A late August tour of the La Mirada transmitter site tour sponsored by SBE Chapter 47 brought together an impressive collection of veteran chief engineers, including Marvin Collins, now 90, who was Chief Engineer of KFI (AM) 640 between 1976 and 2000, along with current CE Doug Irwin.
The iHeartMedia crew maintains impressive redundancy, including three capable transmitters, two independent antennas, electric generator, and standby studio.
Many thanks to GatesAir and their regional sales rep, Ron Lane, for helping to support SBE Chapter 36 activities. It was great to see Ron at our September meeting. Ron, a veteran broadcaster himself from KKOS Carlsbad, had worked for Pacific Research & Engineering before the company was acquired by Harris, that later split into two companies, one of which is today’s GatesAir.
We had a nice turnout at Dirty Birds in the SDSU College Area on September 17.
Many thanks to Ron Lane and GatesAir for sponsoring our lunch!
FCC rules just went into effect allowing FM stations to originate programming on boosters, effectively giving them the right to target ads to certain segments of their coverage area. The rule was approved in November 2024 but adopted in late July.
In San Diego, Audacy’s KWFN 97.3 has a system with a main transmitter in Southeast San Diego and four independent boosters, each with HD capability. They could sell ads unique to booster coverage areas in La Jolla, Carlsbad, San Marcos, or Romona. The new rules allow up to three minutes per hour of independent broadcasting.
One limiting factor is with mobile receivers. When moving between coverage zones, a listener in an automobile would hear an ad being interrupted by a different ad. And with terrain shielding, as is likely in North County, these switches could occur frequently as one signal dominates another with movement. KWFN would have to file with the FCC to allow this operation.
GeoBroadcast Solutions introduced the geotargeting concept, proposed the new rules, and developed the concept with several broadcasters, including KWFN. I was involved in helping to set up the boosters in 2021. Precise timing with GPS helps to make synchronized boosters viable. Terrain helps isolate the booster from the main signal, but hills in the booster coverage area can make mobile reception tricky. Also, using boosters in a metro area like San Diego can be hindered by adjacent channel reception, especially when trying to maintain a digital HD sideband signal.
[From National SBE and local reports]
The Society of Broadcast Engineers has announced the recipients of the 2025 SBE National Awards, which recognize outstanding achievements by individual members, local chapters, and Sustaining Member companies. Among the organization’s highest honors are the Robert W. Flanders SBE Engineer of the Year and the James C. Wulliman SBE Educator of the Year awards.
Doug Irwin, CPBE, AMD, DRB, of Burbank, CA, a member of SBE Chapter 47 Los Angeles, has been named the 2025 Robert W. Flanders SBE Engineer of the Year. With nearly four decades of experience on both coasts, Irwin manages one of the most complex and influential radio operations in the country. His career has navigated the challenges of industry consolidation and evolving technologies, yet he remains deeply committed to advancing engineering standards and mentoring the next generation of professionals. As one Chapter 47 member stated, “Doug exemplifies unwavering dedication and genuine passion for broadcast engineering.”
Matthew Wilson Anderson, CSRE, staff engineer at iHeartMedia, was named SBE Chapter 47 Los Angeles Engineer of the Year. Matt was formerly with San Diego State University, KPBS, and iHeartMedia in San Diego before moving to Los Angeles. He’s been a chapter leader for years.
I’ve had the privilege of working with both Doug and Matt as Event Frequency Coordinators in the NFL and can tell you they make critical tasks look easy and have interpersonal and leadership skills second to none. Both Doug and Matt were instrumental in helping build the iHeart infrastructure with redundancy that allows for high reliability with a low staff level, lower stress, and free weekends.
Read here for more winners of the 2025 SBE Awards Program.