SBE Plans Events for NAB Show
by Thomas P. Weber, CPBE, CBNT and Jerry C. Whitaker,
CPBE
Radio World offers this space to the Society of
Broadcast Engineers as a service to the industry.
NAB2002 is an opportunity to learn about the trends
and changes that your operation is about to see. The Broadcast Engineering
Conference will offer a multitude of topics relevant to your needs.
Are you about to dip your toe into IBOC? Pick up
techniques and practices for transmission and reception. Discover
trends in facilities design. Given the occurrences of 2001, everyone
ought to be reviewing their emergency practices and procedures.
New designs in station automation and centralcasting
are making for radical revisions in many stations’ operations.
It’s your chance to study what many are already doing, what
more will be changing to and how it will affect your operation.
Broad offerings
On Saturday, April 6, you can take in the IEEE tutorial
on streaming media or attend the SBE Broadcast Networking Tutorial
(more on that in a moment).
On Sunday, Oded Bendov of Dielectric and Bill Baker
of WNET will show you what went into the original New York City
central transmission center at the World Trade Center and what’s
being done to build its replacement. Then review DAB developments
and discover what others are doing worldwide to make the DAB transition,
what they did right and what mistakes they made.
On Monday, the NAB convention keynote address will
be given by Richard Parsons, who is about to take over the reins
as CEO of AOL Time Warner.
After the keynote, immerse yourself in the latest
ins and outs of tower siting and zoning. It may not seem exciting,
but it’s crucial to making your DAB transition or your new
centralized broadcasting facility work. In the afternoon, discover
the details of how IBOC is being implemented at real stations and
learn the various techniques of how it can work at your station.
Tuesday is devoted to facilities design. Learn how
to make your stations more efficient and run better. Later in the
afternoon, John Bisset presents his popular practical workshop on
radio transmitters. Get the lowdown on making a rig run right.
Wednesday, review emergency preparedness before the
Technology Luncheon, when Robert X. Cringely, known from InfoWorld
and PBS, will tell us that "Broadband Is Dead." Then there’s
more nuts and bolts practicality in the afternoon, as we review
"AM Directional Antenna Essentials."
Don’t forget the Amateur Radio Operators Reception
starting at 6 p.m.
Networking tutorial
The Ennes Educational Foundation Trust, in cooperation
with the SBE, is offering a day-long workshop focusing on computer
networking for broadcast engineers as part of the NAB Broadcast
Engineering Conference.
Set for Saturday, April 6, this workshop will present
an overview of the technologies and protocols involved in broadcast
networking. Following the instructional workshop, presented by Terrence
M. Baun, CPBE, president of Criterion Broadcast Services, optional
testing will be offered for SBE Broadcast Networking Technologist
(CBNT) Certification.
Among the subjects covered in the tutorial:
-
Network topologies and layouts
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Common network protocols
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Wiring and connector types, system standards
and installation practices
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Maintenance, troubleshooting and connectivity
issues
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Challenges unique to media-based network platforms
-
An overview of digital compression technologies
and related storage issues
This presentation is scheduled for four hours, including
breaks, and is followed by administration of the CBNT examination.
Thus, in a single day, engineers who have an interest in acquiring
this certification level can attend the tutorial and take the exam.
This workshop follows on the successful program offered
at the 2001 NAB Broadcast Engineering Conference. Updated with new
material covering a range of subject areas, including the latest
network wiring systems, this program is unique in scope.
Pre-registration with SBE is strongly suggested for
the certification exam portion of the workshop, although on-site
registration will permit "walk-in" registration for the
exam. Further information on registration can be found online at
www.sbe.org.
The Broadcast Networking Technologist Certification
program is designed to demonstrate the certification holder’s
basic familiarity with network hardware and operations within the
broadcast station environment. The subject matter is not software-specific
and is designed to place an emphasis on the hardware and installation
issues common to all network platforms as typically used in media
support.
This type of certification helps bridge the gap between
the role of "traditional" broadcast engineering and the
increasingly important area of information technology and network
hardware support.
Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. The tutorial commences
at 9 a.m., breaks for lunch and concludes at 2:15 p.m. Handouts
of selected slides will be provided. From 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., participants
will be able to sit for the certification exam.
This should give you a good idea of what broadcast
engineers can expect to learn at NAB2002. However, SBE also has
several meetings, including the National Membership Meeting on Tuesday,
as well as our usual booth that you’ll want to squeeze into
your visit (see sidebar). In fact, you may want to bring some ginkgo
pills so you can remember it all.
See ya there!
SBE Events
Members of the SBE have several things to look forward
to at NAB 2002. Whether it’s keeping up with important issues
at SBE meetings and events, saving money with member discounts or
just reconnecting with old friends at the booth, there are benefits
to being an SBE member at NAB.
Opening a week of key events, the SBE Board of Directors
is tentatively scheduled to meet Sunday morning, April 7. The SBE
Membership Meeting is planned for Tuesday at 5 p.m. Both are open
to SBE members and are an opportunity to hear what SBE is working
on.
Several issue-oriented groups, such as SBE Frequency
Coordinators and the EFD Committee, will be meeting. If you aren’t
SBE-certified, consider sitting for a certification exam on Tuesday.
(A schedule of SBE events is posted on the Web at www.sbe.org
and will be published in the March issue of the SBE Signal.)
With the opening of the exhibit floor on Monday morning,
the SBE booth will be ready with smiling faces to greet you at its
new location at the east end of the Central Lobby (booth No. 22).
Browse through the SBE bookstore where SBE members can purchase
books at up to 20 percent off retail; purchase SBE logo items, such
as shirts, mugs and pins, to display your SBE pride; and don’t
forget SBE has valuable educational materials, such as newly-updated
certification sample test disks, to keep you in top form.
If you’re not an SBE member, isn’t it time
you considered joining the 5,500+ broadcast engineers and those
in related fields who are members? SBE provides education, certification
and event frequency coordination services to the industry and has
more than 100 chapters that can bring you together with other broadcast
engineers. SBE members are eligible to register for NAB at the Partner
Rate, a $230 savings!
NAB and Las Vegas can be a little overwhelming. However,
at the SBE booth, you’ll find friends and colleagues, as well
as valuable tools to aid you in your career.
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