Welcome!
Thank you for visiting the Washington DC Chapter of the Society of Broadcast Engineers. We're glad you're here!
The Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE) is the only organization devoted to the advancement of all levels and types of broadcast engineering. With more than 5,000 members and 114 local chapters, the SBE provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and the sharing of information to help you keep pace with our rapidly changing industry. The SBE amplifies the voices of broadcast engineers by validating your skills with professional certification, by offering educational opportunities to maintain and expand those skills, and by speaking out on technical regulatory issues that affect how you work.
SBE Chapter 37 is a very diverse group, including a variety of media professionals in the Nation's Capitol. Our members include local radio and television engineers, national and international network technicians, consulting engineers, electronics manufacturers and Federal employees working in media and broadcast related positions.
Regardless of your area of broadcast interest, you are sure to find a warm welcome at the Washington DC Chapter of the Society of Broadcast Engineers. Please join us at our next meeting and try us out for size. We hope you will enjoy your visit.
Upcoming Events
Please check out details of our next meeting. We hope to see you there! Future SBE events include:
- April 21st (12:30 pm): Baltimore SBE Chapter 46 will be having a social visit to share and discuss ongoing projects and have a show-and-tell of recent activities. If you're interested in attending, please contact J. R. Richardson at SBE Chapter 46.
- April 21st (7:00 pm): SMPTE's Washington DC Section is hosting a virtual meeting with NBC News executives who will show the inside of the new Washington Bureau and studios, discuss the project, and review studio operations. In January 2021, after more than 60 years of operating at 4001 Nebraska Ave. NW, NBCU News Group officially moved its D.C. headquarters to a new location near Capitol Hill. See meeting details here. There will be opportunities to ask questions. You do not have to be a member of SMPTE or the DC section to join. Please Register in advance for this meeting using this link.
- May 12th (6:30 pm): In what has become an annual tradition, Chris Imlay of Booth, Freret & Imlay, LLC will join us for Rules, Regs, and the Broadcast Engineer - his unique view on technical regulatory topics, spectrum allocations, and broadcast auxiliary spectrum issues.
- June 1st (6:30 pm): 60 years ago on this date, the first FCC-authorized FM stereo broadcasts began in Schenectady and Chicago. Mr. Richard Burden was instrumental in this effort and has been recognized by AES and SBE for this and many other achievements. He'll be our guest.
- July 20th (6:30 pm): Remote Audio Production with Calrec. Watch this space for details!
SBE News and Events
When FEMA issues an IPAWS test or alert it includes a “signature certificate.” This operates similar to a password for accessing different sites or files on a computer. In the case of a message from FEMA, a message without a correct signature the EAS device should ignore the message.
On April 26, 2021, the Required Weekly Test (RWT) from IPAWS was transmitted with an incorrect signature. The test messages had a mismatch between the digest inside the message, and the digest computed by receivers. This is a part of the validation for an alert, and checking it is required by FCC Rule 11.56(c): “EAS Participants shall configure their systems to reject all CAP-formatted EAS messages that include an invalid digital signature.”
All EAS devices should have rejected the test. The error affected all units, Gorman-Redlich, Sage Endec, DasDec and Trilithic.
On the Sage Endec, if the EAS decoder was configured correctly the message would not have been logged. DasDec and Trilithic would have logged the test but would have an error message attached. If it had been an actual alert the units would not auto forward.
1) If the alert arrived via CAP, the “signature validation” settings are probably incorrect.
2) If the alert arrived via some other CAP source, such as a CAP satellite feed, then check the settings for that CAP server.
3) If the alert arrived via an analog input, then an upstream device may be misconfigured. There are some 3rd party boxes that will receive a CAP message and output the analog legacy EAS format as audio. Some stations in some states will have that box connected to an audio input. If that box is configured to pass CAP messages with validation errors to the analog output, then it needs to be checked.
All the EAS units would have reported failed validations in a temporary log. Users should check with their device manufacture for the exact location of that file and the correct “signature validation” settings for the unit.
Stations should check and correct any issues before the next test on May 3, 2021. Stations should insert a note in the Station Log indicating the failed test and the reason for failure.
The post Stations Should Note Reason for IPAWS April 26, 2021 RWT Failure appeared first on The Society of Broadcast Engineers.
Through May 17, 2021, the Society of Broadcast Engineers will conduct a survey to determine salary levels and benefits among broadcast and media technology engineers. The SBE conducted its first survey in 2016. This sixth survey will continue to help us establish a baseline for subsequent surveys and build compensation trends.
The complete results of the survey will be available at no charge to SBE members as a benefit of membership. A link to the survey is posted on the SBE website.
The survey includes questions about job titles, broadcast market size and compensation in dollars and offered benefits. SBE membership is not required to take the survey.
While all responses remain anonymous, demographic data collected will include market size, job category/title, age, years working in broadcasting, salary, benefits received, and any certification held. The data will be split into radio or TV results, with details on job category and market size.
The post SBE Conducts Sixth Compensation Survey appeared first on The Society of Broadcast Engineers.
In January, the Indiana Society of Association Executives (ISAE) announced the full list of recipients of the 19th Annual STAR Awards. The STAR Awards, the Society’s Top Association Recognition Awards, recognize professional association managers and their industry. The awards were first presented in 2002.
Among the award recipients for 2020 was former SBE Executive Director John Poray, CAE, as Association Executive of the Year. The award was presented on Jan. 21, 2021, with more than 130 association professionals and industry suppliers gathered virtually. The event is usually held in-person.
To be considered for the ISAE Association Executive of the Year, the nominee must be a regular, voting member of the ISAE and actively involved in a full-time position as the chief staff executive for an association. A minimum of three years association management experience is required. This person has shown dedication, innovation and leadership. This is the kind of executive all association professionals aspire to be.
Joh Poray retired from the SBE on Dec. 31, 2020, after serving as the executive director for more than 28 years.
The Indiana Society of Association Executives serves more than 500 association professionals, including supplier members. As an educational and networking organization designed specifically to meet the needs of association professionals, the ISAE helps members be stronger leaders who lead stronger organizations.
The post Indiana Society of Association Executives Recognizes John Poray with Award appeared first on The Society of Broadcast Engineers.