National

Harris to Sell Off Broadcast Division

Harris to Sell Off Broadcast Division

Written by Gary Stigall

Wednesday, 02 May 2012

Harris Corporation announced yesterday that it intends to divest its Broadcast Communications division. Since its acquisition of Gates Radio in 1957, Harris has remained a serious player in the broadcast electronics field. In the 1990’s, it worked to become an end-to-end solutions provider, acquiring such diverse and quality companies as Leitch, Videotek, Louth, Encoda, Intraplex, and even local audio console manufacturer Pacific Research & Engineering.

Harris Morris, president of the Broadcast Communications Division, released a statement supporting the sale:

“Today, Harris announced its decision to divest the Broadcast Communications business. I fully support this decision and believe that the timing is right for both Harris and Broadcast Communications.

“Operating independently or as part of a broadcast or media-focused enterprise will provide us with strategic investment, increased competitive flexibility, and customer focus to lead the continuing transformation in this competitive marketplace.

“The decision to divest in no way reflects the quality of the work Broadcast Communications performed in support of our customers and our company.  Harris simply determined that Broadcast Communications could provide higher value and operate more effectively under a different ownership model.

“In the interim, Broadcast Communications will continue to be a part of Harris Corporation and operate business as usual. Our valued relationships, both longstanding and new, remain our top priority. The global team will continue to work diligently to ensure our commitment to our customers and partners remains steadfast, our execution to fulfill commitments is flawless, and our progress against strategic objectives remains focused.”

via SBE San Diego Chapter 36 – Harris to Sell Off Broadcast Division.

National

FCC Retreats from Prohibition on EAS Alert Text-to-Speech Conversions

In late April, the FCC retracted its recent rules that would have prohibited live broadcast text-to-speech conversions. FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as well as broadcast and technical groups, had objected to that part of the FCC’s Fifth Report and Order, saying that less useful information would be passed to the public by automated equipment. The Commission was concerned that automatic text-to-speech conversion could misinterpret emergency information. Text-to-speech conversion can be used by stations implementing CAP technology due for adoption by the June 30th deadline.

Meetings

May 2012 Meeting – Richard Rudman Talks EAS

National broadcast preparedness expert Richard Rudman comes to San Diego May 16 to update Chapter 36 members and guests on the updates to the Emergency Alert System, EAS. What are the new FCC rules and how were they derived? What is the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP)? When and how will it be implemented in the southern California region? If you have questions regarding the EAS, this is a good time to ask.

Please plan to attend this important meeting Wednesday, May 16 at noon at TV Magic, 8112 Engineer Road in Kearny Mesa, San Diego. This no-host lunch will cost $10 for a sandwich and soft drink. As always, SBE members and guests are welcome.

About Richard Rudman

Richard has been Vice-Chair of the California EAS State Emergency Communications Committee (SECC) since 1995. He was also Chair of the Los Angeles EAS Local Emergency Communications Committee (LECC) from 1996 to 2002. He was Chair of the FCC EAS National Advisory Committee (NAC) 2000-2002 and Vice-Chair 1998-2000. That committee provided information to the Commission on the operation of the EAS and assisted State EAS Chairs and emergency managers with EAS training and problem-solving.

He authored chapters on communications facilities emergency planning and preparedness for the NAB Engineering Handbook and CRC’s Electronics Engineering Handbook.

Richard was Director of Engineering at KFWB Radio in Los Angeles from 1975 until 2002, and national President of the SBE from 1985 to 1987, and is now a Fellow of the Society.

Local News

May 2012 Member News

Michael Uhl has become an associate with Storyleaders.com, a sales training organization. He leaves a long broadcast sales career, most recently at Telos Omnia Axia. Before Telos, he sold routers at Sierra Automated Systems and audio equipment at Pacific Recorders and Engineering (now Harris).

National

SBE Offers New IT Certification

The Society of Broadcast Engineers offers a new engineering level Certified Broadcast Networking Engineer (CBNE) networking certification. Eligible engineers may now apply to take the CBNE exam to become certified.

This exam is intended for those in the broadcast engineering field who work closely with networking. The CBNE is an advanced level certification and therefore the content is more complex than the Certified Broadcast Networking Technologist certification. The CBNE does not replace the CBNT, which is a relevant certification for entry-level networking individuals.

The CBNE requires a minimum of 5-years of broadcast engineering experience in order to qualify for the certification exam. The first exams take place during the June 1-11 exam session with local SBE chapters. Examinees must answer 50 multiple-choice questions and one essay question during the exam.

“The successful completion of CBNE will demonstrate to employers the advanced level of knowledge their employees have in building and maintaining a modern broadcast plant,” said SBE President Ralph Hogan, CPBE, DRB, CBNT.

Hogan and Terry Baun, CPBE, AMD, CBNT lead the efforts to create the new certification level. This is the first time in 12 years that a standalone certification has been released by the SBE.

The SBE CertPreview study tool, quizzes users on over 50 questions similar to those on the actual exam. After the examinee takes the sample test, he or she may reexamine any missed questions. The user is then provided the reference book information used to create the question for additional study purposes. SBE CertPreview for CBNE is available for download or on CD on the SBE website.

The complete list of certification requirements, exam topics, and applications are available in the Certification section of the SBE website.

For additional information contact the SBE National Office at (317) 846-9000 or email SBE Certification Director Megan E. Clappe at mclappe@sbe.org.

Society of Broadcast Engineers