The events, seminars & sessions at NAB 2004

Mar 1, 2004 12:00 PM, By Chriss Scherer, editor

Each year, the NAB and SBE team up to offer the most concentrated broadcast engineering education opportunity available. Each spring, the NAB convention hosts the Broadcast Engineering Conference (BEC), which has been the launching point for countless broadcast technologies and new ideas. This year, the BEC offers a rich landscape of engineering issues to explore.

While the convention floor doesn’t open until Monday, the technical sessions begin Saturday. When planning your trip, be sure to arrive early to participate in all the sessions.

The Broadcast Engineering Conference

Saturday, April 17

SBE Ennes Workshop

8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Moderators: Andrea Cummis, Oxygen Network; William Hayes, Iowa Public Television; Fred Baumgartner, Broadcast Technical Services

8:45 a.m. Opening Remarks – John Poray, Society of Broadcast Engineers

9:00 a.m. An Overview of the IT Conversion – Al Kovalick, Pinnacle Systems

9:45 a.m. Managing Content – Ted Mina, EMC

10:30 a.m. Storage Systems for Media – Sujal Patel, Isilon Systems

11:15 a.m. The Operational Impact of the IT Conversion – Lynn Rowe, One World Technologies

Noon Middleware: The Modern IT Infrastructure for Broadcasting – John Hoehn, IBM Business Consulting Services

1:45 p.m. Cataloging Content – Craig Finseth, Firwood Consulting

2:30 p.m. ESPN’s Digital Conversion – Kevin Ivey, BBC Technology

3:15 p.m. Clear Channel’s IT Conversion – Michael DeClue, Clear Channel Broadcasting

4:00 p.m. Turner’s IT Conversion – Clyde Smith, Turner Broadcasting System

4:30 p.m. IT Impacts on Workflow – Christopher Golson, SGI

Sunday, April 18

NAB Broadcast Engineering Conference Keynote

9:00 – 9:30 a.m.

Consumer Electronics Association President Gary Shapiro will keynote the NAB2004 Broadcast Engineering Conference. The title of Shapiro’s talk will be �Broadcasting in the Balance – A Consumer Technology Perspective.� Shapiro has been an early and active leader in the launch of digital and high definition television. He co-founded and chaired the HDTV Model Station and served on the board and executive committee of the Advanced Television Test Center (ATTC). He is a charter inductee to the Academy of Digital Television Pioneers, and in 2003 received its highest award as the industry leader most influential in advancing HDTV. Shapiro has also maintained that digital radio is radio’s destiny.

State of the Art in Radio 2004

9:30 a.m. – 12 noon

Chairman: Al Kenyon

9:30 a.m. Expanding Digital Broadcast Services Using MPEG-4 HE AAC and Other SBR-Enabled Technologies – David Frerichs, Coding Technologies

10:00 a.m. Tomorrow Radio – Mike Starling, National Public Radio

10:30 a.m. A Modern Radio Station – Marvin Born, Dispatch Broadcast Group

11:00 a.m. State-of-the-Art in Receiver Design for HD Radio – Trudy Stetzler, Texas Instruments

11:30 a.m. Advances in AM Modulation Techniques that Improve Digital Transmission for HD Radio and DRM – Ky Luu, Harris

Preparedness, Security and Recovery for Radio and Television

1:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Chairman: Thomas Weber, WISH-TV

1:00 p.m. New Industry Standard for Public Alert Receivers – David Wilson, Consumer Electronics Association

1:30 p.m. Design Considerations for Emergency Power Systems at Broadcast Facilities – Gregory Forbes, PBS

2:00 p.m. Broadcast Business Continuity – Sidney Skjei, Skjei Telecom

2:30 p.m. Violations of Basic Computer Security Principles within the Television Broadcast Community and Some Suggested Solutions – Paul Claxton, American Forces Radio and Television Service

3:00 p.m. DTV Datacast Networking for Homeland Security and Distance Education – Richard Ducey, Spectrarep

3:30 p.m. Network Disaster Recovery Challenges and Implementation – Tom Mikkelsen, Starz Encore Group

4:00 p.m. Eliminating Failover and Achieving Continuous Uptime for Tapeless Windows – Pablo Esteve, Thomson Grass Valley

4:30 p.m. Keeping Broadcast Facilities Online in the Digital Age – Alan Katz, MGE UPS Systems

5:00 p.m. EAS and Disaster Preparedness: Can They Work Together? – Roswell Clark, Cox Radio

5:30 p.m. Mission Critical Broadcast Design; The Show Must Go On – Leo Soucy and Linda Sand, Facilities Engineering

Monday, April 19

Digital Radio Transition Worldwide

10:30 a.m. – 12 noon

Chairman: Milford Smith, Greater Media

10:30 a.m. DRM in the AM Band – H. Donald Messer, IBB/VOA

11:00 a.m. Digital Radio Broadcasting in Europe: The Show is on the Road – Philip Laven, European Broadcasting Union

11:30 a.m. Metadata for Radio Broadcasting – Shigeru Aoki, TokyoFM Broadcasting

IBOC and Digital Facilities Implementation

1:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Chairman: Norm Philips, Susquehanna Corporation

1:00 p.m. Real-world IBOC Installations – Paul Shulins, Greater Media

1:30 p.m. Real-world AM IBOC Coverage Using a Consumer IBOC Radio – Thomas Ray, Buckley Broadcasting/WOR Radio

2:00 p.m. IBOC: The Real World – John Kennedy, Entercom Boston

2:30 p.m. Dueling Algorithms Meet IBOC (Can Audio Survive?) – Herb Squire, DSI RF Systems

3:00 p.m. Enhancing the Digital Path: Digital Multiplex (D-MPX) Connectivity – R. Scott Martin, Nautel

3:30 p.m. Test Results of Dual Input Sidemount FM Antenna – Eric Wandel, ERI

4:00 p.m. HD Radio: A Cost-effective Approach to Producing Enhanced Radio Programming for a Digital Audience – Nicolas Hans, Dalet Digital Media Systems

4:30 p.m. HD Radio Receiver Updates – Bill Whikehart, Visteon

Tuesday, April 20

Radio RF and Transmission Developments

9:00 a.m. – 12 noon

Chairman: Martin Hadfield, Entercom

9:00 a.m. Linearity Performance Measurements in Modern AM Transmitters and the Relationship to HD Radio and DRM Performance – Phil Schmitt, Harris

9:30 a.m. IBOC RF Measurements – David Maxson, Broadcast Signal Lab

10:00 a.m. Evaluation and Improvement of AM Antenna Characteristics for Optimal Digital – Ronald Rackley, du Treil, Lundin & Rackley

10:30 a.m. Design and Field Results for the Utilization of Circulators in High-power Broadcast Transmission Systems – Jim Stenberg, Dielectric Communications

11:00 a.m. HD Radio FM Broadcast Coverage: What to Expect – Mike Bergman, Kenwood USA

11:30 a.m. EH Antenna – Ted Hart, EH Antenna Systems

RDS and Data Broadcasting

1:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Chairman: David Layer, NAB

1:00 p.m. RDS Implementation in the U.S. – Ryan Steelberg, Dmarc Networks; Kelly Christensen, Stratosaudio; Allen Hartle, The Radio Experience; Jeff Littlejohn, Clear Channel; David Layer, NAB

2:00 p.m. Enabling the Application Layer in Broadcast-based Datacasting – Jackson Wang, E-Radio

2:30 p.m. Song Title and Artist over RDS: The Nuts and Bolts – Tom McGinley and Dave Casey, Infinity Seattle

3:00 p.m. IBOC Data Services Overview – Jeff Detweiler, Ibiquity Digital

3:30 p.m. Methodology for Data Service Multiplexing – Paul Signorelli, Impulse Radio

4:00 p.m. IBOC Data Broadcasting at Your Station – Ray Miklius, Broadcast Electronics

4:30 p.m. Traffic Data: The Killer App? – Joseph Reed, Mobility Technologies

Wednesday, April 21

Technical Regulatory Issues for Radio and Television

8:30 a.m. – 12 noon

Chairman: Thomas Ray, Buckley Broadcasting/WOR Radio

10:00 a.m. RF Exposure Management – David Maxson, Broadcast Signal Lab

10:30 a.m. What is NEPA? – Robert Repasky, The Payne Firm

11:00 a.m. Broadcast Auxiliary Service Frequency Coordination, and Database Issues – Timothy Hardy, Comsearch

11:30 a.m. A Summary of FCC BAS Issues – Dane Ericksen, Hammett and Edison

Technology Luncheon

12 noon – 1:45 p.m.

Radio Facilities Management

2:00 – 4:30 p.m.

Chairman: Troy Pennington, Cumulus Broadcasting

2:00 p.m. Broadcasters in the Open Source Age – Frederick Gleason Jr., Salem Radio Labs/ Salem Communications

2:30 p.m. Quality Assurance in Technical Management – David Baden, Radio Free Asia

3:00 p.m. Effective Project Management; Implementing New Technologies and Controlling Risk – Kevin English, EDS

3:30 p.m. Grounding Practices for Broadcast Facilities – Alan Rebeck, RO Associates

4:00 p.m. Standby Power Generation’s Role in Disaster Preparedness and Recovery – Charlotte Hanley, Cummins Power Generation

Thursday, April 22

Radio Broadcast Content Collection and Distribution

9:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Moderator: David Layer, NAB

9:00 a.m. Exploring New Directions in Radio Production – Alan Peterson, WMET-AM

9:30 a.m. WANcasting; What Are You WANning For? – Jeff Zigler, Prophet Systems Innovations

10:00 a.m. Digital Audio File Distribution for Radio – Motoko Sasaki and Naruhiko Nihira, Tokyo FM Broadcasting

10:30 a.m. Sound Processing: A Time and a Place – David Reaves, Translantech Sound

Other sessions of interest

While the Broadcast Engineering Conference by itself is enough to keep you busy, there are other sessions that may carry an interest for the technology manager.

Monday, April 19

2:30 p.m. – 3:15 p.m Going Digital: If You Build It�

3:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Going Digital: When Will They Come?

Tuesday, April 20

12:15 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Radio Luncheon

Wednesday, April 21

9:00 p.m. – 10:15 a.m. Building, Building Out, Building Over: Facilities on Budget

SBE Events

The Society of Broadcast Engineers has several events and meetings planned during the convention. SBE members are welcome to attend any of these functions, especially the membership meeting.

SBE Board of Directors meeting
Sunday, April 18
8:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Hilton Grand/Royal Salon

SBE/NFL Game Day Coordinators meeting
Monday, April 19
9 – 11:30 a.m.
Hilton Conference Rooms 4 & 5

SBE EAS meeting
Monday, April 19
2 – 4 p.m.
LVCC N255

SBE Ennes Educational Foundation Trust annual meeting
Monday, April 19
12 noon – 1 p.m.
Hilton Conference Room 11

SBE Frequency Coordinators meeting
Tuesday, April 20
10 a.m. -12 noon
Hilton Conference Rooms 4 & 5

Adhoc group on BAS 2GHz transition
Tuesday, April 20
8 – 9:30 a.m.
Hilton Conference Rooms 4 & 5

SBE certification exams (advance registration required)
Tuesday, April 20
9 a.m. – 12 noon
Hilton Continental/Club Salon

SBE membership meeting
Tuesday, April 20
5 – 6:30 p.m.
LVCC N110

Amateur Radio Operators’ Reception

Wednesday, April 21

6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

One of the most popular events at the convention, the reception draws broadcasters from all geographic areas and interests. Where else can CEO a comfortably mingle with a shop technician? The event will feature DJ All Night Mike and door prizes. The event is sponsored by Heil Sound.

National Public Radio Engineering Conference

NPR will again hold technical training for station engineers, general managers and operations personnel before the NAB convention on April 16 and 17. See details at www.prss.org/training/prec.cfm.