On October 27th, Mexican TV stations aligned their virtual channel numbers with their network identifications. After re-scanning channels, you’ll find, for example, XHTJB Tijuana, physical channel 21, identifies now as 11-1 since it broadcasts Canal Once from Mexico City, replacing its most recent virtual channel number as 3-1. That last number had been its analog channel. XHJK, Azteca 13, physical channel 28, now identifies as 1-1.

Not all stations along the border are following this protocol. Tijuana’s Canal Las Estrellas, slated to be 2-1 throughout most of Mexico, was still 57-1 when last scanned. Stations were not re-identified if it was believed their virtual channel number would conflict with a US virtual channel ID.

US TV stations in major O&O markets at one time aligned their TV channel allocations with their mother networks. CBS stations signed on channel 2, NBC channel 4, DuMont channel 5, and ABC channel 7 wherever they could.

With all the discussion regarding studio video over IP, it gets a little nutty to try and sort out all the players trying to move the industry forward.  Scott Barella, Deputy Chairman of the AIMS (Alliance for IP Media Solutions) Technical Work Group and the new CTO of Utah Scientific will explain the progress of IP video and how the standards groups of SMPTE, EBU, AES as well as industry groups such as VSF and AIMS are working together to help move the IP initiative forward.

He will also review the key differences of SMPTE 2022-6/7 and TR-03/04 and what the engineers are doing behind the scenes to make it all work together.

Scott will then also share where Utah Scientific is in their development of some key products enhancing existing systems that are raising a few eyebrows.

Join us for this bonus meeting Wednesday, September 21, at 12 noon at KFMB Stations, 7677 Engineer Road. Utah Scientific will pick up the tab for lunch.  This is truly bleeding edge information that we’re lucky to see the day before the presentation is made in L.A.

Something we don’t talk a lot about are the precision electro-mechanical devices we use at the transmitter–the RF power metering, RF switch control, dummy loads, and so on. What goes into this gear? What’s the state of the art? We intend to take the wraps off this wizardry at this month’s SBE meeting. Bob Tarsio, President of Broadcast Devices Incorporated, will present information about the advanced devices used in transmitter plant infrastructure.

Bob spoke Wednesday, September 14th at KGTV in San Diego before a number of local engineers.

Bob’s been at BDI since 2002, when he left a 20 year stint at Viacom as their Director of Engineering. Earlier, he was a radio Chief Engineer at what was WLTW/WAXQ in New York.

IT Manager Andrew Moore is widening his responsibilities again as he takes the Assistant Chief Engineer KGTV, the San Diego ABC affiliate. Andrew had moved from sister station KERO Bakersfield as Maintenance Engineer in 2011, but was promoted to IT Manager in 2014. He reports to Director of Engineering Bob Vaillancourt.

John Gangitano recently returned to KFMB Stations as Broadcast Engineer.

He had specialized in IT services during his stay from 2006 to 2008 and left to join L-3 Communications during the recession. He has over 16 years of widely varied IT and broadcast experience in San Diego, and has an MA in Educational Technology and BS in Business Administration from SDSU.