Society of Broadcast Engineers

Chapter 16, Seattle, WA

2009 is going to be a New Year that brings new challenges.  At the top of my 2009 wish list is a kidney transplant for my daughter.  She is the mother of seven of my ten grandchildren, and is in the final stages of renal failure and is optimistic of finding a live kidney donor so she can resume her motherly responsibilities.  You can read more about our family journey at www.tammyskidney.org .

In the world of broadcast, December storms just before Christmas affected our broadcast operations as well as disrupting shopping plans.  Severe icing was a problem for the mountain top FM and TV operations, particularly Tiger Mountain and South Mountain.  This issue of the Waveguide has a picture I took of the South Mountain facilities for KDDS-FM and KFMY-FM just before the really big storm slowed us all down.  We haven't been able to get back up to see how it looks now.

Our Chapter Christmas party, scheduled for December 22 became a victim of the storm.  Ivar's was having difficulty staffing their facility and said their parking lot was unusable.  The roads getting there were even worse since Seattle's Mayor Nichols decided salting the slick roads might harm the fish in Puget Sound.  The party has been rescheduled for January 17.

2008 was the year of the big market crash which has hit just about every industry and broadcasting was no exception.  Locally, just about every broadcaster has cut staff and spending including engineering.  Tribune publishing filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.  The bankruptcy included 23 TV stations, including several of them here in the Northwest.

The downturn in the national economy is bringing other changes to the broadcast industry.  Some TV stations are going to one-person "multimedia journalists" who do the shooting and editing of news stories solo.

2008 was a big year for Apple with the introduction of their 3G, GPS enabled Iphone.  More broadcasters are customizing their internet streams specifically for the Iphone.  Locally, Clear Channel stations KJR-AM, KJR-FM, KFNK-FM, and KNBQ-FM have joined a hundred plus stations on Iheart Radio. (www.iheartradio.com ) American Public Radio has signed up 150 stations for Iphone radio streams including Seattle area FM's KPLU, KBCS, KSER, and KUOW. (www.americanpublicmedia.publicradio.org)

Meanwhile, Microsoft's "Zune," the competitor to Apple's Ipod did not survive 2008.  On December 31, the first generation Zunes crashed because the Microsoft geeks forgot 2008 was a leap year. 

The MS fix: "You should allow the battery to fully run out of power before the unit can restart successfully then simply ensure that your device is recharged, and then turn it back on."

What's coming to broadcast in 2009?

The New Year will bring a changing of the guard at the FCC and the beginning of a new era with the transition to all-digital TV and the expansion of broadband availability.  President-elect Obama will name a new chairman of the FCC and this is likely to bring significant changes to the powerful agency.

KDDS and KFMY South Mountain Tower taken December 20.

TV will make the transition to all-digital transmission in February.  It's believed a significant percentage of those who still receive off-the-air television will not be ready to lose the analog signals taken for granted for more than a half-century.  The majority of viewers that subscribe to cable or satellite won't be directly affected.  There is a move afoot at the FCC to implement networks of low-power transmitters ringing a topographically challenged coverage area (such as the Puget Sound) in order to fill in the gaps.

The FCC will be granting experimental permits for testing increased FM IBOC power to determine if the potential increase in coverage will offset the increase in interference.  Applicants are asking for authority to operate with digital power at up to minus 10 dB from the existing minus 20 dB.  (A tenfold increase in power for those logarithmically challenged.) The automobile industry recently endorsed the proposed increase to increase coverage and reliability according to a report from the NAB.

Let's hope the world and national economy rebounds this year so that broadcasting can reach its full communicating potential.  The potential is there.  The latest RADAR National Radio Listening Report says that radio reaches more than 234 million persons age 12 and older over the course of a typical week, up significantly from a year ago.

Happy New Year!

SBE Chapter 16
Executive Board Meeting
Wednesday, December 16, 2008

The Executive Board of SBE Chapter 16 met at the offices of Hatfield & Dawson in Seattle. Present were board members: Jim Dalke, Clay Freinwald (via phone), Mike Gilbert, Stephen Lockwood, Walt Lowery, Tom McGinley and Terry Spring.

Stephen Lockwood announced that Andy Skotdal has offered to host the Chapter's January meeting at the new KRKO transmitter site in Snohomish. The Board agreed to accept the invitation.

Jim Dalke announced that plans were in place to discontinue the printed version of The Waveguide and post a monthly HTML version at the Chapter's website. Editor, Jeannie Gilbert will continue as Editor, handling the layout and posting.

Advertising rates were discussed and plans to verify that pricing is in line with the rates of Chapter 124, Portland.

All agreed that letters to the editor should be encouraged and posted when deemed appropriate by the Editor.

Tom McGinley reported on RSVPs received for the Christmas party and the gifts received from Waveguide advertisers and supporters of Chapter 16.

It was determined that Seattle will be in the second round of cities planned for HD Radio™ Training Seminars. This will likely be scheduled in February.

With no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned.

Walt Lowery
Secretary

The road to Tiger Mountain starts here at Tiger Summit along SR-18.  Behind this gate, some 7 miles from here and 1500+ feet higher, are the transmitters for 13 or so FM and 4 or so TV stations serving the Seattle Area.    As you can see from the depth of the snow at the gate, it's time for the over-the-snow vehicles.

Picture by Terry Spring of KWPX-TV

From the landing site seen in an earlier image, looking toward the transmitter building with the tower on the right.

Picture by Jim Dahlke

Happy New Year! 2008 was an interesting mix of regulatory (pre-deadlines) and financial issues – both private & business. 2009 will be an interesting year with many more issues and challenges-  yet to be discovered. However, the stability of our SBE certification process will stand out as something you can ‘bank-on’.

I would like to talk about where the ‘rubber meets the road’ …. Our beginning technicians that will take us well into the ‘digital broadcast’ age. The classification of “Broadcast Technologist” is the certification level of which I speak. This is our beginning level of Engineering Certification.

The ‘New Year’ always brings a covenient starting point – for ‘jump-starting’ your future career in this new ‘digital broadcasting age’ …..

Certified Broadcast Technologist (CBT)

The Certified Broadcast Technologist certification can be obtained by meeting one of the following requirements:

• By achieving a passing grade on the proficiency examination. There is no experience requirement to be eligible for the examination.
• By holding a valid General Class license with either two (2) years of continuous satisfactory service in broadcast engineering or related technology prior to the date of application, or a total of three (3) out of the last five (5) years of satisfactory service in broadcast engineering or related technology. (The service record on the back of the FCC General Class license must show no record of discharge for unsatisfactory service or for unlawful activity.)
• By holding a valid FCC Amateur Extra Class license who meet the above service requirement.
• By holding a valid license equivalent to one of the FCC licenses listed above, who meet the service requirement. (NOTE: This provision is for those who live in areas that do not operate under the rules and regulations of the FCC.)

The Certified Broadcast Technologist Exam: Exams consist of 50 multiple-choice questions relating to either AM/FM or TV. Each exam is computer-selected from a pool of questions, and every exam is unique. Each correct answer will be worth two (2) points. The Broadcast Technologist multiple choice examination will consist of questions on:

• electronic fundamentals
• FCC rules pertaining to operating tolerances
• safety

Dates to Remember in 2009
Certification Application Deadlines:

April 1, 2009               @NAB                        Test Date: April 21, 2009
April 17, 2009             @Local Chapters        Test Date: June 5-15, 2009
June 5, 2009                @Local Chapters        Test Date: August 7-17, 2009
September 18, 2009    @Local Chapters        Test Date November 6-16, 2009

     CERTIFICATION OBJECTIVES
   To raise the professional status of broadcast engineers by providing standards of professional competence in the practice of broadcasting engineering. To recognize those individuals who, by fulfilling the requirements of knowledge, experience, responsibility, and conduct, meet those standards of professional competence. To encourage broadcast engineers to continue their professional development.

For more information and/or application forms please feel free to contact Michael Scott, CPBE.
E-Mail okscott@halcyon.com ; Voice (253) 680-7756 ; FAX (253) 845-5882

Well we made it, perhaps by the skin of our teeth, but 2008 is behind us.  As we look ahead into this new year the majority of us have one thing on our mind …Borrowing the often heard phrase - – The economy stupid.   It’s a scary time for a lot of folks these days.   Newspapers are really hurting, so are TV and Radio stations – Here are some snippets from this past month –

Locally the owners of TV Channels 13 and 22, Tribune, have filed chapter 11.  Working there has got to be filled with apprehension.   It just so happens that the stations owners, also are in the newspaper business…Not a good time.

Fisher has announced what they call ‘aggressive steps’ to deal with the issue, including, a 10% reduction in work-force, wage freeze, suspended 401K match, no bonuses to upper management etc.   In the mean time Fisher and the Dish Network are involved with a law suit.   Whereas this is a sensitive local issue, I will let you read about this item elsewhere.

In order to become more lean, Cox, owner of KIRO-TV here, announced that they are combining their Radio, TV and Newspaper operations.  Rumors are that they may sell selected stations.

CBS experienced a layoff leaving them with just two Engineers, Tom McGinley and Arne Skoog.  The axe fell in programming with the elimination of long time announcer, Steve Slaton.

A really good, well written, piece about the state of the Radio industry can be found in the latest Radio World Engineering Extra authored by the famous Guy Wire.   I came away wondering just what Radio will look like in the not to distant future.  Will radio become just a collection of computers generating programming with a sales department selling spots with accounting and engineering contracted out?  Just how much can an industry be cut-back before it looses the elements that have made it successful for all these years?    Some predictors are saying that Radio revenues are going to be down about 25 % or at levels not seen in years.

The Washington State budget crisis has caused the axe to swing in the direction of KVTI at Clover Park Technical College.  Slashed is their hope to put HD Radio on the air, instead they are looking at using their already purchased transmitter as an FM Auxiliary.  Station manager and instructor, John Mangan, is clearly worried about the future of the station and its related instructional program.

At the national level….NPR has cut it’s staff by 7%

I’ve recently read reports that some stations have asked the FCC to remain dark due to the bad economy.  No word on what the FCC said to that.

On the TV side, will stations eliminate all live programming except for news (not that this has not already happened) and will they simply become program generation entities that feed distribution systems eliminating the need for those transmitters, towers and antenna…and will they, like Radio, simply contract for repair services in the same manner as they do now for printers and copy machines?

Would Sumner Redstone sell CBS?   That’s the question being raised from time to time as the media head is impacted by the financial turmoil.   Rumors are that he would first try and sell his theatre chain.   He did get some relief from selling his interest in a game maker.

For newspapers the situation appears to be just as bad, if not worse.  Our local papers have seen large layoffs and reductions in paper size.   In one case, this in Detroit, the newspaper there is reducing their home delivery to just 3 days a week, of course, Detroit has some significant other issues, namely the near collapse of the auto industry.

Another loser in all of this is reported to be Comcast as they lose customers whose homes are being foreclosed. 

Belden, the maker of wire and cable has reportedly laid off some 1,800.

SBE is here to help those that have been stung by this Recession in a number of ways with their-

SBE Jobs Online – Where you can find out who is looking for help, typically there are more than 100 jobs on this list.

SBE Resume Service – A place you can post yours.

SBE Contract Engineer Directory  - If you do contract work, here is a great place to let others know what you do.

If you are interested, or just have a question, contact the SBE office in Indianapolis.  Check out the SBE Web Site at www.sbe.org for more information, go ahead, tell them Clay sent you. 

Speaking of SBE, this is my final year on the SBE Board of Directors, with this falls annual meeting in Verona, NY, I will have completed 9 years on the BOD.   A wonderful experience and something that I hope you will seriously consider.   I know that the Nominating Committee is always looking for Engineers who would like to contribute to our organization.

Whereas I am now officially into retirement age, perhaps I should feel fortunate looking back on what has been a great ride?   Then again, perhaps the economy will do as it has in the past and rebound with our industry finding new and exciting ways to rise from the ashes and re-invent itself.    As they say, only time will tell.    In the mean time there is always Walmart and McDonalds, they appear to be doing just fine.

Here’s a glimpse at a couple of bright sides of all of this –

• Gas prices have really come down
• Retailers are having sales with prices un-heard of 6 months ago.
• And the best news – The prices for scrap metal have tanked.   This means that it’s likely that your stations ground system and transmission lines are safer now than they have been in some time.

Weather has certainly been the topic of conversation with a couple of weeks of snow and ice really throwing this area a curve.    For those of you that read this column from out of the area, I need to explain – the Seattle area normally does not get much snow feeling, quite correctly, that snow belongs in the mountains where it belongs.   This year the area got more than it’s usual 2 day snow…. Actually more like 2 weeks causing the area great pain.  

For those stations dealing with news, there was no shortage of coverage.   At this writing the snow is melting in the low-lands (under 1000 feet AMSL) to the delight of the majority.   At least we can say that we had a white Christmas.

Certainly one of the headlines from this past month is the announcement that KBKS/106.1 is being traded to Clear Channel as part of a multi-station and market swap between CCR and CBS.   One has to conclude that in this economy swapping is better than outright purchases.   Locally this will be someone interesting.

For CBS,  this will mean one less FM station. They will be left with 3 – 94.1, 96.5 and 102.5 on FM and 1090 on AM.

For Clear Channel, they gain an FM adding 106.1 to their existing 93.3, 95.7 in addition to FM’s in Eatonville and Olympia bringing their total FM’s to 5 in the area.   Their AM’s include 950 in Seattle and 850 in Tacoma.

From a technical standpoint – This will mean that one of the 4 existing CBS FM’s at the ATC Site on West Tiger will become CCR’s.   They will also pickup the Auxiliary FM facility at the Entercom Site on West Tiger.   This is interesting in that it will make the first time that Clear Channel has been involved with the higher site to the East.   93.3 and 95.7 are on Cougar.   This will add a degree of complication to the workload of the Engineering Dept for sure, especially in winter when just getting to West Tiger is an interesting challenge (to say the least)

For those of you that read my column and do not obtain it from the Seattle SBE Chapter 16 Web Site, you are welcome to go there to see the pictures I am talking about and read other interesting items. 

Looks like some markets may be experiencing something new – two outfits doing radio audience measurement.  Nielson and Arbitron.   I have to wonder how the ‘numbers’ will turn out and how different they might be.  How could you persuade a potential advertiser to accept the results of one over the other?    There are those that feel that the numbers are not coming out in their favor with the change over to PPM with that battle being pushed to the FCC to investigate.

The little stations in Forks have been sold.  Seller is First Broadcasting, buyer is Steven Rhyner.   The stations are KBDB on 103.9 and KBIS on 1490.

Did I report that NAB’s Kelly Williams is no longer with the organization in WDC having moved to San Diego.  Good luck, big guy.

Lectrosonics is trying to help their customers who use their wireless devices in the 700 MHz band since the FCC rules that they must vacate uses of blocks 27,29 and 29.  I understand that AKG and Sennheiser may be offering rebates to those that recently purchased equipment for this band.   Check with your equipment maker to be sure.

Take note of this – The 2009 Required Monthly EAS Test Schedule is now posted on the WSAB Web Site – www.wsab.org

Things are looking frightful at the newly merged sat-broadcaster XM and Sirius with a huge payment coming due.   The severe decline in the auto industry has not helped as many of their new customers have come from the owners of new cars.   

Layoffs may not be enough with some predictors speaking in very dire terms openly questioning whether or not the company will be in business much longer.

As we all know, the outgoing President was not exactly into things scientific.  Hope is that the new guy living in the White House will look at things differently…Early signs look good.

The biggest change will likely come with new leadership at the FCC which has, for the past few years, been disappointing to many.

Can you imagine the thoughts that ran through the minds of the mobile phone companies after they laid out billions for spectrum when the hear that the present head of the FCC wanted them to reserve a portion of the spectrum for free- internet?  Whew !

If you have someone in mind, contact NAB.  Deadline is January 15th.   The presentation is in the Technology Luncheon.

For some reason I always smile when I see those trucks from – HD Supply – on the highway.   If they only knew what does through our minds.

Can you believe it – We are only days away from the end of Analog broadcast TV.   Hard to believe that the day is actually coming when those big rigs will be shut off leaving zillions of analog TV’s disconnected from their RF mother….That is unless their owners are connected to cable or a sat-provider.  

When I stop and think about it, I remember when I was a wee lad and TV came to Portland (I was living there then). 

What the well dressed broadcast engineer wears to work -

This was taken by Clay Freinwald recently on his way to work at Cougar Mountain.    He figured it was much easier to take on and off snowshoes than chains on his truck.

My folks and I walked a few blocks to a local furniture store that had a TV Set in the window and outside watching this new gadget was a large crowd watching what was then KPTV- Channel 27.    Hard to believe I am that old…(Unless I look in a mirror)

One of the big questions is what will Cable TV do after the analog shutdown?   Are they going to limit the bandwidth and sacrifice video quality in order to carry more channels? 
This is going to be interesting to watch.  I’ve heard reports that all their customers are going to get a ‘cable-box’ that they will have to use, perhaps thereby eliminating the so called cable-ready set.

Here’s an interesting, if not useful site – take a look at - http://www.tvfool.com:80/.  Wonder how accurate this really is?

I understand that one station may stay on the air in analog in some markets for a while just to broadcast information to those that wake up to find that their set does not work and can’t figure out why.  I’ve not heard if anyone in this area is going to do that, if they are, let me know who.

This contribution comes from David Christian.  If you have ever wondered how Radio works – click on this link and enjoy. http://www.southgatearc.org/news/october2008/on_the_air.htm

John Schneider was in town over Thanksgiving and had lunch with some of his old friends, unfortunately I was unable to make it.   John, for a number of years, operated the local RF Specialties store here in Seattle later moving to Quincy, Ill to work for BE where he became their South American sales guy.  I remember hearing John speak of his efforts to learn Spanish.   Understand that he is now working for Ibiquity the HD Radio folks.  

The Radio Ratings are out and the KIRO AM/FM combo has come in at #1.   Have to wonder what the folks on Eastlake Ave think about that as they promote the fact that the two stations will stop their simulcasting in April with their 97.3 FM sounding like today’s KIRO and 710 AM sounding like a sports-talker? 

The FCC extended their deadline in their request for comments on the proposed power increase for HD Radio transmission with several large groups filing comments.   Now we wait and see.   Perhaps an indication of the thinking at the Commish is the fact that they are allowing stations to operate, for test purposes, at higher power levels.

From the  - Gee has it been that long department –

JP Patches recently celebrated the fact that he went on the air 50 years ago

And guess what’s 40 years old – The computer mouse …Boy did that one fly by.

Well, my friends, that’s it for this month.   Till next month, at a computer near you.

Clay, K7CR, CPBE