Blog Archives

Dennis Thompson

Hello Radio, and TV, and all the ships at sea.

Hope your holidays are exceeding expectations. more…

Dennis Thompson

 Hello Radio, and TV, and all the ships at sea.

As we are approaching the halfway point of 2021 I hope everyone is surviving the up and downs of the industry. You know, the ups: Time to head to the hill for some transmitter work and generator refueling. The downs: time to crawl into the racks to find replace/check/add that cable(s).

June is busting out all over, hailed the Rodgers and Hammerstein song. Soon the masking requirements for California will end and perhaps we will bust out of our Zoom gatherings to a suitable watering hole for the monthly SBE meetings. The NAB2021 will be busting out in Las Vegas in October (9-13) and has now opened registration for the long awaited busting out. Check out NAB2021 H E R E.

The FCC is busting out a rate increase (approximately 8%) in the annual station fees charged to broadcasters. See chart below:

And the EAS NPT is still scheduled for August 11 2021 to make sure that things aren’t busted. Unless something big busts before then. If so, look for a rescheduling.

Drones are busting out all over, too. Check out the SBE’s upcoming Webinar (July 29) on how to use drone technology to keep your antenna/tower system from getting busted.

Finally, SBE Secretary-Treasurer Steve Dresser, who has never been busted in his life, so I’m told, has the latest scuttlebutt on the Central Valley FCC happenings right here in this Newsletter. Remember that our Newsletter advertisers that support SBE66 are always available with their services, so please check them out. Their expertise just might keep something in your facility from getting. . . uhh, busted.

Dennis Thompson

Hooking up to the March SBE66 ZOOM meeting is just a (few) clicks of your mouse away. Join us, won’t you?  more…

Dennis Thompson

The realization that COVID-19 has been with us too long just hit home. I noticed that I’m wearing last years face covering. I hate being out of fashion. more…

Dennis Thompson

It is the last day of the year and my new year’s resolutions are to keep an ample supply of face coverings, remember to wash my hands, and safely distance from others. I should not have any problem keeping any of these, as I have had plenty of practice for the last nine months. What will the new year bring? You can count on a new FCC commissioner, Ajit Pai will be stepping down. Radio Disney won’t be the happiest place on earth, they will cease operations in Q1 2021. Location, location, location. . .that prime spectrum real estate in the 3.7-3.98 GHz band — a portion of the C-band, is going to net the treasury in excess of 70 billion dollars. NAB2021 isn’t happening in April, it has been moved to October (not holding my breath). There is possibly a vaccination (or two) heading your way. And the new normal has replaced the old normal, even though no one can remember quite what normal was and if they would recognize it, if and when it does return.

We will be attempting our new normal once again, as the SBE zoom-room will be open at noon on Thursday December 31^st. Look for an accompanying email to this letter for the link.

Dennis Thompson

Because of the recent PG&E outages, I hope you are not reading this by candle light . . . more…

Dennis Thompson

Join SBE 66 on Thursday May 30th for the monthly meeting and hosted lunch presentation at the Mitsui Buffet in Clovis. Joining us will be Buck Waters, Sales Manager at Broadcasters General Store (BGS) and Paul Kriegler, US Sales Manager, Radio Processing at Omnia. SBE 66 Chairman Jaime Gonzalez is out of town so look for Vice Chairman Tom Whitlock to be wielding the come-to-order gavel.

Dennis Thompson

The amended and updated San Joaquin Valley (SJV) Emergency Alert System (EAS) Plan has received approval from the State of California. One immediate change of note, will be the even month EAS RWT. Previously being originated from KMJ (LP-1 station) they will now originate from KVPR FM (LP-2 station).  more…