RJ Russell, Fred Baumgartner and Roland Robinson Receive SBE’s 2020 Top Individual Award Honors

The winner of the Robert W. Flanders SBE Engineer of the Year award for 2020 is RJ Russell, CPBE, of Middletown, DE. The award is presented to a member who has excelled in his or her career while furthering the mission of the SBE. Candidates are nominated by their peers. The 2020 James C. Wulliman SBE Educator of the Year award has been awarded to two recipients: Fred Baumgartner, CPBE, CBNT, of Elizabeth, CO, and Roland Robinson, CBTE, CBNT, CTO, of Tacoma, WA. The award recognizes outstanding service and excellence in sharing knowledge through teaching other broadcast engineers.

Robert “RJ” Russell has been an SBE member for 21 years. During that time, he has served as director, treasurer, and vice president on the National Board of Directors as well as serving on several national committees. RJ also has held officer positions in various local chapters. He served proudly in the United States Marine Corps as a cryptography technician. After service in the military, he worked for several stations, including those owned by Media General, Sinclair, Cordillera, Catamount, Sunbelt, Univision, E.W. Scripps, and Fox.

RJ worked as a broadcast engineering manager on the Sprint Nextel Project from 2004-2008, assisting many television stations with the 2 GHz repack and reimbursement program. While employed by Brigham Young University, RJ was instrumental in the design and construction of a new 100,000 square foot BYU broadcast center and associated transmission paths and signals. RJ has spent many countless hours working on the ATSC 3 project station in Cleveland.

Most recently, RJ accepted the critically important position of SBE frequency coordination manager as an independent contractor through his company, TBSI. RJ has a vast and unique knowledge of the frequency coordination process and is the SBE’s major representative to the Department of Defense and its contractors in the SBE-DOD-NAB transition process at 2 GHz. Through the direct involvement of RJ, who is respected very highly by the DOD, FCC and NTIA, the SBE and its members, broadcast licensees, and the DOD have benefited from the careful, meticulous planning that RJ has worked exceptionally hard on to maximize DOD-coordinated use of 2 GHz without constraint on broadcasters. RJ is presently overseeing preparation of a national database of 2 GHz users that will facilitate the work of SBE frequency coordinators, and he has revitalized the program at a difficult time in the history of volunteer frequency coordination.

Fred Baumgartner has been an SBE member for 47 years and has given countless hours to furthering the education of today’s broadcast engineers through his work with the Ennes Educational Foundation Trust for 17 years, he spearheaded the annual Ennes Workshop during the NAB Show, and recently produced the SBE presentation on NextGen TV during the 2019 PBS TechCon. One nominee said of Baumgartner, “He was supportive of my goals re: SBE and helped get me in touch with others in the organization to help me grow in my involvement and education.”

Roland Robinson has been an SBE member for 24 years. He is an instructor of classes in broadcasting and video production at Bates Technical College in Tacoma, WA. Robinson has taught at Bates for more than ten years implementing an SBE-approved certification curriculum in his broadcast classes. The curriculum was recently renewed unanimously by the SBE National Certification Committee, the members being impressed by the curriculum presented by Robinson. Robinson also serves on the Washington State Emergency Communications Committee (SECC) and provides a valued service to Washington State broadcasters by creating and maintaining the complex Required Monthly Test (RMT) schedule.

The SBE 2020 Awards Program also recognizes other achievements from SBE members, chapters and SBE sustaining member companies.

MultiCAM Systems has won the SBE Technology Award for the Air Bridge. Air Bridge is a new video solution for including remote guests in shows or conferences. Up to four guests can be live at the same time, and up to 12 guests can be on the waiting list. Users send a link to the guests. Once that link is opened, the guest is connected to the show with the host’s permission.

Chapter and Individual Awards
Chapters are the lifeblood of the SBE, and 2020 marks the seventh year that the Chapter Engineer of the Year Award has highlighted the achievements of members within their chapters. This year, seven chapters selected their own award recipients. Each winner will be presented with a special plaque and be recognized nationally on the SBE website and in a future issue of The Signal. The seven chapter winners also were automatically nominated for the national Robert W. Flanders SBE Engineer of the Year Award.

Chapter 37 in Washington, DC, has won the Best Educational Event for the NextGEN TV Summit held Jan. 16, 2020. The event was held in conjunction with SMPTE. Fred Willard, who helped produce the event said, “We were amazed at the number of folks that traveled great distances to attend this event. It was truly regional. Thomas Janner from Rohde and Schwarz flew from Germany just to present.”

Statistical Awards
Percentage Growth of New Members:
Class A: 106 Florida Panhandle; Chapter Chair Mark Johnson, CSRE
Class B: 103 Nashville; Chapter Chair James Campbell, CPBE

Highest Percentage of Certified Members:
Class A: 115 Southern Idaho; Chapter Chair Thomas Kettwi, CBT
Class B: 131 Inland Empire; Chapter Chair James Alexander, CPBE, CBNT; Certification Chair Paul Claxton, CPBE, CBNT

Highest Percentage of Member Attendance at Meetings:
Class A: 112 Western Wisconsin; Chapter Chair Todd Zschernitz, CBTE
Class B: 69 Alamo Area; Chapter Chair Christopher Anderson

All the winners will be recognized at the SBE Membership Meeting and Awards Ceremony, held online on Sept. 23. Nominations for the 2021 awards will open in February.

Note: Class awards are determined using the median chapter size as of Dec. 31, 2019, as the dividing line between Class A (fewer than or equal to the median) and Class B (more than the median).

Society of Broadcast Engineers 2020 National Meeting Goes Virtual

The SBE 22 Broadcast & Technology Expo, the partner event, has been cancelled.

The Society of Broadcast Engineers planned to hold its 56th SBE National Meeting in Liverpool, NY, just outside of Syracuse, on Sept. 22 and 23. The event was to be held in conjunction with the SBE 22 Broadcast & Technology Expo, a regional exposition and educational event that restarted in 2019 after a short hiatus. The Expo would have included a media equipment and services tradeshow and multiple technical sessions of interest to all media engineers, technicians, post-production, A/V and media IT professionals.

The in-person expo has been cancelled following restrictions imposed by the state of New York to reduce infections because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Because of current conditions, travel for exhibitors and attendees would also have been difficult.

While the in-person event has been cancelled, the SBE will hold several of its events virtually on Sept. 22 and 23. The SBE Annual Membership Meeting will be combined with the awards ceremony that would have been part of the Annual SBE National Awards Dinner. The membership meeting and awards ceremony will be held online at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on Wednesday, Sept. 23. This will include the induction of officers and directors elected this month, presentation of the individual and chapter awards, including the Robert L. Flanders SBE Engineer of the Year, James C. Wulliman SBE Educator of the Year and Technology Award, and induction of the two new SBE Fellows, James Leifer, CPBE, and Ralph Beaver, CBT. There will also be a special presentation of the SBE John H. Battison Award for Lifetime Achievement.

The SBE Board of Directors will meet on Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

A Fellows Breakfast is held each year at the SBE National Meeting. Since the group won’t gather in person, a virtual reunion will he held on Sept. 23. The time will be announced later.

All the SBE events will be held online. Details on how to watch the SBE Annual Membership Meeting and National Awards Presentation will be shared via the SBE website, SBE-news email newsletter and social media.

2018 SBE Board Takes Office, Committee Chairs Assigned

The Society of Broadcast Engineers, the association for broadcast and multimedia technology professionals, held its National Meeting Oct. 2 and 3 in Danvers, MA, in conjunction with the Media Resource Expo. Among the events during those two days, the SBE Board of Directors met, and the SBE held its annual Membership Meeting.

At the Membership Meeting on Oct. 3, the 2018-2019 officers and directors were sworn in to begin their new terms. (The results of the SBE election were announced on Aug. 23.) SBE President Jim Leifer, CPBE, also announced his committee chair appointments for the coming year, which were reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors at its meeting on Oct. 2. The committee chair assignments follow.

Committee	Chair
Awards	Tom McGinley, CPBE, AMD, CBNT
By-Laws	Ted Hand, CPBE, 8-VSB, AMD, DRB
Certification	Ralph Hogan, CPBE, DRB, CBNE
Chapter Liaison	Mark Fehlig, CPBE, 8-VSB
Education	Wayne Pecena, CPBE, 8-VSB, AMD, DRB, CBNE
Fellowship	Troy Pennington, CSRE, CBNT
Finance	Roswell Clark, CPBE, CBNT
Frequency Coordination	R.J. Russell, CPBE
Government Relations	Kevin Trueblood, CBRE, CBNT
International	Charles W. Kelly Jr.
Membership	Steve Brown, CPBE, CBNT
Mentoring	Kimberly K. Sacks, CBT
Nominations	Vinny Lopez, CEV, CBNT
Publications	Andrea Cummis, CBT, CTO
Social Networking	Kirk Harnack, CBRE, CBNE
Sustaining Membership	Stephen H. Lampen, CBRE
Technologies	Shane Toven, CBRE, CBNT

On the committee assignments, President Leifer said, “We have a wide range of talent and skills represented by our committee chairs. I look forward to working with all of them in the coming year to further the goals of the SBE and enact the plans being laid following our strategic planning conference held earlier this year.”

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 5,000 members.

SBE Re-elects Jim Leifer as President

The Society of Broadcast Engineers, the association for broadcast and multimedia technology professionals, announces the results of the 2018 election for the national board of directors. Jim Leifer, CPBE, was re-elected as the society’s president. Leifer is senior manager of broadcast operations at American Tower Corporation, Andover, MA.

Regarding the election, President Leifer said, “I thank SBE members for their support and the Board of Directors for their work over the last year. Looking ahead, I am eager to discuss the ideas from the SBE strategic planning meeting held in June, and then implement those approved by the SBE Board of Directors. This will enhance the membership experience as we embrace new technologies and new ways of performing the work of the SBE.”

Others serving one-year terms as officers, which begin on Oct. 3, are:

Vice President: Robert “RJ” Russell, CPBE; president, Technical Broadcast Solutions, Inc.; Middletown, DE

Secretary: Wayne Pecena, CPBE, 8-VSB, AMD, DRB, CBNE; director of engineering, Texas A&M University – KAMU-FM & TV; College Station, TX

Treasurer: Jim Bernier, CPBE, CBNE; senior director, Techwood Engineering; Turner; Atlanta

    

Serving two-year terms on the board of directors, which also begin Oct. 3 are:
• Stephen J. Brown, CPBE, CBNT; director of broadcast engineering, Woodward Radio Group; Appleton, WI
• Roswell Clark, CPBE, CBNT; senior director of radio engineering, Cox Media Group; Clearwater, FL
• Kirk Harnack, CBRE, CBNE; senior solutions consultant, Telos Alliance; Nashville, TN
• Vinny Lopez, CEV, CBNT; chief engineer, WSTM/WTVH/WSTQ-TV; Syracuse, NY
• Thomas McGinley, CPBE, AMD, CBNT; president, McGinley Enterprizes; Missoula, MT
• Shane Toven, CBRE, CBNT; field engineer, Educational Media Foundation; Laramie, WY

    

    

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 5,000 members. Those elected will begin their terms on Oct. 3, 2018, during the SBE Membership Meeting. They will join the other six directors who have another year remaining in their terms (Andrea Cummis, CBT, CTO; CTO, WLVT-TV, Roseland, NJ; Mark Fehlig, PE, CPBE, 8-VSB, senior systems engineer, Jampro Antennas/Alan Dick, Walnut Creek, CA; Ted Hand, CPBE, 8-VSB, AMD, DRB, director of engineering/operations, Cox Media Group, Charlotte, NC; Stephen H. Lampen, CBRE, consultant, San Francisco, CA; Kimberly K. Sacks, CBT, director of engineering, iHeartMedia, Loveland, CO; Kevin Trueblood, CBRE, CBNT, director of engineering, WGCU Public Media, Estero, FL; and Jerry Massey, CPBE, 8-VSB, AMD, DRB, CBNE, director of technical operations, Entercom Greenville Spartanburg, who remains the immediate past president.

The SBE National Meeting will be held Oct. 2-3, 2018, in Danvers, MA, in conjunction with the Media Resource Expo (MRE).

ATSC’s Richer to Keynote SBE National Awards Dinner

Mark Richer, president of the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC), will be the keynote speaker at the 2018 SBE National Awards Dinner. The ATSC is an international, non-profit organization developing voluntary standards for digital television including the ATSC 3.0 suite of standards for next generation television. The SBE National Awards Dinner is the closing event of the SBE National Meeting, this year held in conjunction with the Media Resource Expo in Danvers, MA, just outside of Boston, on Oct. 3.

Richer will also take part in that afternoon’s live webcast of the SBE Annual Membership Meeting. SBE President Jim Leifer will discuss with him ATSC 3.0 standards, testing and implementation.

Richer first joined the ATSC after 16 years with the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) where, as vice president of engineering & computer services, he was responsible for development of new technologies for PBS and its member stations, design of audio/video systems, and management of information technology operations.

Richer was a recipient of the Broadcasting & Cable Technology Leadership Award in 2007, the 2010 recipient of the National Association of Broadcasters Engineering Achievement Award for Television and the 2018 EDGE Award for Excellence in Innovation from America’s Public Television Stations. He is a Fellow of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and serves on the FCC Technology Advisory Council. He has been a member of the SBE since 1995.

SBE National Meeting events begin on Tuesday, Oct. 2 with meetings of the national SBE Certification Committee and the SBE Board of Directors. On Wednesday, Oct. 3, activities include the annual SBE Fellows Breakfast (invitation-only), sponsored by Kathrein USA, SBE Annual Membership Meeting (webcast live), sponsored by Blackmagic Design, Dielectric, DVEO, Drake Lighting, IMT Vislink, Lawo and Technical Broadcast Solutions.

The SBE Annual Awards Reception, sponsored by Comrex, is followed by the SBE National Awards Dinner, sponsored by Telos Systems. Presentation of the society’s major awards will be made, including the SBE Fellow Award to Jerry Massey, CPBE, 8-VSB, AMD, DRB, CBNT, of Greenville, SC. Also to be presented are, the Robert W. Flanders SBE Broadcast Engineer of the Year, James C. Wulliman SBE Educator of the Year, the SBE Technology Award to a Sustaining Member company and the Best Technical Article, Book or Program by an SBE member.

SBE chapters will be presented with awards recognizing achievement for Best Chapter Communications, Best Regional Educational Event, Greatest Member Growth, Highest SBE Certified Chapter and Highest Meeting Attendance.

The SBE National Meeting is being held in conjunction with the Media Resource Expo and our host is SBE Chapter 11 of Boston. MRE is a one-day annual trade show and technical educational event that attracts professionals in broadcast, film, instructional media and communication, along with manufacturers, resellers and integrators. The SBE will have a booth during the show, sponsored by Technical Broadcast Solutions.

The SBE National Meeting and the MRE will be held at the Doubletree by Hilton Boston North Shore Hotel in Danvers, MA. The hotel is located 19 miles north of downtown Boston and Logan Airport.

Registration for the MRE is required but free to SBE members if they register in advance. Tickets for the SBE National Awards Reception and Dinner ($16) are available through the SBE website, www.sbe.org, and by telephone, Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET at 317-846-9000. There is no registration or fee to attend the Annual Membership Meeting.

Accommodations at the Doubletree can be reserved by calling 978-777-2500. The SBE has a limited number of rooms reserved at the discounted rate of $149. Rooms are on a first come, first-served basis, so don’t wait too long.

The SBE National Meeting and MRE are open to anyone interested in media technology. We invite SBE members, especially those in the New England area, to take advantage of this opportunity and attend all of the events on Oct. 3.

Boston Suburb of Danvers is Site of the 2018 SBE National Meeting

The Society of Broadcast Engineers will bring the 54th SBE National Meeting to Danvers, MA, just outside of Boston, on October 2-3. The event will be held in conjunction with the Media Resource Expo (MRE), an annual New England regional exposition and educational event. The MRE includes a media equipment and services tradeshow and multiple technical sessions of interest to all media engineers, technicians, post-production, A/V and media IT professionals.

Serving as event host is SBE Chapter 11 of Boston. The SBE National Meeting begins on Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 2, with the fall meeting of the national SBE Certification Committee from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. The fall meeting of the SBE Board of Directors will take place from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. Attendance at the Board meeting is open to any SBE member. On Wednesday, activities begin with the annual SBE Fellows Breakfast, a reunion of SBE Fellow members including this year’s inductee, Jerry Massey, CPBE, 8-VSB, AMD, DRB, CBNT. In the afternoon, the one-hour SBE Annual Membership Meeting will be webcast live to members around the world.

The SBE Annual Awards Reception and Dinner also takes place on Wednesday. The dinner will feature a guest speaker and the presentation of the society’s major awards, including the Robert L. Flanders SBE Engineer of the Year and James C. Wulliman SBE Educator of the Year awards. The dinner program will conclude with the presentation of the Fellow honor to Massey.

The SBE chapter and individual awards will be presented during the dinner program. For chapters, they include the Best Chapter or Regional Educational Event, Best Chapter Communications, Most Certified Chapter, Highest Member Attendance and Greatest Growth in New Members.

Individual (or company) awards include: Technology Award, Facility Innovation of the Year, Best Technical Paper, Article, Book or Program by an SBE Member; Best Article, Paper or Program by a Student Member and the new Freedom Award.

The MRE is a one-day event, held on Wednesday, Oct. 3. MRE session topics and speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.

The SBE National Meeting and the MRE will be held at the Doubletree by Hilton Boston North Shore. The hotel is located 19 miles north, up I-95, from downtown Boston and Logan Airport.

Information about MRE registration and other details will be released later this summer.
Registration for the SBE National Awards Reception and Dinner is made through the SBE website. Reservations are required ($16) and made online at the SBE website by calling the SBE National Office at 317-846-9000. There is no other registration fee to attend SBE National Meeting events.

Make hotel reservations at the Doubletree by Hilton Boston North Shore by calling 978-777-2500 and ask for the Society of Broadcast Engineers SBE discount. A special rate of $149 per night plus tax has been arranged for the event.

Save the dates and plan to make your way to Boston for this year’s SBE National Meeting and the Media Resource Expo.

SBE 2017 National Meeting

October 25-26, 2017

Crowne Plaza Denver Airport Convention Center, Denver, CO

Awards Dinner Keynote Speaker: Robert Weller, VP Spectrum Policy, NAB As the vice president for spectrum policy at the National Association of Broadcasters, a position he assumed in July 2014, Weller is responsible for developing and implementing spectrum policy for the NAB. Prior to joining the NAB, he served in a number of technical and management roles at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and as an engineering consultant to the telecommunications industry. During his 15 years at the FCC, Weller was the chief of technical analysis in the Office of Engineering and Technology. Earlier in his FCC career, Weller was director of Denver District Office where he was responsible for the agency’s enforcement, engineering, and public relations activities over a five-state area. Before that he was a senior consulting engineer with Hammett & Edison. He started his career at an AM/FM combo in the San Francisco Bay Area and has changed his share of aviation beacons. He is a three-term president of the AFCCE and a two-term director of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society. He earned his master’s degree in electromagnetics from The George Washington University and his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of California at Berkeley. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in California and Colorado.

The annual Society of Broadcast Engineers National Meeting will be held in Denver on Oct. 25-26, 2017, in conjunction with the Rocky Mountain Audio/Video Expo.SBE members from the region and across the country are invited to attend. The SBE national Meeting includes the SBE Annual Membership Meeting and annual SBE National Awards Reception and Dinner. Program details are below. Admission to the SBE National Meeting requires registration to the Engineering Conference. (all times are Mountain Time.)

SBE Schedule

October 25

■ SBE Certification Committee Meeting

2:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Crowne Plaza

■ SBE Board of Directors Dinner

5:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Crowne Plaza

■ SBE Board of Directors Meeting

6:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Crowne Plaza

October 26

■ SBE Fellows Breakfast 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.Crowne Plaza Sponsored by Kathrein

■ SBE Annual Membership Meeting

2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Crowne Plaza

The meeting will be streamed live online.

Webcast sponsored by AC Video Solutions, BlackMagic Design, Dielectric, DVEO, HD Radio/DTS and Micronet Communications.

■ SBE National Awards Reception 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.Crowne Plaza Sponsored by Comrex

■ SBE National Awards Dinner 5:00 – 7:45 p.m.Crowne Plaza Sponsored by The Telos Alliance The Telos Alliance is providing a $250 Amazon gift card as a door prize during dinner

Registration for the SBE Awards Reception and Dinner has closed.

Event sponsorships are available. Contact Debbie Hennessey (317-846-9000) for information.

Rocky Mountain Audio/Video Expo (AVX)

■ Conference Info

■ Program Schedule

■ Conference Exhibitors

■ Register for the Conference

Accomodations

Reserve a room at the Crowne Plaza Denver Airport. Use the booking code XVA

Denver to Host SBE 2017 National Meeting

The Mile High City of Denver, CO, will host the 2017 SBE National Meeting on Oct. 25-26. SBE President Jerry Massey made the announcement at the end of the 2016 SBE Annual Membership Meeting held in Columbus, OH, last October. The National Meeting will be held in conjunction with Audio/Video Expo (AVX) at the Crowne Plaza Denver International Airport Hotel. The host chapter is Chapter 48 of Denver and the Colorado Front Range.

The SBE National Meeting includes the SBE Annual Membership Meeting, the SBE National Awards Reception and Dinner and the SBE Fellows Breakfast. Also meeting during the event will be the national SBE Board of Directors, and the national SBE Certification Committee.

The AVX is a two-day event that includes a trade show with more than 100 media and A/V oriented exhibiting companies, and two dozen workshops and seminars.

The Crowne Plaza DIA is a first class hotel that includes a 60,000 sq. ft convention center and offers free shuttle service to and from Denver International Airport. The SBE National Meeting was last held there in 2012.

More information about the SBE National Meeting will be available beginning in June. Watch for it in The Signal and SBE-news. All members and friends of the SBE are invited to attend. Members in Colorado and neighboring states are particularly encouraged to attend while the SBE National Meeting is close by. Save the dates: Oct. 25-26 for the 2017 SBE National Meeting and AVX.

Columbus, OH, to Host 2016 SBE National Meeting

SBE President Jerry Massey has announced that the 2016 SBE National Meeting will be held in Columbus, OH, on Oct. 26-27. The venue will be the downtown Greater Columbus Convention Center and the adjacent Columbus Crowne Plaza Hotel. The event is being hosted by the Ohio Association of Broadcasters in conjunction with its annual Ohio Broadcast Engineering Conference. The conference is supported each year by the SBE chapters of Ohio.

The SBE National Meeting includes the SBE Annual Membership Meeting, the SBE National Awards Reception and Dinner and the SBE Fellows Breakfast. The national Board of Directors will also meet during the event, as will the national SBE Certification Committee.

The OAB Broadcast Engineering Conference includes broadcast technical presentations of interest to radio and television engineers planned and organized by an advisory committee of broadcast engineers within the state of Ohio and OAB staff. A trade show of equipment and service suppliers is also a popular part of the OAB Conference.
The downtown Columbus Crowne Plaza Hotel is a 375-room, first-class hotel connected by covered walkway to the convention center. The hotel and convention center have easy access off I-670 and is adjacent to Columbus’ Short North neighborhood of shops, art galleries and restaurants.

All members and friends of the SBE are invited to attend. Members in Ohio or neighboring states are particularly encouraged to attend while the SBE National Meeting is close by. Save the dates: Oct. 26-27 for the 2016 SBE National Meeting and OAB Broadcast Engineering Conference.

SBE Announces Winners of 2015 National Awards

The Society of Broadcast Engineers announces the recipients of the 2015 SBE National Awards. The awards recognize excellence and achievement by individual members, SBE chapters and Sustaining Member companies. The two highest individual awards are the Robert W. Flanders SBE Engineer of the Year and the James C. Wulliman SBE Educator of the Year.

Presented to a member who has excelled in his or her career while furthering the mission of the SBE, the Robert W. Flanders SBE Engineer of the Year is awarded to Roswell D. Clark, CPBE, CBNT, of Clearwater, FL. Clark is a member of SBE Chapter 39 Tampa Bay, FL, where he serves as treasurer. He is a past chairman of Chapter 39.

The recipient of the James C. Wulliman SBE Educator of the Year award is recognized for outstanding service and excellence in sharing knowledge through teaching other broadcast engineers. The winner of the award is SBE Chapter 39 Tampa Bay, which began hosting an annual day-long technical training seminar in 2009 and has held it every year since.

Roz Clark has worked in broadcast engineering for more than 30 years. Currently, Roz is the director of technical operations for Cox Media Group in multiple markets. He is also a facilitator of Chapter 39’s one-day symposium that provides an educational experience for the regional engineers who cannot attend the NAB Show or similar events. Roz was a leader in the implementation of HD Radio and adoption of radio’s part in social media and other platforms.

2015 marks the third year that the Chapter Engineer of the Year Award has highlighted the achievements of members within their chapters. This year, nine chapters selected their own award recipients. Each winner will be presented with a special certificate and will be recognized nationally on the SBE website and in a future issue of The Signal. The nine chapter winners also were automatically nominated for the national Robert W. Flanders SBE Engineer of the Year Award.

Members of SBE Chapter 39 have produced a one-day educational technical training seminar for the past six years. Various speakers are invited to make presentations focused on technology and without a sales pitch. Every seminar brings a mixture of major companies as well as local companies working in the industry at a low cost to attendees. The 2015 Symposium is scheduled for November 12. Chapter members who have been a part of the planning are Roz Clark, Dylan Scott, Larry Stephen, Bill Brown, Paul Kempter, Ralph Beaver, Mike Galik, Jake Tremper, Sheila Cowley, Mike Cernack, John Collinson and the late Steven Hess.

Blackmagic Design is awarded the 2015 SBE Technology Award for its 12G-SDI, which has a high data throughput and allows for SD, HD and Ultra HD video to be sent via a single BNC cable. The increased bandwidth also supports the emerging high frame-rate Ultra HD 60p format.

The winner of the Best Technical Article, Book or Program for his article in the October and December issues of The Signal and an issue of the Chapter 24 newsletter is Tom C. Smith of Sun Prairie, WI, for Look at TV Repack Scenario, Chapter 24.

Chapter Awards
Best Chapter Website and Best Social Media Site
Chapter 80 of Fox Valley, WI

Best Chapter Newsletter (tie)
Chapter 24, Madison, WI, and Chapter 70, Cleveland, OH

Best Regional Convention or Conference
Chapter 24, Madison, WI, and the 2014 Broadcasters Clinic

Several SBE National Awards recognize chapters for growth in membership, percentage of certified members and highest average attendance at chapter meetings. These awards are based on statistics kept at the national office, as submitted by all chapters. Two awards for each category are presented, based on chapter enrollment. Class A represents chapters whose membership is less than the national median. Class B includes chapters with a membership greater than the national median.

Greatest Growth in New Members
A: Chapter 111, Huntsville, AL
B: Chapter 45, Charlotte, NC

Most Certified Chapter
A: Chapter 118, Montgomery, AL
B: (tie) Chapter 24, Madison, WI; Ch. 131, Inland Empire CA

Highest Average Member Attendance
A: Ch. 85, Central Western OK
B: Chapter 34, Albuquerque, NM

Nominations for the 2016 awards will open in February.

All the awards will be presented during the SBE National Awards Dinner on October 14, at the SBE National Meeting in Madison, WI. The National Meeting is being held in conjunction with the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Broadcasters Clinic.