Designing and building well-regarded audio-video furniture requires a disciplined combination of form, function, and craftsmanship. We are privileged to have just up the freeway in Laguna Niguel one of the greats of building both for broadcast radio and post-production television. Mitch Strohman of Laguna Designs will visit this month to show us some design considerations and ideas that he’s turned into functional art.

On Wednesday, October 16 at iHeartMedia in San Diego, Mitch Strohman gave a well-narrated slide show of some of their contemporary control room furniture designs. He emphasized the evolution toward minimalist furniture using extruded aluminum support and pre-manufactured laminated MDF surface since monitors are now flat and controls are often virtual. They do a lot of sophisticated multiscreen monitor walls now, as you might imagine.

About Mitch

Mitch Strohman started Laguna Designs Inc. in 2002 as a premier, solutions provider for Broadcast and Post Production technical millwork. “Having 20 years of design and project management experience as well as an entrepreneurial flair, we recognized the need for the specialized demands of the entertainment industry. We are a boutique shop that remains entirely focused on a relatively small market niche. We strive to provide personalized and innovative solutions with focused expertise.”

You should be able to drive around our terrain-challenged media market and receive excellent FM broadcast reception everywhere. Till now you haven’t been able to because of signal shadows and multipath. GEO Broadcast Solutions has been working on this throughout the nation and this year has been helping Entercom’s KWFN (FM) locally extend their 97.3 MHz signal through a series of boosters extending their coverage into northern San Diego County. The science of this is more complex than you might imagine; boosters have to be in-phase to the digital bit to work effectively. How do they do that?

Bert Goldman, advisor to GEO Broadcast Solutions, discussed at our September chapter meeting the science and implementation of what they call “Maxxcasting™,” SFN’s for FM broadcast transmission. They’re also working on a related technology, “ZoneCasting™” that could allow geographic targeting of ads within Maxxcasting™ regions.

Many thanks to GEO Broadcasting Solutions and the attendees who made this meeting a great success.

Now that the dust has settled on the TV channel repack projects in Southern California, how did it go? What were the challenges and how were they met? Steve Moreen will discuss the current status of the TV repack with updates on the TV markets of Los Angeles and San Diego.  The second part of the presentation will review the technical specifications and assembly drawings of the new KPBS-TV antenna, illustrating the inner workings of a slot style UHF TV antenna.  The final segment will include a short visual tour of the Dielectric factories.

Join us Wednesday, June 19 at 12 noon at iHeartMedia, 9660 Granite Ridge Drive in San Diego. Lunch will be provided by Dielectric. You’re always welcome to attend whether a member or not.

About Steve Moreen and Dielectric

Steve Moreen is a member of the Los Angeles SBE Chapter 47 with a background in radio and television broadcasting and satellite communications dating to the 1960s.  Prior to his position as the Western Region Sales Manager of Dielectric, Steve was the owner and General Manager of RF Specialties of California and a member and officer in the San Diego chapter of SBE.

Based in Raymond, Maine, Dielectric LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group. Dielectric is a leading provider of innovative broadcast products. Having celebrated its 75th year of operation, the company builds and delivers antennas and RF systems optimized for every TV and FM radio broadcast need since 1942. Dielectric is an innovative, customer-centric organization with a long history of engineering excellence in designing and manufacturing high-quality broadcast solutions. As a trusted partner of broadcasters worldwide, Dielectric maintains its legacy of advanced, precision RF solutions while building in features that prepare broadcasters for the future. More information can be accessed at www.dielectric.com.

BSW Director of Business Development John Lynch will feature two products for display and demonstration. The first is the new AM Processor from Orban, six years in development. The XPN-AM-ND is an entirely new concept from the legendary Bob Orban. Longtime broadcast engineer and Vice President of Orban Labs, Mike Pappas, will make the presentation.

Participating via SKYPE will be Alex Bonello, also a veteran broadcast engineer and President of INSOFT LLC. His company created the BSW exclusive Visual Radio System known as HDV-Mixer.

Join us Wednesday, May 15th at 12 noon at iHeartMedia, 9660 Granite Ridge Drive in San Diego. Lunch will be provided by BSW. You’re always welcome whether a member or not.