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The Chair recognizes...himself,
and he doesn't like what he sees.
Words from the Chair
by Gary Stigall, CSTE, Chapter 36 Chairman
December 30, 1998
Through the Rear Window
1998 has been very, very good to Chapter 36. We've gained several members, including eleven new sustaining, and certified another four. The holiday banquet brought four new or reinstating members. Some meetings were attended by over forty people. Vendors are now lining up months in advance to make presentations at our meetings.
The broadcast community as a whole saw more consolidation as Jacor shuffled more stations and created another LMA with a Mexican outlet. Clear Channel then swallowed Jacor (though the name continues). Another large outfit, Chancellor Media, took over operation of KYXY and KPLN. Heftel purchased FM'ers 102.9 and 106.5 from Jacor and outfitted them with Spanish language programming. I don't know what to make of the mega-media owners. On one hand, there are obvious scales of economy which streamline the companies' operations. Medium-market stations increasingly sound like large-market stations. In most ways, consolidation in broadcasting is just like consolidation in other sectors of the economy. Get used to it. I haven't seen a net change in employment for engineers. Programming and sales staff is another matter.
On the other hand, Midwest Television is getting smaller, putting up for sale its Illinois stations. With the help of automation and independent ad representation, perhaps these family-owned islands in a sea of corporate giants can still make a profit. Maybe the company can finally change its name to something meaningful in San Diego as well.
In television, KSWB moved from Chula Vista to Kearny Mesa. Local TV stations have moved toward digital broadcast, most now with construction permits. KFMB has its channel 55 antenna in place.
How about what didn't happen in 1998? KSDS hasn't increased power yet. KPBS-FM hasn't moved to Soledad yet, waiting for the Navy gears to turn. Pacific Research & Engineering chose not to move its plant when real estate value dropped there due to the Asian economy effects on the golf club industry in Carlsbad.
Sadly, we lost Steve Sellman, engineer about town, a mentor, and chapter past-Chairman. Also in late August, Jerry Man, retired San Diego FCC agent, died.
Through the Front Window
We have some great meetings lined up for the year. In January we visit Pacific Research & Engineering. In February, Bext downtown. In March, the FCC will show off its monitoring van. In April, the NAB convention falls on the usual meeting date, but I'm planning with Lea Bowen of Palomar College an SBE Student Night in order to point out to some prospective engineers why they would want to give up a lucrative career in computer technology. If you can think of a reason, perhaps you should volunteer to talk at this meeting. (Just kidding.) In May, Panasonic will show us some new toys. The Enright Company is scheduled to bring a talk about fiberoptics in June.
Any more consolidation? You betcha. Triangle Broadcasting, a medium-market player based in San Diego without properties here, is sure to get purchased by Chancellor or Clear-Channel. CBS/Westinghouse will either sell out or buy more. Will Jefferson-Pilot sell to a bigger fish? Who knows? Who cares?
The biggest changes you're likely to see (or NOT see) regard the addition of all the new DTV stations. There may be three or more on the air in San Diego by the required November 1 date. I for one am really excited as a consumer about more choice on over-the-air TV. (Yes, I know that there will be pay-per-view.)
I remember a few times in the early eighties when I wasn't so sure if being a maintenance technician was such a great career. My arms would be numb and eyes strained from hours upon hours of making adjustments to an RCA TK-27 film camera or a TR-3 or TR-22 2-inch format quad VTR. Boy, all that's changed. It's definitely a cool time to be an engineer if you hate routine. Some new stack of boxes full of interesting digital gear seems to enter the building just about every week. At KFMB-TV, we experienced a silent revolution, finding that for every serial digital hookup to our 32 x 32 router, there was someone ready and willing to take the signal and start putting it to use. There are digital VTR's, graphics generators, a satellite receiver, and who knows what's next? The new router is now filled and ready for expansion.
I hear a lot of whining about how the government is requiring every family to dish out five- to ten-thousand dollars on a new TV. These are basically the same people who have whined about the need to buy a $600 CD player, a $3,000 computer, or a $4,000 satellite system to keep current. I'm here to tell you that hardly a soul will lay out more than $1,000 for a new digital TV receiver/monitor, and that they will do so mostly upon the retirement of their $300 set-top converter from Radio Shack or Dow. (Early adoptors notwithstanding. I'm keeping a slot open in the computer. Fortunately, my $600 CD player from 1984 still plays.)
Volunteers
Thanks to those of you who stepped forward to offer help with chores in the coming year. Fred Gotwald of Sun Microsystems has been busy behind the scenes with correspondence, accounting, and web site automation. Bob Vaillancourt is Vice-chair and is pumping out a regular column on customer service. Oscar Medina relieved John Barcroft, who thanklessly tested San Diegans for SBE certification for years (though John still assists with larger test sessions). Mike Tosch is pulling together frequency coordination information for a single reference site. Lea Bowen offered to help publicize our scholarship fund and the upcoming Student Night meeting. Dale Hanson stepped forward to help with video program coordination. Thank you all and have a great 1999!
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