This weekend I’m traveling by car to perhaps my 33rd NAB Show. I say perhaps because I’ve been going since 1983 but missed a couple and lost count. Continue reading NAB Shows of Days Gone By
Category Archives: Commentary
Bargain of a Lifetime? Perhaps
Steve Moreen and I had the good fortune to join an IT Networking class in Los Angeles organized by Chapter 47 and led by legendary broadcast IT rock star Wayne Pecena. Not only did we learn a few things, we experienced how a truly talented teacher does his work. Continue reading Bargain of a Lifetime? Perhaps
Chapter 36 Survey: What Your Friends Think About Us
A few developments about SBE tend to alarm those of us involved in the organization’s leadership:
- Chapter 36 SBE member count has reduced from 57 two years ago to 39 this year—a 30% drop.
- Last week’s Chapter 47 meeting in Los Angeles was canceled due to lack of reservations. Only four people from a chapter with 197 members bothered to RSVP for their dinner meeting.
- Chapters in Philadelphia, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City and Honolulu no longer hold meetings at all.
So what’s going on?
Continue reading Chapter 36 Survey: What Your Friends Think About Us
KFMB-AM Restores 50 kW Nighttime Power
Making Waves – Commentary
In case you missed it, the FCC last week dismissed KFMB-AM San Diego’s FCC application to decrease its nighttime power to 10 kW.
Say whaaaat?
KFMB-AM went from 5 kW to 50 kW nighttime power on 760 kHz in 1992 when state highway 52 was built between its towers and the station could leverage the Caltrans displacement funds to up its power. They tightened their peanut shaped antenna pattern with the third tower in order to continue to protect co-channel WJR Detroit. The lower daytime power is a rare case in the U.S. , but with KBRT Avalon short spaced at 740 kHz, KFMB wasn’t allowed to increase its daytime power past 5 kW. In most U.S. locations, stations either lower power at night or change to a directional pattern to protect the signals of stations that came before them.
Lessons Learned Hiring New Engineers
Any broadcast engineering manager can tell you hiring competent help has become a challenge. I just went through a long period of interviews and failures to launch new employees for this reason or that. I know some other local managers have had trouble getting new engineers as well. Here are some of my observations: Continue reading Lessons Learned Hiring New Engineers