SBE Chapter 59 Newsletter Meeting Notice Thursday, August 14, Don Chilito s 7017 Johnson Drive; Mission, KS; 913-432-4615 Gather at 11:30 a.m., meeting at noon Over-the-air DTV Reception. John Gray will share his experiences using an NTIA converter box with an inexpensive set-top antenna and then discuss the current and post-transition configuration of local DTV stations in the FCC database. Greg Best will also share his over-the-air DTV experiences and provide a summary of the DTV converter boxes available. A general discussion of the group s experiences with various tuners, antennas, and DTV reception challenges/victories will follow. Bring your lunch to the banquet room. Save your receipt. A drawing will be held for someone to win a free lunch. Last Month's Meeting By Ben Weiss, CPBE The July meeting of SBE59 was held July 10, 2008, at the Entercom Broadcast Center, 7000 Squibb Rd., Mission, KS. There were 16 in attendance. Robin Cross, chapter chairman, was in charge. After introductions, Ben Weiss read the minutes of the June meeting as taken by Ed Treese. The motion to approve the minutes was made by Chriss Scherer and seconded by Chris Castro. Motion passed. Weiss reported that he had deposited the annual chapter rebate check and the final newsletter sponsor payment to the chapter s account. In certification, Chriss Scherer noted the upcoming exam dates. More Inside: Converter Help... 2 Alerts in Missouri... 2 The Shell Game... 4 Ennes in OKC... 6 Upcoming meetings... 6 August 2008 The motion to adjourn was made by Chestnut and seconded by John Gray. The program consisted of an online forum presented by Ed Czarnecki, senior vice president of Spectrarep. He provided an overview of the technical and operational aspects of the new Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), an IP-based system of emergency information delivery to be integrated with the existing EAS. Following Czarnecki s presentation, Kirk Chestnut, Kansas City EAS Committee chairman, called Lloyd Collins, Missouri state EAS chairman, who detailed how some of the CAP and EAS improvement proposals would apply directly to Missouri radio stations. He also indicated how the 59 available Spectrarep Alert Manager receivers would be distributed to Missouri radio stations. Chris Castro, chapter frequency coordinator said that there will be a big change in the NFL coordination setup for the 2009 season. No longer will the SBE provide the coordination service, as in the past, but the NFL will contract directly with the coordinators. Scherer provided additional details on the SBE/NFL agreement for the future, which includes the SBE providing frequency coordination training services for the NFL. In programs, Kirk Chestnut agreed to take over the Program Committee chairmanship until the next election. However, he needs help to find future program providers. He would like to know what kind of programs our members would like. He also asked if we actually need to have a structured program every month. To facilitate the scheduling and planning of meetings, Cross asked John Gray to create an online system for the programs committee to access to track and communicate program ideas. This has been set up and the Program Committee members planned to use it. Chairman s Chat Bang for the Buck By Robin Cross The elected officers and appointed committee chairmen of SBE59 try to give you the best bang for the buck. One of these efforts is in providing informative programs every month. As a way to help the Program Committee keep track of ongoing plans, I asked John Gray of V-Soft to establish a way to do this online. He did an outstanding job of setting up a system that will make it much easier for us to share information and program plans. We are all busy, and John knew that we needed a way that would allow everyone to collaborate without being present. I extend a great big thank you to John for doing this. I can-! Certification Exam Dates " Exam Date Location App. Deadline Nov 7-17 Local Chapter Sep 19, 2008 Feb 6-16, 2008 Local Chapter Dec 31, 2008 Apr 21, 2009 2009 NAB Apr 1, 2009
Page 2 not tell you how valuable an asset he has been locally. He has improved our website and procured the Web address of sbe59.org. John deserves a thank you from each of us as you are the benefactors. STEPHEN DINKEL Director of North American Sales 800-255-8090 EXT. 700 816-554-7081 DIRECT 2120 SW CEDAR HILL LANE 816-554-7086 FAX LEE S SUMMIT, MO 64081 steve@burk.com JIM SHAW SALES ENGINEER 12012 W. 100 TERRACE LENEXA, KANSAS 66215 PHONE 913-492-2877 FAX 913-492-2877 www.burstvideo.com jshaw@everestkc.net is mailed to more than 125 people, most of whom are in the Kansas City area. If you are an SBE member assigned to chapter 59, you are now eligible to win a monthly drawing for a prize. Hidden somewhere in this issue is an SBE member number. If you find it and it is your number, contact me (my contact info is on the last page) before the next issue is mailed and you will win an SBE mouse pad. Each chapter member is eligible to win once each year. In January, we ll re-enter all the member numbers. We will also add numbers to the list as new members join the SBE. If you do not want to participate, contact me and your member number will be excluded. Look to see if your member number is included in this issue, and be sure to contact me right away. FCC Posts Converter Setup Guides As an aid to consumers, the FCC has posted several publications to explain the DTV transition and also help explain how consumers can connect a set-top converter to their televisions. The connection setup guides provide information about various possible configurations, including the use of a VCR and twin-lead antenna cable. Rick Jennings Power Systems Manager 2405 Nicholson, Kansas City, MO 64120-1671 816-245-5400 Fax 816-245-5435 www.cometind.com rajennings@cometind.com Stand-by, Special Application & Prime Power Systems Mobile, RV, Marine & Portable Generators 24 Hour Generator Service & Maintenance Michael Troje Sales Manager 4212Buckner Blvd. Phone: 214-275-2319 Dallas, TX 75227 Fax: 214-381-3250 mtroje@contelec.com Cell: 651-295-7121 Access the guides at www.dtv.gov/publications.html.
Page 3 page 3 New All-alert System for Missouri The following information was sent to Missouri broadcast stations from Don Hicks, Missouri Broadcasters Association; Lloyd Collins, chief engineer, Good Radio, Moberly; Chris Swisher, chief engineer, KOMU-TV, Columbia; and Steve Morse, chief engineer, Zimmer Radio Mid-Missouri, Jefferson City. Missouri AMBER Alert is a public-private partnership to disseminate urgent notifications to the public by all available means. Missouri AMBER Alert allows local law enforcement to issue statewide alerts in certain types of abduction cases. In the future, Missouri AMBER Alert will expand to provide public alerts related to other types of criminal activity, homeland security and health emergencies. Missouri AMBER Alert is free to local law enforcement, and participation is strictly voluntary. Missouri AMBER Alert uses an array of resources to alert the public, including radio and television broadcasts, electronic signs, the state MULES system and the communication capabilities of private entities that interact with the general public. The system was designed in cooperation with the Missouri Police Chiefs Association, the Missouri Sheriffs Association, the Missouri Broadcasters Association and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Missouri AMBER Alert does not replace or compete with local abduction alert plans (AMBER or SARAA). Missouri AMBER Alert has been designed to complement and enhance local plans by providing additional methods of notification and statewide coverage. Missouri AMBER Alert has also been designed to provide a local alert capability in areas where one does not exist, although the development of local plans is preferred. The new system from Spectrarep will provide enhanced security, improved warning system coordination and simplified operational procedures without disrupting existing EAS facilities or programs. 4100 Main Street Kansas City, MO 64111 816-931-0250 Vykki Olman Fax 816-753-2595 vykkio@eskc.com ELECTRONIC VIDEO SYSTEMS KENT KENNEDY BROADCAST INDUSTRIAL CCTV AUDIO VISUAL RAUN L. HAMILTON Vice President & General Manager 417-881-4677 800-299-4387 FAX 417-881-8753 www.evsinc.com e-mail: raunh@evsinc.com 2029 West Woodland Springfield, MO 65807 KENNEDY S ENG/EFP PRODUCTS SERVING THE BROADCAST INDUSTRY SINCE 1978 109 W MIDWAY DRIVE EULESS, TX 76039 (817) 283-8321 FAX (817) 283-6514 www.kennedyseng.com kent@kennedyseng.com The heart of Missouri s next-generation EAS will be the Alert Manager Alert Server Core and Command Center interface that will allow authorities to enable EAS messages along with audio and other multimedia, such as video, maps, digital photos and documents. The Alert Manager deployment will connect 56 broadcast locations to the Missouri State Highway Patrol as the AMBER Alert origination point. Alert Manager uses the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) and provides a foundation for interoperability with other alerting systems, enabling authorities to deliver complete, consistent and coordinated warning messages to the public. Miranda Technologies Inc. 3499 Douglas-B.-Floreani Montréal (Québec) Canada - H4S 2C6 Tel: 514.333.1772 1.800.224.1772 Fax: 514.333.9828 www.miranda.com Kurt Caruthers Director of Sales, Central Region 10842 West 156th Terrace Overland Park, KS 66221 Tel: 913.814.0304 Cell: 913.558.8543 Fax: 913.814.0516 kcaruthe@miranda.com
Page 4 Northland Electrical Services LLC Serving Kansas City and the Surrounding Area RF IS GOOD FOR YOU! Part Of The C.L. Kreger Companies, Inc. Monica Gotheridge Broadcast Sales Specialist OF MISSOURI broadcast.rell.com Tom Presley 6103 N.W. Klamm Kansas City, MO 64151 [ ] New Generator & ATS Installations Panel Breakers, ATS & Genset Replacement After-Hours Scheduling for Broadcast Work www.northlandelectrical.com Tpresley@kc.rr.com 816-510-3437 cell 816-746-6718 office 816-746-3803 fax PROFESSIONAL VIDEO SUPPLY INC Brad Bartholemew President (913) 492-1787 9201 Cody FAX (913) 859-0787 Overland Park, KS 66214 E-mail: bradb@pvskc.com Christopher L. Kreger Vice President & Secretary 22406 NE 159 th Street Kearney, MO 64060 fax (816) 628-4508 (800) 467-RFRF rfmo@uniteone.net www.rfspec.com 40W267 Keslinger Road P.O. Box 393 LaFox, IL 60147-0393 Toll Free: (800) 348-5580 Phone: (630) 208-2247 Fax: (630) 208-2450 E-Mail: monicak@rell.com The ALERT Missouri system will ship to all non-collocated LP-1 and LP-2 participating members a 1RU decoder that will connect via the station s existing station LAN. Each will also include an integrated DTV receiver for future expansion of data transport link redundancy. This unit will provide a variety of functions for timely notification, and distribution of multi-media formatted materials. It is anticipated that this will include AMBER alerts, multi-hazard messaging, and targeted emergency information. Stations should quickly act on the information provided, as the alert information can be accessed by authorized computers with standard internet browsers within each station. Television stations in Missouri that broadcast 24 hours a day and provide a newscast to the residents of Missouri will receive the same receiver with the understanding that the materials provided by this equipment are to be made available to other qualified broadcasters in the immediate area upon request. The files provided are done so on a non-exclusive basis to each participating station. And by the way, member number 23464 is the August winner. Contact Robin Cross to claim your prize. The Shell Game By Steve Epstein, CPBE I have long been a fan of the command line interface (CLI), or shell. While I wouldn t say I prefer it over a graphical user interface (GUI), I find the shell far more useful for getting real work done on a computer. The primary reason is the ability to specify exact tasks and then automate them. Unfortunately, DOS/Windows users have been stuck with a featureless shell since the dawn of DOS. Unix/ Linux systems have had access to a wide variety of shells for many years, among them are the Bourne shell (sh), the C shell (csh), the Korn shell (ksh) and the Bourne Again shell (bash). The bash shell found on most current Linux systems is by far my favorite. Unix/Linux and even newer Macs will typically run any of the shells mentioned above and more. Using an easily downloaded adapter, you can run any of the Unix shells on a DOS machine. You can find the adapter software at Cygwin.org. Click on Cygwin under Projects. Running a Cygwin on a DOS machine gives you access to pipes, cron jobs and a host of useful software. As an example, on my work laptop, I run Cygwin with cron running in the background. Cron schedules tasks (like Windows) and can run a simple command file to perform a Next EAS Required Monthly Test: August 26 The RMT is sent on the last Tuesday of the month
Page 5 page 5 task. Every Tuesday morning my laptop gathers the config files from more than 180 Linux encoders, stores them on the laptop and zips them with a date stamp. If we ever need to know how an encoder is configured, it is a simple task to get the info from that zip file. For my website, my development machine (Sun Blade running Solaris) goes out every night and gets a pre-zipped backup of the database via ftp. The script for that is: #!/usr/bin/bash x=$(date +20%y-%m-%d) ftp -v -n broadcastbuyersguide.com << cmd user account password cd /public_html/db lcd /space/bbgdb get $x.sql.bz2 quit cmd /etc/init.d/mysql.server stop cd /usr/local/mysql/var mkdir wwwbroa_$x; cp -R wwwbroa_bbg/* wwwbroa_$x cd wwwbroa_bbg rm * /etc/init.d/mysql.server start bunzip2 /space/bbgdb/$x.sql.bz2 /usr/local/mysql/bin/mysql -D wwwbroa_bbg -u user ppassword < /space/bbgdb/$x.sql Basically, the first line tells the system which shell to use. Line two puts today s date into $x in the format (2008-07- 31). The next line runs a set of FTP commands from cmd to cmd. Then we stop the local mysql server so files can be moved to a backup directory (wwwbroa_2008-07-31). The new file is unzipped and then mysql checks and reinstalls the file into the existing wwwbroa_bbg database. This sequence takes place nightly and takes approximately an hour as the database involved is over 1.5GB. That task is but one of over a hundred that are done daily on the various servers I work on and maintain. If you have to work on computers, especially if you find yourself doing the same tasks over and over, I strongly encourage you to learn scripting. To make it even easier, Microsoft has come out with a new shell for Windows machines. The new shell is standard on Vista and backward compatible with XP. There is an excellent tutorial as well as the download here: http://blogs.technet.com/chitpro-de/archive/2008/02/28/ free-windows-powershell-workbook-serveradministration.aspx or search Free Windows Powershell workbook. David Denton Chief Marketing Officer Direct: 813.579.4235 400 N. Ashley Drive Fax: 813.579.4236 Suite 3010 Cell: 813.334.8833 Tampa, FL 33602-4354 Toll Free: 800.827.4349 ddenton@rtowers.com www.rtowers.com Harry Benson Industrial Sales Manager 708-946-9500 www.ued.net Penton Media, Inc. Publisher of Broadcast Engineering Radio magazine Mix Digital Content Producer Sound & Video Contractor Electronic Musician Mobile Radio Technology and more than 100 other titles 9800 Metcalf 913-341-1300 Overland Park, KS 66212 penton.com SM
Page 6 Upcoming Chapter Meetings and Events August 14 Over-the-air DTV Reception Don Chilito s restaurant September 11 Facility Tour National Weather Service Pleasant Hill, MO September 20 Annual Picnic Treese s Lake House Lake Lotawana, MO Do you have a suggestion for a program topic? Please share it with Kirk Chestnut. Oklahoma City Hosts Ennes Workshop, Trade Show SBE85 of Central and Western Oklahoma will host an Ennes Workshop on Aug. 27 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. In conjunction with the Workshop, the chapter will also hold an equipment expo. The event will take place at the Holiday Inn and Suites Oklahoma City North. The cost to attend the Workshop is $35 for SBE members and $45 for non-members. Register through the SBE national office. Program details and a registration form are available on the SBE website. The registration fee includes the workshop, the exhibit, lunch and breaks. Lunch will be in the exhibitor s area following an exclusive exhibit-only time. SBE59 Officers Chairman... Robin Cross... KCUR-FM... 816-235-2880... crossr@umkc.edu Vice Chairman... Dave Buell, CEV... University of Central Missouri... 660-441-7421... dbuell@ucmo.edu Secretary/Treasurer... Ben Weiss, CPBE... Weiss Enterprises... 816-353-1792... bhweiss@comcast.net Past Chairman... Matt Kinnan, CEV CBNT... Taketwo Productions... 816-471-6554... mkinnan@taketwo.tv SBE59 Committees Certification... Chriss Scherer, CPBE CBNT... Radio magazine... 913-967-7201...cscherer@sbe.org EAS K.C. Operational Area... Kirk Chestnut, CPBE... Entercom Kansas City... 913-677-6462... kchestnut@entercom.com Frequency Coordination... Chris Castro, CBT... KSHB-TV... 816-932-4304... castro@kshb.com Newsletter... Chriss Scherer, CPBE CBNT... Radio magazine... 913-967-7201...cscherer@sbe.org Programs... Kirk Chestnut, CPBE... Entercom Kansas City... 913-677-6462... kchestnut@entercom.com Website... John Gray... V-Soft Communications... 913-693-7744... jgray@v-soft.com Chapter 59 e-mail: sbe59@yahoo.com Chapter 59 list server: sbe-kc@yahoogroups.com SBE SBE Chapter 59 c/o Radio magazine (Scherer) 9800 Metcalf Overland Park, KS 66212