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Audio Engineering Society Convention Commemorates 50th Anniversary of Master FM Antenna at the Empire State Building

September 4, 2015

The Audio Engineering Society 139th Convention will be held at the Jacob Javits Center in New York from Oct. 29 through Nov. 1, 2015. The Empire State Building will host an event in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the master FM broadcast service, a technological marvel first constructed and used at the Empire State Building in 1965. The Audio Engineering Society, in conjunction with the Society of Broadcast Engineers, will host an informative presentation covering the technology and the techniques of the first and current combiner master FM antenna that serves the number one market in the United States. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from the innovators, engineers and radio stations who serve the millions of listeners daily in the New York Tri-State region.

A broadcast industry all-star panel, will be hosted and produced by David Bialik, chairman of the AES broadcast and streaming program, and moderated by Scott Fybush, a well-known industry journalist and tower site expert. Tickets will be required for this limited seating event. Availability will start Oct. 28 at the Javits Center. For more information closer to the date, please visit aes.org.

About the SBE
The Society of Broadcast Engineers is the professional organization of television and radio engineers and those in related fields. SBE has more than 5,100 members in 114 chapters across the United States and in Hong Kong. There are also members in more than 30 other countries. Most chapters meet monthly and offer educational programs and an opportunity to network with other engineers. SBE offers the largest and most recognized certification program for broadcast engineers, operators and technicians, with more than 4,500 certifications currently active.

For more information about the SBE, contact John L. Poray, CAE, Executive Director, at jporay@sbe.org or 317-846-9000, or visit the SBE website, www.sbe.org.

About the Audio Engineering Society
The Audio Engineering Society was formed in 1948 and now counts over 14,000 members throughout the U.S., Latin America, Europe, Japan and the Far East. The organization serves as the pivotal force in the exchange and dissemination of technical information for the industry. Currently, its members are affiliated with more than 75 AES professional sections and more than 95 AES student sections around the world. Section activities may include guest speakers, technical tours, demonstrations and social functions. Through local AES section events, members experience valuable opportunities for professional networking and personal growth. For additional information visit www.aes.org. This year’s 139th AES International Convention will once again take over the professional audio landscape of New York City, Oct. 29 - Nov. 1, 2015, at the Jacob Javits Center four days of in-depth tech program for audio professionals.

About the Master FM Antenna on the Empire State Building
Prior to 1965, only one station could broadcast from one antenna. The invention of a combined antenna system allowed multiple Radio stations to broadcast from one antenna array.

In 1965, Andrew Alford of the Alford Manufacturing Co, and Frank Kear of the consulting firm of Kear & Kennedy co-invented the first master FM combiner system in the world designed to allow individual FM stations to broadcast simultaneously from one source. The first of its kind, the Alford Master Combined Antenna system was an innovative technological breakthrough that saved money, allowed more stations to broadcast from a superior location and height atop the Empire State Building. The original antenna, commonly called the Alford antenna is still in use today as a back-up antenna and works exactly as it did when installed in 1965. The invention is now used all over the world.

About Empire State Building Broadcasting
Empire State Building (ESB) Broadcasting remains at the center of the New York Tri-State Region’s broadcasting operations. ESB's central location and strengthened technological backbone allows delivery of over-the-air broadcast signals to the entire designated market area. ESB's rebuilt telecommunications infrastructure provides broadcasters and the entire building with a state-of-the-art communications backbone with redundancies to assure the most robust and reliable communications systems anywhere. ESB offers combiner and transmitter rooms and communications facilities to accommodate all needs including endless combinations of setback space, offering multiple antennae location options for various broadcasting needs. ESB is a state-of-the-art physical plant from its comprehensive power distribution and RF Monitoring System to its work safety and security protocols, ensuring the highest level of service to their broadcasting and telecommunications clients.

Historically called the 8th wonder of the world, the building reflects the evolution of broadcasting. It was where Armstrong perfected his FM radio broadcast system; experimental TV started in the US, early color TV was broadcast and continues today as a communications hub adding advanced broadband and telecommunications, along with hundreds of other transmissions. Broadcasters call it their transmission home, with 19 FM stations and 14 TV stations broadcasting over the air. Stations broadcasting from the tower include those from ABC-Disney, CBS, NBC Universal, Fox Television Stations, Univision, iHeart Media, Spanish Broadcasting System, Emmis Communications, New York Public Radio, and Cumulus Media to name a few.

About the Empire State Building
Soaring 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan (from base to antenna), the Empire State Building, owned by Empire State Realty Trust, Inc., is the “World’s Most Famous Office Building.” With new investments in energy efficiency, infrastructure, public areas and amenities, the Empire State Building has attracted first-rate tenants in a diverse array of industries from around the world. The skyscraper’s robust broadcasting technology supports all major television and FM radio stations in the New York metropolitan market. The Empire State Building was named America’s favorite building in a poll conducted by the American Institute of Architects, and the Empire State Building Observatory is one of the world’s most beloved attractions as the region’s #1 tourist destination. For more information on the Empire State Building, please visit www.empirestatebuilding.com, www.facebook.com/empirestatebuilding, @EmpireStateBldg,www.instagram.com/empirestatebldg, www.youtube.com/esbnyc or www.pinterest.com/empirestatebldg

About Empire State Realty Trust
Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ESRT), a leading real estate investment trust (REIT), owns, manages, operates, acquires and repositions office and retail properties in Manhattan and the greater New York metropolitan area, including the Empire State Building, the world's most famous office building. Headquartered in New York, New York, the Company's office and retail portfolio covers 10.0 million rentable square feet, as of March 31, 2015, consisting of 9.3 million rentable square feet in 14 office properties, including nine in Manhattan, three in Fairfield County, Connecticut and two in Westchester County, New York; and approximately 727,000 rentable square feet in the retail portfolio.

Forward-Looking Statements
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