SOCIETY OF BROADCAST ENGINEERS RELEASES STATEMENT OPPOSING LIVE CODE TESTING OF EAS

The Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE) announced its opposition to the use of real or live NWRSAME codes for system tests of the public warning system by National Weather Service (NWS)/NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) and some local authorities.

Alerts from the NWS, some local authorities and the Emergency Alert System
(EAS) using real emergency event codes, when no actual emergency exists, have recently been used in some communities to test consumer receivers. The NWS is recommending the practice be expanded nationwide. While stated NWS policy establishes that approval for NWS live code testing is up to the state and local EAS committees, some committees are not being consulted or do not understand that they may decline the request. Local emergency officials also may not fully understand the implications of the request and may participate without realizing the serious negative results. The SBE asserts that these cry-wolf alerts will potentially cause public alarm, weaken confidence in the EAS for real alerts and discourage broadcaster's involvement with volunteer EAS programs.

Broadcasters and cable systems decode the EAS data and send the information directly to scrolling messages on TV screens and radios. One result of live -code tests would be that TV's viewed by the deaf and hard of hearing, and TVs in public places would not show any indication that the message is not a real alert. In addition, those receiving emergency messages through the Internet, PDAs, cell phones, programmable road signs, highway advisory radio, lottery terminals and shopping center marquee signs will not know the message was simply a test. The SBE says the negative effect of live -code testing outweighs the benefits of testing the public's weather alert radios.

SBE President Chris Scherer, CPBE CBNT, said, "There is a national effort to update EAS and NWR data standards with a technology called Common Alerting Protocol (CAP). CAP will allow a visual scroll of the same information as in the audio message, and the SBE suggests that such a technology-when in common use-will be better suited to live-code tests."

The Society of Broadcast Engineers (www.sbe.org) is the professional organization for radio and

television engineers and those in related fields. SBE has more than 5,700 members in 112 chapters across the United States. SBE offers the largest and most recognized certification program for broadcast engineers, operators and technicians, with more than 5,000 certifications currently active.

Meeting

All meetings unless advised otherwise are held at the Nevada Broadcasters Association meeting room.

1050 E. Flamingo Road, Suite S-102, Las Vegas, NV 89119

All meetings start at 1 PM – All meetings are on Thursdays

1-25-2007
2-22-2007
3-22-2007
4-26-2007
5-24-2007
6-21-2007
7-26-2007
8-23-2007
9-20-2007
10-25-2007
11-15-2007
12-20-2007

For more information please contact:

Steve Scott
Chairman S.B.E. Chapter #128
sbeinfo@intermind.net
http://www.sbe.org

AM RULES CHANGE CLARIFIES CORRECTIVE ACTIONS

AM broadcasters operating directional antennas must adhere to FCC rules regarding out-of-tolerance indications and be prepared to take corrective actions when necessary. In January 2002, a Petition for Declaratory Ruling was filed with the FCC by the law firm of Pepper & Corrazini (now Womble & Carlisle), on behalf of its AM licensee clients, bringing to the Commission’s attention an apparent conflict between §73.62 and §73.1350(d)(2) of the Rules regarding directional antenna operation. Last month, the Commission ssued a Report and Order (MB Docket No. 03-151) to resolve this conflict regarding the corrective actions an AM broadcast station licensee must take when encountering rtaindifficulties in the operation of an AM directional antenna. As noted in the Report, both of these rules were invoked when an AM station’s directional antenna operating parameters exceed the required ± 5% current and ± 3 degrees phase tolerances, or when any monitoring point field strength exceeds the value specified on the station’s license. Specifically, §73.62provided that an AM broadcast station had twenty-four hours to identify any excessive monitoring point field strengths followed by three hours to take corrective action. Section 73.1350(d)(2), however, required “any condition of antenna parameters or monitoring points out of tolerances specified elsewhere in this part or by the station’s instrument or authorization” to result in termination of operation within three minutes unless power was reduced sufficiently to eliminate any excess radiation. NAB and others filed comments with the FCC in this proceeding in support of a rules change to clarify this situation, noting among other things that the existing rules did not distinguish between minor and major out-of-tolerance emissions. The Report adopts the following definitions to be added to §73.62 of the rules:

* Substantially at variance - any variation of operating parameters by more than ± 15 percent sample current ratio or ± 10 degrees in phase, any monitor point that exceeds 125 percent of the licensed limit, or any operation at variance from the license that results in complaints of interference shall be considered operation substantially at variance from the license and will require action within the three minute time frame for responding to substantially variant out-of-tolerance conditions, or within three minutes of a bona fide complaint if the variation does not exceed the foregoing limits.

* Minor variations - in the absence of interference complaints, lesser variances shall be considered minor variations in operating parameters subject to the corrective actions called for in §73.62 of the Commission’s rules. Given below are “marked-up” versions of the changed rules, showing the deletions (indicated by red strike out) and additions (indicated by blue underline) resulting from the Report. The full text of the Report is available on the FCC’s Web page at http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-97A1.pdf

COMPLIANCE

Great to hear from you about the excitement that you and your members have for the establishment of Chapter 139 in Reno, as well as the addition of Adrienne to your staff. The support that the NBA has provided the engineers in Reno to get things started has been wonderful. The NBA has truly recognized the importance of the engineer in the “life” of a broadcast station. It’s a great example for other state broadcast associations to emulate. My congratulations and best wishes to you and the NBA for its achievements and forward thinking!
John L. Poray, CAE Executive Director Society of Broadcast Engineers, Inc.

The Media Bureau has prepared a "Small Entity Compliance Guide" for Digital LPTV/TV Translators.
COMPLIANCE GUIDE: DIGITAL LOW POWER TV/TV TRANSLATORS

In light of the ever increasing demand for radio spectrum, and to facilitate new technologies and services as well as permit more intensive and efficient spectrum use, the FCC has adopted rule changes for cognitive, or "smart" radio systems.  This is an important action that will have far reaching consequences in the years ahead.
FCC ADOPTS RULE CHANGES FOR SMART RADIOS-1
FCC ADOPTS RULE CHANGES FOR SMART RADIOS-2

Released:  03/17/2005.  REMINDER TO VIDEO PROGRAMMING DISTRIBUTORS OF OBLIGATION TO MAKE EMERGENCY INFORMATION ACCESSIBLE TO PERSONS WITH HEARING OR VISION DISABILITIES. (DA No.  05-688).  CGB. Contact:  Traci Randolph at (202) 418-0569
e-mail: Traci.Randolph@fcc.gov
TTY: (202) 418-0537.
Click here for more information.

ONE STEP CLOSER

Following a meeting yesterday at the Community College of Southern Nevada, NBA CEO Bob Fisher reports that "We are one step closer to having a Broadcast Engineer Curriculum being taught in Nevada." The establishment of an educational center to train and certify the much needed broadcast engineers has been a longtime goal of the NBA. Leading the charge for the creation of such a curriculum, is CCSN Associate Dean of Information Technology and Telecommunications Division, Warren Hioki. Mr. Hioki has spearheaded the dynamic growth of the college's engineering technology program. He has pioneered educational partnerships with industry leaders. And CCSN continues to be dedicated to develop a technically skilled work force of trained technicians for careers in the digital age. At the moment, Dean Hioki and Peg Pankowski, Ed.D., Dean of Information Technology and Telecommunications Division, are working closely together with the Society of Broadcast Engineers to outline the curriculum.

A meeting with broadcast engineers and general managers from throughout the state -- to outline specific engineering needs for Nevada's television and radio stations, is expected to be held in early spring. The NBA also is expected to encourage stations to establish a work/study internship for students enrolled in the broadcast engineering program.

Recently, the NBA was a co-sponsor of a breakfast meeting that featured FCC Chairman Michael Powell and Senator John Ensign. The meeting was held at the beautiful new Morse Arberry, Jr. Technology Building, on the Cheyenne Campus. That building is expected to be the site of the first NBA Museum Exhibition, entitled, "The History of Nevada Radio."

The Power's Out, Now What???

What happened the last time your station or transmitter was hit by a power outage? Hopefully, your back up system kicked in while you or someone in the office contacted the power company. And how did that call work for you? Not well, according to what we heard at the recent meeting of the Reno Chapter of the Society of Broadcast Engineers.

According to Rich Salgo of Sierra Pacific Power Company , that automated power outage reporting line needs some specific information to get anything done.

It seems simple---the recording asks you for your "billing" information, but if you give it your call letters, the information doesn't compute. Sure, everybody in town knows where your station is, and it should be easy enough to figure out what's causing the outage, but the power company's computers only understand things in terms of The Power Bill, and that computer has never heard of your station because the bill goes to Cow Country Radio in Turlock, California, or Lavender Communications in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

To avoid getting caught in this feedback loop, especially when the outage happens after hours or on weekends, you need to gather that billing information now. Ask your business manager about the name on the power bill, and remember that there is probably a separate bill for the transmitter. Get the account number for each location. Write it all down and get it to your Master Control point where it's accessible to the person who's going to be reporting the outage. Tell your staff, including the weekend, part timers, where to find that information.

And Rich says if we get him the information, he might be able to cross-file it so that eventually it will be associated with your call letters. Yeah, it's one for thing for your "To-do List", but it's going to make your life easier the next time the lights go out.

Rich's e-mail address is rsalgo@sppc.com .
Adrienne Abbott