SBE Elects Jerry Massey as President

The Society of Broadcast Engineers announces the results of the 2015 election for the national board of directors. Jerry Massey, CPBE, 8-VSB, AMD, DRB, CBNT, was elected as the society’s president. Massey is the corporate regional engineer, southeast at Entercom Greenville in Greenville, SC.

Upon hearing the election results, President-elect Massey said, “As we prepare to embark on a new year with new SBE officers and board members, I first would like to thank President Joe Snelson for his professional and dedicated leadership of the Society over the past two years. We want to continue in his footsteps by focusing on continuing our advancement in educational opportunities and being an advocate for you the members of the Society of Broadcast Engineers. I look forward to working with the board in the year ahead, and also meeting many members of the SBE.”

Others serving one-year terms as officers, which begin on Oct. 14 are:

■ Vice President: Jim Leifer, CPBE, director of engineering and IT at iHeartMedia/South Florida, Boynton Beach, FL.

■ Secretary: Ted Hand, CPBE, 8-VSB, AMD, DRB, director of engineering/operations at CMG-Charlotte, Charlotte, NC.

■ Treasurer: Andrea Cummis, CBT, CTO, managing partner, AC Video Solutions, Roseland, NJ.

Serving two-year terms on the board of directors, which also begin Oct. 14 are:
■ Mark Fehlig, PE, CPBE, 8-VSB, CBNT – Chapter 5, Atlanta
■ Mike Hendrickson, CPBE, CBNT – Chapter 17, Minnesota
■ Ched Keiler, CPBE, 8-VSB, CBNE – Chapter 53, South Florida
■ Jeff Keith, CPBE – Chapter 93, Raleigh, NC
■ Kevin Plumb, CPBE – Chapter 14, Connecticut
■ RJ Russell, CPBE – Chapter 18, Philadelphia, PA

The national board of directors of the SBE is responsible for the development of policy and determines the programs and services the society provides to its more than 5,100 members. Those elected will begin their terms on Oct. 14, 2015, during the SBE Membership Meeting. They will join the other six directors who have another year remaining in their terms (Tim Anderson, CPBE, DRB, CBNE; Ben Brinitzer, CPBE, AMD; Gary Kline, CBT, CBNT; Wayne Pecena, CPBE, 8-VSB, AMD, DRB, CBNE; Kim Sacks, CBT; and Eric Schecter, CBRE) as well as Joe Snelson, CPBE, 8-VSB, who will be the immediate past president.

The SBE National Meeting will be held Oct. 13-14, 2015, in Madison, WI, in conjunction with the Wisconsin Broadcasters Clinic, presented by the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association and the SBE chapters of Wisconsin.

FEMA Plans New England Regional IPAWS Test, Holds Informative Webinars To Prep

FEMA, working with state broadcast associations in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont is planning to conduct a New England regional IPAWS test in September. This test will be a follow-up to the tests conducted in West Virginia last September, which resulted in 90% of participating stations successfully carrying the National Periodic Test EAS code and second test involving participants in Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee, conducted on March 18, 2015, which met with similar success. FEMA is conducting a series of regional tests in preparation for a future nationwide IPAWS test. The goal of these preliminary tests is to evaluate how messages are distributed and propagated throughout the system, and identify areas for improvement.

The next regional test, which will involve participants in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont, will be conducted on Sept. 16, 2015, at 2:20 p.m. Eastern Time. Local radio and television stations are not required to participate in the test; however, broad participation by stations will be very helpful in evaluating how the test messages propagate throughout the region.

In preparation for the test, FEMA is hosting technical webinars on Aug. 19 at 2 p.m. Eastern and Sept. 3 at 10 a.m. Eastern. The webinars will outline how the Sept. 16 test will be conducted, and will also provide information regarding EAS device configuration in preparation for the test. The technical webinars will discuss the technical side of IPAWS and conclude with step-by-step instructions for configuring various EAS devices. The two tech webinars will be essentially identical. The webinars will be recorded and available for later viewing as well.

The webinars are open to all but will specifically address the New England test. FEMA will conduct additional webinars in support of future tests in other areas of the country.

Links

Topic: NE ISSRT Technical Webinar I
Date and Time: August 19, 2015 2:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time (New York, GMT-04:00)

Event address for attendees:

http://tinyurl.com/nufuecl

Audio conference information
650-479-3207
Access code: 662 686 997

Topic: NE ISSRT Technical Webinar II
Date and Time: Thursday, September 3, 2015 10:00 am, Eastern Daylight Time (New York, GMT-04:00)

Event address for attendees:

http://tinyurl.com/nlrpfmc

Audio conference information
650-479-3207
Access code: 662 930 173

Professional Liability Insurance Available

The Society of Broadcast Engineers now has available to members professional liability insurance coverage specifically designed for broadcast engineers and technicians who provide their services on a consulting and/or contract basis. The program is administered by the Hays Companies of Washington, DC. Premiums are based on the size and scope of the individual member’s business.

This unique professional liability policy was developed with input from many members of the SBE who operate their own businesses. Several hundred members completed surveys, conducted by the SBE in cooperation with Hays Companies, to ensure that the policy developed would reflect the work and responsibilities that consulting and contract engineers typically do.

The SBE is pleased to be working with the Hays Companies of Washington, DC, part of a nationwide and international company that includes among its services a specialization in risk management and commercial insurance. The underwriter for the SBE policy is a unit of Lloyds of London. For information about the SBE Professional Liability Insurance or to get a quote, contact Henry Cifuentes at the Hays Companies during East Coast business hours at 202-263-4018 or hcifuentes@hayscompanies.com.