifying and Adopting Current and Future Technologies; and
Initiating Cross-Functional Management and Administration of IPAWS

Each recommendation also included a timeline for estimated implementation of these new priorities and a checklist of things to consider.

There are a few clear themes that pop up across all 14 proposed themes. One of those is that it’s vital for the alerting community to establish a series of best practice procedures across all levels of the emergency alerting strata. Another is that there needs to be an additional effort placed on educating the public about alerting and how individuals should respond in case of an emergency.

For example, the top recommendation under the theme “Optimizing Technology” is that FEMA must lead the development of a comprehensive standard set of communication tools — be they visual images, pictograms, transcripts or captioning — so that a diverse population can easily understand an alert.

This is even more important as populations become increasingly diverse; it’s paramount that IPAWS ensure that people with disabilities and those with limited English proficiency receive and comprehend alerts in a timely manner, the report said. The report noted that uneven distribution of alerts in various languages was an issue during the 2018 Northern California wildfires.

“Local agencies, which originate most alerts, vary widely in their capacity to generate alerts in languages other than English,” said California’s Office of Emergency Services. That fire destroyed 18,000 structures and killed 86 people. “In many cases, this capability varies depending on which language-skilled staff happens to be on duty when an alert is required.” The report proposed, as an example, that FEMA develop a nationwide, standardized hazard symbol set for use by alert originators and for public outreach.

The report also proposed that FEMA develop a policy for redundant alert origination as noted in the section “Identifying and Adopting Current and Future Technologies.”

“Considering that a jurisdiction’s primary alerting capability can be compromised and/or fail during a catastrophic event, alternate alert origination is a critical life-saving capability,” the report said, pointing to the malfunctioning of the part of the alert system in Texas during Hurricane Harvey and the damage caused to the communications infrastructure in the Caribbean islands during Hurricane Maria. In the later case, emergency management officials were unable to issue a WEA alert to notify residents of where to find shelter, food and water.

The complete report includes details on estimated implementation time and key considerations for each proposal, such as staffing needs and equipment requirements.

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EAS Blue Alert Code Becomes Effective January 18, 2019

By Larry Wilkins, CPBE, chair, SBE EAS Advisory Group

In January 2018 the FCC amended its regulations governing the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) to add a new event code, BLU, to allow alert originators to issue an alert whenever a law enforcement officer is injured or killed, missing in connection with his or her official duties, or there is an imminent and credible threat to cause death or serious injury to law enforcement officers.

Delivery of Blue Alerts over EAS will be implemented January 18, 2019.

Sage Endec users: Updated firmware will be available next week.

DasDec users: The BLU event code is in the v4.0 software update.

Trilithic/Viavi: includes BLU event code in its v18.10 software update.

Gorman-Redlich: has an update, contact the company for details

As a reminder the BLU event code is in the “voluntary” list, that is, it is not one of the FCC required relay alerts (EAN, NPT, RMT). Stations can elect to relay these alerts or not, with guidance from their state and local EAS plan.

Broadcasters and Cable Operators should watch for information updates from your SECC (State Emergency Communication Committee).

Blue Alerts over WEA takes effect July 18, 2019. Read the FCC ruling

Senate Unanimously Pushes Through New Emergency Alert Guidelines

NAB applauds passage of READI Act

By Susan Ashworth

Nearly a yearafter a false missile alert was issued across Hawaii, legislators have taken another step toward addressing the issue of erroneous emergency alerts.

On Dec. 17, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Reliable Emergency Alert Distribution Improvement (READI) Act. The legislation will explore new ways of alerting the public through online video and audio streaming services, will track and study false alerts when they occur, will alter the way states plan for emergency alerts, and will help ensure more people receive relevant emergency alerts on mobile phones, televisions and radios.

The legislation will also give the federal government the primary responsibility of alerting the public of a missile threat. The bill was introduced by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), John Thune (R-S.D.), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).

In short, the READI Act is designed to:

* Ensure more people receive emergency alerts by eliminating the option to opt out of receiving certain federal alerts, including missile alerts, on mobile phones;

* Require active alerts issued by the president or FEMA to be repeated. Currently, alerts on TV or radio may only be played once;

* Explore updating the system to offer emergency alerts over the internet, including to audio and video online streaming services such as Netflix and Spotify;

* Encourage state emergency communications committees to periodically review and update their state emergency alert system plans, which are often out of date;

* Compel the Federal Emergency Management Agency to create best practices for state, tribal,and local governments to use for issuing alerts, avoiding false alerts, and retracting false alerts if they occur, as well as for alert origination training and plans for officials to contact each other and federal officials during emergencies; and

* Establish are porting system for false alerts so the FCC can track when they occur and examine their causes.

“When a missile alert went out across Hawaii in January, some people never got the message on their phones, while others missed it on their TVs and radios,” said Sen. Schatz, who serves on the Senate Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet Subcommittee.

“Even though it was a false alarm, the missile alert highlighted real ways we can improve the way people receive emergency alerts. [This] bill fixes some of these issues and will help make sure that in an emergency, the public gets the right information they need as quickly as possible,” Schatz said.

The National Association of Broadcasters supports the passage of the act, saying the legislation would help improve the timeliness, accuracy and availability of emergency alerts when disaster strikes.

“Local radio and TV broadcasters play a vital role as ‘first informers’ in keeping communities safe, and we understand the importance of relevant and up-to-date information when lives are at risk,” said NAB Executive Vice President of Communications Dennis Wharton.

The bill now moves on to the House of Representatives for consideration.

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SBE Statement on the Passing of SBE Fellow and Past President Barry Thomas

December 7, 2018

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Barry Thomas, CPBE, DRB, CBNE, who died on Dec. 6, 2018. Barry devoted a great deal of his time and talents to the Society of Broadcast Engineers. He joined the SBE in 1986 and served the SBE with involvement in several local SBE chapters and on the national level. His national involvement included two terms on the SBE Board of Directors from 2002 to 2005, and two terms as treasurer from 2005 to 2007. He served as the society’s 25th president from 2007 to 2009 and immediate past president from 2009 to 2011. In 2017 he was elected to serve on the board again, but decided to step down early in his term. In 2011, Barry was elevated to the membership grade of Fellow.

On Barry’s passing, SBE President Jim Leifer, CPBE, said, “Barry served the SBE in many capacities and has been a voice for many engineers in our industry for decades. After hearing this news, I remembered so many occasions where Barry spent time developing younger engineers and being that mentor so many of us talk about. He was a devoted father, son, brother and fellow engineer who will be sorely missed by all.”

SBE National Board Election Results

August 24, 2018

Results of this year’s national SBE Board of Directors election were announced August 23 2018. All four officers ran unopposed and will each serve another one-year term beginning October 3 and Chapter 40 is well represented. Congratulations to our Mark Fehlig and Stephen H. Lampen as new directors.

The National Results:

President: Jim Leifer, CPBE; Tewksbury, MA
Vice President: RJ Russell, CPBE; Middletown, DE
Secretary: Wayne Pecena, CPBE, 8-VSB, AMD, DRB, CBNE; College Station, TX
Treasurer: Jim Bernier, CPBE, CBNE; Alpharetta, GA

Elected to two-year terms as directors are:
Stephen J. Brown, CPBE, CBNT; Appleton, WI; Chapter 80
Roz Clark, CPBE, CBNT; Clearwater, FL; Chapter 39
Kirk Harnack, CBRE, CBNE; Nashville, TN; Chapter 103
Vinny Lopez, CEV, CBNT; Syracuse, NY; Chapter 22
Tom McGinley, CPBE, AMD, CBNT; Missoula, MT; Chapter 16
Shane Toven, CBRE, CBNT; Laramie, WY; Chapter 48

The new directors join six other directors on the board that are currently in the middle of their two-year terms. They include:
Andrea Cummis, CBT, CTO; Roseland, NJ, Chapter 15
Mark Fehlig, PE, CPBE, 8-VSB; Walnut Creek, CA, Chapter 40
Ted Hand, CPBE, 8-VSB, AMD, DRB; Charlotte, NC, Chapter 45
Stephen H. Lampen, CBRE; San Francisco, CA, Chapter 40
Kimberly K. Sacks, CBT; iHeartMedia, Loveland, CO, Chapter 48
Kevin Trueblood, CBRE, CBNT; Estero, FL, Chapter 90
and Jerry Massey, CPBE, 8-VSB, AMD, DRB, CBNE; Greenville, SC, Chapter 86, who remains as immediate past president.

We congratulate all of the new members of the Board and thank all the candidates who ran for election.

July 27, 2018
Remembering Eric Small, co-inventor of the Optimod 8000 FM Audio Processor Click the 8000 graphic for the story. (pdf)

April 13, 2018

It is with great sadness to report the passing of Art Bell, W6OBB. He was an engineer, on the air broadcaster/host and created Primer Radio Network’s Coast-to-Coast AM in 1984. He was very active on amateur radio. He usually got on 75 meters for a round table QSO after is radio program. He died at his home in Pahrump, Nevada. My own details and pictures I took are available on a photo montage I created for the Western Amateur Radio Friendship Association (WARFA) website when he and I attended that organization’s retreat in 2003.

Dave Billeci

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