SBE members can now seek to add “DRB” after their names.
“Following recent changes in the FCC rules recognizing the viability of digital radio and the official endorsement of multicasting, the National Certification Committee of the Society of Broadcast Engineers is proud to announce its next specialist certification, Digital Radio Broadcast,” the organization stated. It will be rolled out at the SBE National Meeting in October in Monroeville, Pa.
The certification will qualify knowledge of digital radio including audio processing, STLs and transmission of multichannel digital program streams. To get this certification you’ll need to know about importers, exporters, the methods of combining analog and digital transmitters to antenna systems, delivery of digital audio signals and data to transmitter sites, transmitter emission mask measurements, AM and FM FCC rules, monitoring of digital signals and bandwidth requirements for AM antenna systems.
The announcement did not include the words HD Radio, instead describing the importance of digital audio broadcasting. It did state, “The specialist certification will focus on the current in-band, on-channel transmission system being deployed in the U.S.”
Applicants must hold SBE certification at the Broadcast Engineer, Senior Broadcast Engineer or Professional Broadcast Engineer certification level. The exam will consist of 50 multiple-choice questions and one essay question.
