The Board of Directors of the Society of Broadcast Engineers, the association for broadcast and multimedia technology professionals, during its National Meeting held in Denver Oct. 25-26, adopted a new member benefit that will be available beginning January 1, 2018, called SBE MemberPlus.
Since the society’s beginning, SBE membership, with relatively low dues, has provided access to SBE publications, social media outlets, job listings, compensation survey results and access to a life insurance program at no additional cost. An SBE member’s dues has also provided member discounts for SBE certification, education programs and purchases at the SBE Bookstore. It also has given members the opportunity to participate in local chapters affiliated with the national SBE.
SBE President Jim Leifer, CPBE, said, “The SBE MemberPlus option will provide more value for our members who choose to take advantage of this membership enhancement. We also believe it will help to attract new members to the SBE because of the extensive educational value it brings.”
The SBE MemberPlus Option
Beginning January 1, 2018, individuals can choose to join or renew as a Regular, Senior or Associate member (based on eligibility) at the traditional low-cost rate of $85, and purchase any SBE online education program a la carte. SBE MemberPlus has all the benefits of Regular SBE membership and includes access to all the live and archived Webinars by SBE in the SBE catalog plus any new webinars the SBE adds during the membership year, but at a higher cost ($175). Currently, there are 61 webinars archived and available online, and the SBE will add one more before the end of 2017.
Free access to the extensive SBE webinar education resource is an enormous benefit. For less than the cost of two Webinars by SBE, the member who opts for SBE MemberPlus will have access to more than 62 online education programs that cover a wide range of technical broadcast and media topics. This includes the eight-part SBE RF101 series, the five-part Fundamentals of IT Networking, and many more.
SBE MemberPlus FAQ
Q: Is SBE MemberPlus a new member category?
A: No. SBE membership categories remain unchanged. SBE MemberPlus is still a Regular (or Senior or Associate) membership, but adds the benefit of full access to all Webinars by SBE.
Q: Can I upgrade my Regular membership to SBE MemberPlus at any time?
A: Yes. Annual membership renewal takes place on April 1, but an SBE member can pay the difference from Regular membership to SBE MemberPlus at any time to add the benefit. There will be no proration regardless of when the member makes the change.
Q: If I join the SBE midyear, can I prorate any portion of my dues?
A: New SBE MemberPlus members who join from Oct. through December will pay the full SBE MemberPlus rate, and then will pay a prorated SBE MemberPlus amount at their first renewal cycle the next year, just as Regular members do. This will coordinate those members with the April 1 – March 31 renewal cycle.
Q: Can I add SBE MemberPlus to my SBE Student, Youth or Life membership?
A: No. Members in these categories have the option of paying the full SBE MemberPlus rate if they wish. The difference between the SBE MemberPlus and Regular member rate cannot be added to the Regular dues rates for Student, Youth and Life members.
Q: Can I renew before April 1 to take advantage of SBE MemberPlus?
A: Yes. Members can elect to renew their membership as early as January 2 each year to access the SBE MemberPlus program. The Regular membership year cycle remains April 1 through March 31.
Q: What if I do not renew my SBE membership by April 1?
A: SBE MemberPlus members who do not renew by April 1 lose the SBE MemberPlus benefit at that time. Their membership reverts to Regular membership and is active until the three-month grace period ends June 30. The SBE MemberPlus benefits will be reinstated if the member renews after the grace period ends.
Q: May I share the link to SBE webinars with others?
A: Access to the SBE webinars through the SBE MemberPlus program is limited to the MemberPlus-purchaser only. You are not permitted to distribute, sell, copy, share, project or otherwise make the webinars available to any other individual or group without express written permission by the SBE.
