Instructional Method: Online, On-Demand Webinar
This webinar exposes some of the history and technology behind the FCC’s current FM allocation rules and procedures for non-commercial FM stations, FM translators, LPFM and full service commercial stations. The differences in the various allocation procedures of these services and the reason behind the differences are explained. Some of the advantages and flaws in the methodology are discussed, as well as some of the recent petitions to amend the procedures. This webinar provides insight into how a station can improve its coverage or move its city of license using the rules. Lastly, the role of directional antennas, which provide protections in certain directions allowing more power to be transmitted in other directions, are discussed.
This webinar is useful to stations, their engineers and managers to aid in the process of understanding FM allocation and why their licenses limit transmission power and tower height and what they can do to improve coverage over the population they reach.
Doug Vernier, CPBE, has been a member of SBE since 1990 and has been in broadcasting for more than 35 years. He is president of V-Soft Communications, LLC, which is the largest provider of broadcast communications propagation software in the U.S. and Canada. Its software is widely used by the majority of professional broadcast engineering consulting firms in the U.S. Its allocations software is used by the Federal Communications Commission and Industry Canada's broadcast regulatory division on a daily basis for primary regulatory purposes. Vernier is also CEO of Telecommunications Consultants, which provides broadcast engineering consultative services to a wide variety of public radio, TV and commercial stations throughout the U.S.
In addition to his industry experience, Vernier has written and spoken for many publications and groups, including authoring the chapter on Radio Frequency Propagation, National Association of Broadcasters NAB Handbook 10th edition and several major page white paper technical articles for Radio World Engineering Extra. He spoke at the NAB Radio 2006 Technical Sessions on IBOC Coverage and Interference Issues and the SBE Engineering National Meeting and Midwest Broadcasters Clinic, Madison, WI, in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2011 on broadcast frequency allocation issues, for FM, TV and DTV including IBOC interference issues. He was a regular speaker at the Public Radio Engineering Conferences from 2000 to 2011.
The completion of this webinar from Webinars by SBE qualifies for 1 credit, identified under Category I of the Recertification Schedule for SBE Certifications.
This webinar is approximately 85 minutes long.
SBE Members: $62
SBE MemberPlus Members FREE
Non-Members: $92
All SBE webinars, including new webinars presented in 2020, are included at no additional cost for members who renew or join using the $175 SBE Member Plus membership option. Through this option you get access to all archived SBE webinars and any new live webinars SBE presents through March 31, 2021, all for no extra cost. Members can renew and newcomers may join online at the SBE website using the SBE MemberPlus option.
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.
If you have questions regarding this webinar, contact Cathy Orosz via email or by phone at 317-846-9000.