The candidate for Certified Professional Broadcast Engineer must have at least 20 years of professional broadcast engineering or related technologies experience in radio and/or television, exclusive of any educational credit. Because the CPBE requires 20 years of professional experience in broadcast engineering, educational credits will not be counted toward that total. CPBE candidates must verify 20 years of compensated professional experience excluding educational credits. The candidate must presently be certified on the Senior Broadcast Engineer level unless registered as a professional electrical engineer in the U.S., Canada, or any other jurisdiction with a reciprocity agreement with the U.S. Accreditation Board for Engineering Technology, Inc. (ABET).
The candidate must submit evidence satisfactory to the Committee that he or she has the appropriate engineering background, experience and training. The candidate must demonstrate a degree of knowledge and participation in one or more of (but not limited to) the following:
- Maintenance
- Systems Design
- Management or Supervision
- Continuing Education
A registered Professional Electrical Engineer’s license (as stated above) will count as four (4) years. However, if you are a registered Professional Electrical Engineer and meet the 20 years of service in broadcast or related technology, you may obtain Professional Broadcast Engineer Certification without taking a test.
The candidate must have three (3) letters of reference. Two (2) must be from Certified Professional Broadcast Engineers, Certified Senior Broadcast Engineers or Registered Professional Electrical Engineers (as stated above). At least one letter of reference must be from a person who has supervised his/her work. This person does not necessarily have to be certified; however, if he or she is certified at one of the above-mentioned levels, that reference will be counted as two (2) letters. The required letters of reference, written specifically for the 20-year certification level, must accompany the application. In addition to the completed application form, a resume attached to the application is most helpful to the National Certification Committee in reviewing the application. You must also submit a statement showing why you believe your professional experience, educational background and training qualifies you for certification under this provision of the Certification Program.
The review procedure for Professional Broadcast Engineer certification will be the same as that used for recertification. The application for CPBE will be reviewed by the SBE Local Chapter Certification Committee before final evaluation by the National Certification Committee.
