Since TV channels 52 through 69 were recently auctioned off or given to such applications as cellular or public service “first responders,” the FCC is moving to sweep out existing unauthorized users. Consider, for example, the wireless microphones in your studio.

So it seems especially timely that we have as our presentation guest at our February meeting Criss Niemann, representing Shure wireless microphones and other products.

Criss, Technical Sales Director with Audio Geer will speak at the Chapter 36 SBE meeting at Western Radio Electronics on Wednesday, February 17.  Criss will be talking about how the recent FCC rulings are affecting wireless microphone users. The meeting starts at 12:00 noon and will end around 1:30PM. Shure Audio will provide lunch. Western Radio Electronics is located at 7558 Trade Street, in the Miramar area of San Diego. Members and guests welcome. For more information call Eva at 619-992-2654.

About Criss

Criss Niemann, Director of Technical Sales, joined Audio Geer in 2003 to establish increased services specifically for systems integrators. As both a Project Manager and design engineer for Long Communications, Inc. in North Carolina, he gained extensive knowledge in sound system design, EASE modeling, Smaart Analysis, AutoCAD and the general construction trade.  Criss is a graduate of University of Denver with a Bachelors Degree in Jazz and Classical Studies and engineers in various large churches and other performance venues around the Los Angeles area.  Criss holds a CTS-D certification.

Ed Simeone, K6EGS, from Linear Acoustic will present a historical overview of previous attempts to control broadcast loudness at the monthly SBE Chapter 36 meeting on January 13. Ed will also deliver the latest news on the current state of the CALM Act as it winds its way through the legislative process. The meeting starts at 12:00 noon at TV Magic, 8112 Engineer Road, and will end around 1:30PM. Linear Acoustic will provide lunch. Call Eva Langer at 858-650-3155 with any questions

Fallbrook broadcast engineering consultant Robert Gonsett was honored for “Lifetime Achievement” at the Chapter 36 December banquet. The dinner, at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel at Montgomery Field, had in attendance many of Bob’s local clients and friends.

Bob used his widely published CGC Communicator this fall to coordinate news regarding the Station Fire in Los Angeles that threatened the transmitter sites on Mt. Harvard and Mt. Wilson. Sometimes he sent multiple messages daily to assure word got out about road outages and progress of the fire’s front line.

A southern Californian resident from birth, Bob began his regional frequency measuring and spectrum analysis business in the early 1970s. He helped several FM stations shuffle frequencies or change facilities (or both) in order to improve their coverage while decreasing their RFR footprint. In Tucson, he was able to create a new, more accessible and better located radio transmission site from scratch. And he worked closely with Mexican authorities and broadcasters, including longtime client XETV, whom he convinced to change to circular polarity to improve rabbit ear antenna reception.

A special thanks to TV Magic and SCMS for helping to make this event a success. Chairwoman Gail Pineda and Program Chairwoman Eva Langer put substantial work into the event, including obtaining door prizes that walked away with several in attendance.

We all know the value of broadcast automation from companies such as Sundance, Harris, Crispin and others. Based on a traffic log, these systems manage both longform and commercial playback during a predictable broadcast day. There is another way to look at automation and efficiency.

At the next Chapter 36 meeting, Jeff Muhleman, Product Marketing Manager for DNF Controls will present the company’s latest whitepaper, DNF Event-Based Automation. The whitepaper demonstrates how this new automation category compliments traditional automation systems as well as substantially improves operations in live production by simply adding intelligent rules-based equipment control into existing workflows around virtually any existing equipment.

TV Magic San Diego hosts the meeting Wednesday, November 11th. The meeting starts at 12:00 Noon and will end around 1:30PM. DNF Controls buys lunch.

Call Eva at 858-650-3155 with any questions.

You all know by now that capturing and trimming audio and video for later playout is a big waste of time. Store and forward servers and versatile playout servers are all the rage now, because you cut out all that labor in the middle processes.

At the next Chapter 36 meeting, Vice President of Broadcast Market Development for Omneon, Paul Turner, presents an overview on File Based Workflows and compression—not one size fits all. TV Magic San Diego hosts the meeting  Wednesday, October 14. The meeting starts at 12:00 Noon and will end around 1:30PM. Omneon buys lunch. Call Eva at 858-650-3155 with any questions.

Paul recently had an article published in Broadcast Engineering covering “The New World of Codecs and Formats”. The article was an overview on file-based workflows.