The SBE has released the latest addition to the Broadcast Station Self-Inspection Guides. The new document covers low-power FM (LPFM) stations. The SBE released the AM, FM and TV Guides in 2024. The SBE partnered with the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) to produce the Guides. These guides are designed to aid stations and Alternative Broadcast Inspection Program (ABIP) inspectors in evaluating a broadcast station’s compliance with FCC rules and regulations.

The Guides are being developed to replace the FCC Self-Inspection Checklists that were first released in the 1990s, but had not been updated for nearly 15 years. While the previous Checklists only provided references to rules, the new SBE Guides include recommended practices for stations to establish policies and procedures for their own stations to ensure overall regulatory compliance.

The SBE Government Relations Committee, chaired by Charles “Ched” Keiler, CPBE, 8-VSB, ATSC3, CBNE, formed a working group of SBE members in April 2022 to begin reviewing and updating the Guides. Additional Guides for other broadcast services are under review and will be released later.

The Guides are available for download from the SBE website under the Legislative/Regulatory and Resources tabs. They are free to SBE members.

Sage Alerting Systems announced today that it has ceased manufacturing its Sage Digital ENDEC, model 3644. “Some parts for the ENDEC are no longer available”, said Harold Price, President of Sage. We have parts on hand for repairs, and we expect to be able to continue repairs on ENDECs now in the field for several years. Warranty repairs will also continue.

Sage will continue to support the firmware in the 3644 ENDEC, and will continue to provide user support via email and phone lines. The next planned firmware update is a free maintenance release for minor bugs and to enable the Missing or Endangered Persons (MEP) alert code.

Sage has no immediate plans for a replacement for the 3644. Price says “EAS has always been an odd niche business with a very bursty sales rate. The FCC has been contemplating major changes to EAS rules for the last year or two. What happens next remains to be seen. Sage will continue to evaluate opportunities for new products in the coming months.”

The O*NET Data Collection Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, seeks the input of expert electronics engineers for data for the Dept. of Labor. O*NET, a comprehensive source of occupational data, is conducting the survey. O*NET is a free resource and provides instant access to detailed descriptions on more than 1,000 occupations that drive the U.S. economy.

The Federal Communications Commission announced the extension of the deadline for all EAS Participants to submit their ETRS Form One for calendar year 2024 in the Emergency Alert System (EAS) Test Reporting System (ETRS) to October 18, 2024.

The FCC said it was extending the filing deadline, which was previously October 4, 2024, to reduce burdens on EAS participants recovering from the damage caused by Hurricane Helene. EAS Participants that have already submitted their ETRS Form One for calendar year 2024 need not take any further action.

Filers can access ETRS by visiting the ETRS page of the Commission’s website. Filers must use their registered FCC Username that is associated with the FCC Registration Numbers (FRNs) for which they will file. Filers that have already created a Username for use with another FCC system may access the ETRS with that Username. Filers that do not remember the password that corresponds with their Username may reset it here.

Longtime broadcast engineer Richard Burden passed away June 22, 2024 at the age of 92. A post on the SBE Chapter 47 Facebook page said, “It is not often in life that you meet someone who loves his family, friends and profession like Richard Burden. He gave 200% to everything he did with a smile on his face and love in his heart. We are all better people having known him.”

Richard’s notable career started in 1950 with his serving as Chief Engineer at his Lafayette College radio station, then his attendance at the RCA Institutes. He went on to participate in research at technology junctures that included FM stereo, TV stereo, and Traveler’s Information Service. He befriended the likes of Saul Marantz, Avery Fisher, and Rudy Bozak, but always had time for you.

Burden became a charter member of the SBE in 1966 and was still active this past year. He was elected as a Fellow in 1999, then received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.

An article in the Radio World magazine has more information. You can read a fascinating transcript of an oral history interview on the Energy and Technology History Wiki website.