SBE regulatory counsel Brooks Pierce reports that the FCC has issued additional updates regarding filing deadlines that occurred during and immediately after the government shutdown. The Thus far, the FCC has issued a global public notice (https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-25-943A1.pdf) extending many filing deadlines, and the Media Bureau has issued several additional public notices addressing various Licensing and Management System filings (https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-25-947A1.pdf) and political file recordkeeping uploads to the Online Public Inspection File (https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-25-948A1.pdf). FCC databases most often used by broadcasters are currently scheduled to again be available for filing and uploads on Nov. 18, 2025.

Brooks Pierce provided this summary of new filing dates.

Third Quarter 2025 Issues/Programs Lists: December 1, 2025

EEO Filings: November 24, 2025

Political File Records: Varying by state:
     November 19-26, 2025: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut
     December 1-8, 2025: Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, DC
     December 9-16, 2025: California
     December 17-24, 2025: All other states and territories

Any STA that would have expired between October 1, 2025, and December 4, 2025, is automatically extended through December 5, 2025. Licensees “must file the necessary STA extension request or notification that the facility has commenced licensed operation by 11:59 p.m. EST on December 5, 2025.”

EAS/ETRS Form One: November 18, 2025

Universal Licensing System Filings: Filing deadlines for authorizations that fell between October 1, 2025, and December 5, 2025, inclusive, are generally now due by December 5, 2025. The Global Notice provides separate guidance and deadlines for spectrum auction activities and certain unique categories of ULS filings.

This is not a complete list of all dates and situations. Consult your communications counsel for other dates that may affect  your facility.

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The FCC says additional guidance will be issued before Nov. 18. As this news item was posted, the FCC’s affected various systems were not yet back online.

The post FCC Issues Reprieve for Most Filings Following Shutdown appeared first on The Society of Broadcast Engineers.

The NAB BEIT Conference is designed for broadcast engineers, technicians, technology managers, developers, contractors, equipment manufacturers, consultants and researchers. The conference will address current and technical topics, with a forward-looking emphasis on the evolution of technology across radio, television, digital and the broader media and IT ecosystem.

Papers selected for the NAB BEIT Conference will also be published in the Proceedings of the 2026 NAB BEIT Conference in April 2026.

Submissions are required to fall under one of the NAB BEIT Conference’s focus areas. Reference the official Call for Proposals page for more information.

Proposals must be submitted by Nov. 14, 2025. Incomplete or late proposals will not be considered. Notifications will be sent to accepted presenters by Jan. 12, 2026.

Graduate and undergraduate students (18+ years old) are invited to submit papers for the NAB BEIT Conference. Papers must align with one of the NAB BEIT categories and will be reviewed alongside professional submissions. The selected best student paper will be presented during the NAB BEIT conference and published in the Proceedings. The best student paper award will be presented at the NAB BEIT Opening Session at the 2026 NAB Show, with travel assistance provided to the winner.

Student papers are also due by Nov. 14, 2025, NAB BEIT Conference Student Paper Submission Portal.

The post 2026 NAB Show Opens Call for Papers appeared first on The Society of Broadcast Engineers.

If the shutdown extends beyond Oct. 10, stations should note why the report is being filed after the deadline, citing the government shutdown.

Watch the FCC site when the government reopens so you can ensure your stations files their reports.

The post Filing Issues and Programs Reports and the Government Shutdown appeared first on The Society of Broadcast Engineers.

The Harold E. Ennes Scholarship, Robert D. Greenberg Scholarship, John H. Battison Founder’s Scholarship and Gino Ricciardelli Scholarship are awarded to individuals interested in continuing or beginning their education in broadcast engineering and technology. The Youth Scholarship is specifically for a graduating high school senior interested in broadcast engineering as a career. Each scholarship awarded this year is for $3,000.

The Harold E. Ennes Scholarship recipient is Lee Cusack from Boxford, MA. They are an audio/radio major at Hofstra University, who hopes to one day be a chief engineer at a radio station in Boston. Lee first discovered their passion for broadcast engineering when they did some troubleshooting work with a Comrex Liveshot at 96.3 WJOP-LP. At Hofstra University, Lee is the technical director of 88.7 FM, WRHU, working with the chief engineer to keep the station functional 24/7. Lee’s favorite piece of equipment is the Sony Anycast Touch AWS-750.

Receiving the Robert D. Greenberg Scholarship is Maximillian Vokoun, CBT, CPT, CBNT, of Gilbert, AZ. He is a student at Mesa Community College studying electrical engineering. His current roles include being a broadcast engineer at KTVK/KPHO, and the head of broadcasting at Bamboo Productions LLC, a broadcast company that he and other people his age started to provide freelance work for local companies and high schools. A lot of his experience so far is thanks to his time at Mesa Community College, where he used to work as an AV technician, learning the basics of terminating, soldering, and troubleshooting systems. This scholarship has granted him the opportunity to continue his education at his old workplace and start of his career, Mesa Community College. When he is finished with college he hopes to be able to continue freelancing at every major stadium/arena in Arizona.

The John H. Battison SBE Founder’s Scholarship has been awarded to Nayab Warach, an electronics engineering student at Texas A&M University. He will graduate in 2027. He currently serves as general manager of KANM Student Radio, Texas A&M’s fully student-run internet radio station. Previously, he led a major infrastructure modernization project and now continues to support the technical side of the operations. KANM recently received a construction permit for an LPFM station, which plans to launch by the end of 2025. He is also a licensed amateur radio operator (KI5YBE) and an active member of Texas A&M’s amateur radio club, W5AC. In his work with KANM, he has collaborated with the engineering staff at KAMU-FM, the university’s NPR affiliate, gaining experience in practical broadcast operations and regulatory compliance. These experiences have led him towards a career in broadcast consulting. He is particularly interested in providing technical and regulatory services for broadcasters.

The Gino Ricciardelli Scholarship has been awarded to Maddox Murray, from Benton, AR, who graduated from Benton High School in May 2025 and now attends the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, studying electronics engineering. His interest in electronics began by servicing vintage hi-fi receivers, not long after meeting his current boss, Jay Brentlinger, owner of the Arkansas Rocks Radio Network. Murray has worked for the network since May 2024 as an apprentice broadcast engineer, initially servicing legacy audio processors, setting up studio equipment, and gaining hands-on experience with the systems within the studio. His experience now includes work at transmitter sites.

Shawn Ray received the Youth Scholarship. From Cypress, TX, he is a freshman at Carnegie Mellon University, majoring in video and media design. Shawn has served as a media engineer for TSTV (Texas Student Television), where he managed the transition to a fully HD production workflow. He has also volunteered as an A/V technician for community events and spent a summer interning with the engineering department at a local PBS affiliate, KLRU-TV. After graduation, Shawn plans to pursue a career in broadcast systems integration, with the goal of designing and building next-generation production facilities for national sports networks.

SBE President Kevin Trueblood, CBRE, CBNT, said, “The SBE has an ongoing focus on education, and the Ennes Scholarships are yet another piece of our overall education efforts. The SBE continues to encourage young people to pursue careers in broadcast and media technology. The SBE and I look forward to seeing the great progress of these budding engineers as they further their education goals with the assistance of the Ennes Educational Foundation Trust.”

The Harold Ennes Scholarship Fund Trust was initiated by Indianapolis Chapter 25 in 1980 in memory of Harold E. Ennes, author of many textbooks for broadcast and broadcast-related communications training and a member of the Indianapolis chapter. Ennes was a member of the SBE’s national Certification Committee and made many contributions to the early development of the Certification Program. To encourage greater growth, the Scholarship Trust was transferred by Chapter 25 to the SBE national organization to administer in 1981. The name of the Trust was changed in 1995 to the “Harold Ennes Educational Foundation Trust” to fully embrace its expanded role.

The post Ennes Educational Foundation Trust Awards Annual Scholarships appeared first on The Society of Broadcast Engineers.

On his election, Kevin said, “I look forward to leading an association that is vital to the success of so many professionals. In the coming year I plan to focus on strategic planning, look at ways to expand our Ennes Workshops, and ensure our certification and education offerings match the demands of the modern engineering landscape.”

Kevin has been an SBE member since 2008. He served as SBE vice president from 2023 to 2025, secretary from 2022 to 2023, treasurer from 2019 to 2022, and one term on the Board of Directors from 2017 to 2019.

Geary S. Morrill, CPBE, AMD, CBNE of Chapter 91 Central Michigan, has been elected vice president. Geary has served on the SBE Board of Directors since 2019, and also served terms as treasurer and secretary.

Shane Toven, CPBE, DRB, CBNE (Chapter 43 Sacramento), has been reelected to a second term as SBE secretary. He previously served three terms as a director, first being elected in 2018.

Charles “Ched” Keiler, CPBE, 8-VSB, ATSC3, CBNE, of Chapter 53 South Florida, has been elected treasurer. Ched served three terms as a director from 2019 to 2025. He also served three terms previously from 2011 to 2017.

   

Elected to serve two-year terms on the board of directors, which also begin Sept. 25 are:
• Terry Douds, CPBE; Chapter 52 Central Ohio; Lancaster, OH
• Kirk A. Harnack, CBRE, CBNE; Chapter 103 Nashville; Nashville, TN
• Brad Humphries, CBT; Chapter 45 Charlotte; Charlotte, NC
• Zhulieta Ibisheva, CBTE; Chapter 37 Washington, DC; Washington, DC
• John Mackey, CPBE, 8-VSB, DRB, CBNE; Chapter 124 North Oregon; Portland, OR
• Jeff Welton, CBRE; Chapter 100 Canada; Chester, NS
Douds, Humphries, Ibisheva and Welton were incumbents and were re-elected.

The national board of directors of the SBE is responsible for the development of policy and determines the programs and services the society provides to its more than 4,000 members. Those elected will begin their terms on Sept. 25, 2025, during the SBE Membership Meeting. They will join the other six directors who have another year remaining in their terms:
• David Antoine, CBRE, CBNT; Chapter 15 New York City; Charleston, SC
• Gregory Dahl, CPBE; Chapter 96 Rockford; Rockford, IL
• Dustin Hapli, CBNE; Chapter 26 Chicago 26; Buffalo Grove, IL
• Jeff Juniet, CBTE; Chapter 42 Central Florida; Orlando, FL
• Sam Wallington, CPBE; Chapter 103 Nashville; Columbia, TN
• Fred Willard, CPBE, ATSC3, 8-VSB, CBNT; Chapter 37 District of Columbia; Dunkirk, MD

Ted D. Hand, CPBE, 8-VSB, AMD, ATSC3, DRB, of Chapter 45 Charlotte will serve as immediate past president.

The newly elected will be sworn in during the SBE Membership Meeting on Sept. 25 during the SBE National Meeting, held in conjunction with the Midwest Broadcast and Multimedia Technology Conference in Columbus, OH. The conference is a joint production of the state broadcast associations of Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

The post Kevin Trueblood Elected President of SBE appeared first on The Society of Broadcast Engineers.

While FEMA will not conduct a nationwide EAS test in 2025, EAS Participants are required to participate in the nationwide EAS test and are required to make their 2025 ETRS Form One filings on or before October 3, 2025.

The post ETRS Form One Due Oct. 3, 2025 appeared first on The Society of Broadcast Engineers.

Greater Columbus Convention Center and Hyatt Regency
Columbus, OH

The annual Society of Broadcast Engineers National Meeting will be held in Columbus, OH, on Sept. 24-25, 2025, in conjunction with the Midwest Broadcast & Multimedia Technology Conference, presented by the state broadcast associations of Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Pennsylvania. SBE members from the region and across the country are invited to attend. The SBE national Meeting includes the SBE Annual Membership Meeting and annual SBE National Awards Reception and Dinner. Program details are below. Admission to the SBE National Meeting requires registration to the Conference. (All times are Eastern Time.)

SBE Schedule

September 24

■ SBE Certification and Education Committees Joint Meeting
Hyatt Franklin B
2:00 – 3:30 p.m.

■ SBE Board of Directors Dinner (invitation only)
Hyatt Morrow
5 – 6 p.m.

■ SBE Board of Directors Meeting
Hyatt Franklin A
6- 10 p.m.

September 25

■ SBE Fellows Breakfast (invitation only)
Hyatt Morrow
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

■ SBE Annual Membership Meeting
Columbus Convention Center Room D-180/181
4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
The meeting will be recorded for streaming later.

■ SBE Awards Reception
Hyatt Franklin C
6:00 – 6:30 p.m.

■ SBE National Awards Dinner
Keynote Speaker: Joe Frietchen, VP, Broadcast Operations and Engineering, Cleveland Cavaliers
Hyatt Franklin A/B
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Tickets are required for the SBE Awards Dinner. Purchase tickets online.

Event sponsorships are available. Contact Debbie Hennessey (317-846-9000) for information.

SBE National Meeting Sponsors

Thanks to these SBE Sustaining Members for their support.

                   

Midwest Broadcast & Multimedia Technology Conference

■ Conference Info

■ The SBE will exhibit in booth 401. Exhibits are open 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 25.

Accommodations

A block of rooms is available at a special rate at the Hyatt Regency Columbus.

The post SBE 2025 National Meeting appeared first on The Society of Broadcast Engineers.

Doug Irwin, CPBE, AMD, DRB, of Burbank, CA, and a member of SBE Chapter 47 Los Angeles, has been named the 2025 Robert W. Flanders SBE Engineer of the Year. With nearly four decades of experience on both coasts, Irwin manages one of the most complex and influential radio operations in the country. His career has navigated the challenges of industry consolidation and evolving technologies, yet he remains deeply committed to advancing engineering standards and mentoring the next generation of professionals. As one Chapter 47 member stated, “Doug exemplifies unwavering dedication and genuine passion for broadcast engineering.”

David Bialik, CBT, of New City, NY, and a member of SBE Chapter 15 New York City, is the recipient of the 2025 James C. Wulliman SBE Educator of the Year award. An SBE member for 15 years, Bialik played a key role in organizing the 2024 and 2025 Ennes Workshops covering Media Over IP, held during the NAB Show. He also serves on the SBE Education Committee and is co-chair of the AES Technical Committee for Broadcast and Online Delivery.

Blackmagic Design has received the SBE Technology Award for its DeckLink IP 100G, a PCIe Gen 4 card capable of capturing and playing back up to eight channels of HD and Ultra HD video simultaneously within SMPTE 2110 IP systems. This marks the company’s fifth win in this category. DeckLink IP cards are designed for seamless integration with IP-based broadcast infrastructures, offering high-performance, multi-channel video workflows.

Mark Lee of Compass Media, based in the Cayman Islands, has been awarded the Facility Innovation of the Year award. In a groundbreaking effort, Compass Media extended its WheatNet-IP audio network across 85 miles of underwater fiber to link its four radio stations with the two smaller Cayman Islands. This achievement significantly enhances media access and connectivity across the region, uniting communities through broadcast for the first time on this scale.

For the fourth consecutive year, SBE Chapter 15 New York, NY, has been recognized with the Best Chapter Communication Award. Rather than relying solely on a traditional newsletter, Chapter 15 effectively engages its members through a variety of platforms, including email, the chapter website (sbe15.com), Twitter, Facebook, and Zoom.

The Wisconsin SBE Chapters, in partnership with the 2024 Wisconsin Broadcasters Association (WBA) Media Technology Institute, have been honored with the award for Best Chapter or Regional Educational Event. The annual three-day institute, held in June, provides a comprehensive and immersive learning experience designed to support the professional development of broadcast engineers at all career stages.

Statistical Awards are determined with information based on Dec. 31, 2024, figures on file at the SBE National Office. Chapters are put into one of two classes: Chapters with 26 members (the chapter median) or fewer are Class A. Chapters with 27 members or more are Class B.

Chapter Engineer of the Year

SBE Chapters are encouraged to award their own SBE Chapter Engineer of the Year award. While not a national award, all recipients are placed into consideration for the Robert W. Flanders SBE Engineer of the Year honor in addition to direct nominees.

• Chapter 1 Binghamton – Ron Cappiello
• Chapter 15 New York City – George Kowal, CSRE, CSTE, CBNT
• Chapter 16 Seattle – Dave Ratener, CPBE, CBNT
• Chapter 17 Central Minnesota – Joseph Niffen, CSRE
• Chapter 37 District of Columbia – Steve Floyd
• Chapter 38 El Paso – Glenn Leffler, CPBE
• Chapter 47 Los Angeles – Matthew Anderson, CSRE
• Chapter 59 Kansas City – J. Kirk Chestnut, CPBE
• Chapter 70 Northeast Ohio – Chuck Poulton
• Chapter 80 Fox Valley – Matthew Converse, CBRE, CBT, CRO
• Chapter 148 Eastern Europe – Davit Robakidze, CBTE, CBNE, CTO

With the announcement, SBE Awards Committee Chair Terry Douds, CPBE, said, “Recognition and encouragement of outstanding efforts of SBE members is a key part of the SBE’s mission. Congratulations to all the award recipients.”

The recipients will be recognized during the SBE Awards Dinner held at the SBE National Meeting, Sept. 24-25 during the Midwest Broadcast and Multimedia Technology Conference, presented by the state broadcast associations of Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

The post SBE 2025 Awards Program Recognizes Outstanding Efforts appeared first on The Society of Broadcast Engineers.

The SBE Certification Committee recently reviewed and approved a new school to be included in the Certified School list: Wake Tech Community College for its Associates of Arts and Sciences Degree in Electronic Engineering Technology. Students completing this degree program can participate in the Broadcast Technology Academy, which is offered by the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters. Students are also enrolled in the SBE Technical Professional Training Program while they study. Upon successful completion of the degree program and Academy, graduates will receive the SBE Certified Broadcast Technologist certification.

“SBE Certified Schools are a fast-track educational path for people to obtain the knowledge for a career in broadcast engineering,” said SBE Certification Committee Chair Ralph Hogan , CPBE, ATSC3, DRB, CBNE. “By graduating with the Certified Broadcast Technologist, these students already hold a valued certification by potential employers.”

SBE President Ted Hand, CPBE, 8-VSB, AMD, ATSC3, DRB, added, “Education is a prime focus of the SBE. SBE Certified Schools and programs such as the NCAB Broadcast Technology Academy are an ideal way to accelerate a professional career. The SBE welcomes Wake Tech as a partner, and embraces the new engineers and technicians the school will provide.”

The SBE is actively pursuing agreements with other schools to join its Certified School list. The SBE has prepared a school sample curriculum to assist schools in creating a broadcast engineering degree program.

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