Meetings

October 20 Online Meeting: What’s Up with Frequency Coordination?

When the FCC sold off the 600 MHz band to telecom, it left wireless microphone and foldback monitor device operators scrambling for workable spectrum, especially in the largest metro areas.

I’ve been coordinating frequencies for the NFL since 2012, and now perform the pre-game coordination for the Chargers, Rams and 49ers. Monitoring and enforcement means travel to Los Angeles on some game days. With the Super Bowl coming up this February in Los Angeles, we’re preparing to jam more wireless gear into more diverse frequency bands.

In an online presentation, we’ll review current options for wireless options in each available band. What are power users buying? What spectrum is best to use for your applications in LA, San Diego, and Phoenix? What spectrum must be avoided? What’s new with NFL coordination? What’s been happening at recent Super Bowls? 

Join me Wednesday, October 20, 2021 at 6:30 PM. SBE Members and all interested are invited. Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUuduGqrDksH9eN3ZJk2dejComqrvevg8vl

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

National

SBE Elects First Woman President

New SBE President Andrea Cummis

The Society of Broadcast Engineers, the association for broadcast and multimedia technology professionals, announces the results of the 2021 election for the national board of directors. Andrea Cummis, CBT, CTO, was elected as the society’s president. Cummis is the chief technical officer of PBS39/WLVT-TV, in Bethlehem, PA. She is the first woman to be elected to hold the office. She is a member of SBE Chapter 15 in New York City.

Regarding the election, President-elect Cummis said, “I look forward to serving the Society and its members. President Wayne Pecena has led the society through an interesting and unusual time, and as everyone looks forward to a return to normal, I’m pleased that the society is still growing and thriving. I’m eager to work with the Board of Directors and the membership so we can expand our membership and outreach to the media professionals among us.”

Continue reading SBE Elects First Woman President →
Local News

FCC Cancels KJUX Construction Permit

On August 30, 2021, the FCC canceled the expired Construction Permit of proposed AM 1400 broadcaster KJUX Lemon Grove. The associated FM translator K229DP CP expires October 2, 2021.

The applicant, Gerard Turro of Christyanna Broadcasting, Inc., in June this year had requested a tolling (legal extension) of their CP deadline citing financing issues and delays in construction. However, the FCC rejected their arguments and ultimately, the request to extend the CP deadline.

Christyanna engaged in a long battle to gain the Construction Permit beginning with the application in 2007. Gold Coast Broadcasting, owners of co-channel station KUNX 1400 Santa Paula, filed numerous Petitions to Deny. Ultimately, KJUX won a construction permit but did not build the facility.

Local News

KTCD-LP License Canceled

The FCC on August 10, 2021 canceled the license of KTCD-LP by request of station owner Entravision, who chose to let the license lapse rather than upgrade it to a digital facility before the June 13, 2021 deadline. KTCD had operated on analog TV channel 46 from Mt. Woodson with a very low power service to Ramona, but had obtained an FCC Construction Permit to allow it to change to channel 31 after having been displaced in the 2017 600 MHz band repack due to the sale of spectrum to T-Mobile and other mobile carriers.

The station had reached an agreement with International Communications Network, operators of KSDY-LD on Mt. San Miguel to share channel 31, with KSDY using a directional antenna array aimed at Chula Vista and Tijuana to the southwest and KTCD non-directional but using only 140 W ERP from atop Mt. Woodson. KTCD-LP went dark in mid-2020 after telecom operators began claiming their auctioned 600 MHz spectrum.

Local News

KUMI (FM) Relinquishes License

Activist San Diego (“ASD”), licensees of a new non-comm FM station, KUMI 89.9 Romona, sent a letter to the FCC dated July 19, 2021 responding to an earlier FCC letter asking for clarification regarding whether the station had ever been on the air.

Acting General Manager Martin Eder said in the response that they had offered to transfer the license to the Los Coyotes Tribal Chairman’s Association but “heard nothing in return.” Eder did not state whether ASD had actually ever installed or operated a transmitter in spite of having claimed to have been on the air since July 2019 and having held a current license.

Eder told the FCC that ASD “voluntarily relinquishes our FCC broadcast license for 89.9, Romona, CA hoping to serve the greater good.”

The FCC canceled the license July 24, 2021.

Society of Broadcast Engineers