All posts by Gary Stigall

Meetings

SBE Online Presentation: All About WebRTC by Comrex

When Apple, Google, Microsoft and Mozilla team up, you might think, “Nothing good is going to come of this.” You’d be so wrong. An Open Source project is typically the last thing these tech behemoths would ever want to be involved in, let alone with their fiercest rivals. WebRTC is a fascinating example of how good things can be born of necessity and how they can foster cooperation on multiple levels. We’ll discuss the basics of WebRTC and the multitude of applications that are already using it to change the way the world communicates.  This is especially important in light of the rapid evaporation of our “traditional” telco infrastructure. We’ll also cover broadcast-specific applications and the future of live content creation.

SBE members and guests are welcome to join us online Tuesday, June 8, 2021 at 6:30 PM PDT/AZT.

Register in advance for this Zoom meeting here.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

About the Presenter

Chris Crump has served as the Sr. Director of Sales & Marketing for Comrex since 2004.  In 1987, he began his professional radio career at ABC/Cap Cities Detroit before taking the Features Editor position at MediaBase Research/Monday Morning Replay. On-air, remote broadcast engineer, Creative Services Director roles followed for Capitol Broadcasting (subsequently Paxson Communications) in Orlando and the Ron & Ron Radio Network in Tampa/St. Petersburg. 

In 1996, Crump moved to the manufacturing side of the broadcast business performing sales & marketing roles for Spectral, Inc., Euphonix, Symetrix and Klotz Digital America.  Crump resides in Buford, Georgia (outside of Atlanta) with his wife Seval, 16 year-old daughter Zara and their Affenpinscher Olive.  He is a CBNE certified member of SBE Chapter 5 in Atlanta as well an Assistant Scoutmaster in Dacula, GA.

Local News

Laszlo “Les” Zoltan Passes Away

We learned last week that the owner and CEO of DVEO in Ranch Bernardo, Laszlo “Les” Zoltan, died of complications of COVID-19 on January 30 this year.

According to his San Diego Union obituary, he was born in Hungary to Holocaust survivors, but they escaped to Canada when he was nine years old. Les graduated from the University of Waterloo with a degree in Electrical Engineering. After working at Tektronix for two years, he obtained a Master’s in Business Administration Degree from McGill University. In the U.S., he created Computer Modules, Inc. in 1982, selling industrial boards for PCs. Later under the name of DVEO, he sold video processors, converters, and streaming devices, as well as satellite receivers.

Les and DVEO supported SBE Chapter 36 as a sponsor and he was a part of the local broadcast community.

Local News

Ken Crabtree Passes Away

We just learned that broadcast engineer Kenyon “Ken” Crabtree of Vista died January 19, 2021 due to the COVID-19 virus.

Ken Crabtree, engineer

Ken had worked for ViaSat in Carlsbad as a satellite systems engineer from 2012 until 2020.

Previously, he had been part of the Qualcomm team responsible for the rollout of MediaFLO.

Before 2007, he had worked for local broadcasters as a contract engineer with such clients as Finest City Broadcasting (XETRA, XHITZ, XHRM), and International Communications Network (K61GH, now KSDY), and KPRI (FM). He worked with Robert Gonsett to move KKOS (now KSSX) 95.7 to Mt. Soledad.

He was an experienced skydiver. He is survived by his wife Tricia, as well as daughters Taylor Proulx and Rhiannon Kohler and two grandchildren.

Thank you for the tip, Robert Gonsett.

Meetings

April 13 Online Meeting: C-Band Satellite Repack De-mystified

The C-band auction is in full-swing but it’s surprising how much there is to know as a downlink manager. For example, did you know that TV stations in the top 46 markets (including San Diego and Los Angeles) need to change filters twice in the coming three years? Did you know most radio stations can install a “blue” filter now?

Doug Watson of LinkUp unwraps all this in a Zoom presentation Tuesday, April 13, at 6:30 PM. This meeting, organized by Los Angeles Chapter 47, is open to all members and the curious. Sign-up here.

Doug joined LinkUp last year as a technical sales engineer. LinkUp is doing a lot of the field work of upgrading dishes with new filters and related services.

Local News

KRPE-LP Applies for Digital Flash Cut

San Diego’s remaining analog TV station, posing as an FM station, filed with the FCC to switch to ATSC service. KRPE-LP on Mt. San Miguel operates on TV channel 6 as “Guadalupe Radio 87.7 FM.” The station visually shows an ID slide or live video.

The FCC is requiring all analog TV stations, like KRPE-LP, to cease operating July 13, 2021. That date is coming fast for LPTV station groups that must change transmitters and filters in the next four months. Venture Technologies owns KRPE-LP San Diego and many other channel 6 analog stations nationwide. The application for a flash cut includes a request to extend the Construction Permit to January 10, 2022, allowing 87.75 to continue broadcasting in FM while Venture builds the digital station.

Venture Technologies recently withdrew its application for a channel 14 digital companion channel for San Diego in favor of the digital flash-cut filing for channel 6.

The FCC in 2019 asked for comments on the operation of analog FM carriers on TV channel 6. Venture Technologies joined the Preserve Community Programming Coalition to file comments supporting the operation of an analog FM signal at the top end of channel 6 while using ATSC 3.0 for the remainder of the channel–a technology compromise that would avail the use of 87.7 and 87.9 MHz for FM while making the lower end of the channel for ATSC. They say lab tests have shown that properly made tuners can decode the ATSC signal. EMF is a member of this coalition.

NPR and REC Networks oppose the continuation of so-called “Franken FMs.” NPR appears to be concerned about interference to existing FM stations in the 88.1 to 91.9 noncommercial portion of the FM band in the US. For example, KKJZ Long Beach at 88.1 is potentially vulnerable to an alternate frequency signal at 87.7 MHz. In fact, they have co-existed for years in the Los Angeles market.

NPR also mentions that if diversity is what the FCC wants in allowing 87.7 and 87.9 signals, the FCC should consider opening all of the 82 to 88 MHz TV channel 6 spectrum for the 30 FM carriers it could handle.

REC Networks maintains that channel 6 FMs get an unfair advantage with an exemption from HAAT (height above average terrain) rules that would derate the power of similar FM stations in neighboring spectrum. More broadly, they maintain that the signal contour rules give them a big advantage.

The FCC has yet to make a ruling on the continuation of FM signals on channel 6 TV.

(The author, Gary Stigall, has as clients EMF and Venture Technologies but did not consult with either for purposes of writing this article.)