Jobie Sprinkle has a national profile in public radio engineering in the United States. Now he is also being honored by the public station where he has worked for 36 years and counting.
He received a Beacon Award at an event celebrating the 45th anniversary of WFAE this month.
Sprinkle is WFAE’s director of engineering/IT. “Since 1990, he has managed the station’s broadcast and computer operations as well as four radio signals: WFAE in Charlotte and WFHE in Hickory, N.C., and two translators in Laurinburg, N.C., and Southern Pines, N.C.,” the organization said in its announcement.
“Between 2004 and 2005, he directed WFAE’s studio conversion to full digital operations and conversion of WFAE/WFHE to HD digital radio broadcasting.”
Prior to WFAE, Sprinkle was director of engineering at WCQS (now Blue Ridge Public Radio), operations director at WISE and chief engineer at WWNC, all in Asheville, N.C.
“He has consulted with many public radio stations in North Carolina and across the country including WHQR in Wilmington, N.C., WFDD in Winston-Salem, N.C., and Hawaii Public Radio.”
He is a founding executive board member and former president of the Association of Public Radio Engineers.
The Beacon Awards recognize individuals who have “played a pivotal role in transforming WFAE’s journalism and community engagement service to the Charlotte region.” Also honored this month were former board members Astrid Chirinos and Mark Ethridge.
President/CEO Ju-Don Marshall called Sprinkle “an absolute treasure. He is the quiet force behind WFAE, ensuring that our station reaches hundreds of thousands of listeners across the region. He also equips our team to go out into the community – whether it’s for reporting, events or public conversations. He is not just a gift to WFAE but to many stations throughout North Carolina that have relied on his expertise to help them navigate station launches and emergencies.”
