WASHINGTON—In an effort to support students that are seeking careers in telecommunications and broadcast engineering, the Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers, the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the National Translator Association have selected nine students across the country to receive their Spring 2020 scholarships.

Here are the nine recipients:

• Maurice Compton, University of Dallas
• Nathan Ellsworth, University of Texas at Dallas
• Andrew Heller, University of Minnesota
• Md. Tajul Islam, University of Missouri at Kansas City
• Daniel Klawson, University of Maryland at College Park
• Obagaeli Ngene-Igwe, University of Cincinnati
• Prosanta Paul, Old Dominion University
• Dylan Stewart, Old Dominion University
• Rafida Zaman, University of Missouri at Kansas City

The scholarships all range between $1,000 and $5,000, with $29,000 being awarded in total between the nine students.

Andrew Heller is the inaugural recipient of NTA’s Byron W. St. Clair Memorial Scholarship, which is given to promising students that plan to pursue a career in broadcast engineering.

“NTA congratulates Mr. Heller,” said John Terrill, president of NTA. “This scholarship is a good first step in the tradition of Byron St. Clair to enlighten young minds and encourage more interest in broadcast engineering, especially in the areas of translator and low power television.”

Ellsworth, Islam, Klawson and Stewart, meanwhile, were awarded IEEE BTS/AFCCE’s Jules Cohen Memorial Scholarships, which awards up to $10,000 to promising undergraduate or graduate students pursuing broadcast engineering.

Also of note, Zaman was the recipient of the E. Noel Luddy Scholarship, which was sponsored by Dielectric Communications.

In total, AFCCE says that these scholarships represented the groups’ largest ever award to students that they hope “will help shape the future,” said John George, AFCCE president.

AFCCE also announced dates to submit applications for its Fall 2020 scholarships, which will begin March 1 and go until April 30. More information is available through AFCCE and IEEE BTS’ websites.

ATLANTA—The Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers is under new leadership, as John George was recently elected as president of the organization during the AFCCE Annual Meeting. The vote was conducted by the newly constituted Board of Directors, which also rounded out the rest of AFCCE’s leadership team.

George replaces John Lyons as president following his two terms in the position, though Lyons will remain as part of the leadership team having been elected as treasurer; Lyons replaces Bob Weller, who is leaving the board. Jon Edwards was voted vice president and Stephen Pumple is the new secretary. All of their terms will begin as of July 1.

In addition, new and returning board members were determined. Lyons was re-elected for a new four-year term and will be joined by B. Ben Evans on his own four-year term as a member and Jim Leifer on a three-year term as an associate member. Mark Fehlig is leaving the board following the end of his term.

For more information, visit afcce.org.

ROSSLYN, Va.—A series of new rules and proposals are in the pipeline from the FCC in regards to the areas of ATSC 3.0 and interference issues regarding FM translators according to comments from FCC Chairman Ajit Pai.

Pai spoke on these topics to the Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers last Friday, as well as providing an update on the TV spectrum repack.

Broadcasters were first allowed to use ATSC 3.0 as of November 2017. The FCC issued rules for the next gen standard officially took effect in July 2018, though IT work is still in progress for designing a new form in the Licensing and Management System, according to Pai. He believes the database changes will be completed in the second quarter of 2019.

In addition, the FCC’s Media Bureau is drafting a new order in the ATSC 3.0 proceedings to address issues like how to handle local simulcasting requirements if a station doesn’t have a viable simulcasting partner and another order to resolve certain issues raised in petitions for reconsideration.

When it comes to the TV repack currently underway, Pai emphasized progress made since the close of the incentive auction. He highlighted that 143 stations had made their transition to new spectrum during Phase One, which concluded on Nov. 30, 2018, putting them “ahead of schedule.” Now in Phase Two, Pai said that 20 stations of an expected 115 have already moved. With a deadline of April 12, Pai noted that tower crews, broadcast stations and engineers are looking at a busy two months.

Pai also spoke about the funds designated to assist stations as they move during the repack. In a blog post earlier this week, Pai mentioned that the $1 billion awarded by Congress in addition to the $1.75 billion previously set aside for the repack gives the FCC “the resources to help stations do the job.” He said that $350 million in reimbursements had already been approved.

On the radio front, Pai noted that as more AM stations have obtained FM translators, complaints from primary FMs about interference have increased. An NPRM was launched last May to address these concerns; it proposed allowing translators to change to any available channel to avoid interference. Having taken industry feedback, Media Bureau is drafting a new order, for which Pai said the FCC expects to take “action this spring to make translator interference resolution a faster and less contentious process.”

Pai closed his speech by bringing up the 1980s U.S. Men’s Olympic Ice Hockey team, which celebrated the 39th anniversary of the “Miracle on Ice” Friday. Alluding to how the team had to keep their focus after beating the Soviets to go on and beat Finland for the gold medal, Pai encouraged the crowd “to keep our eyes on the prize and keep working together to seize these opportunities for the American people.”

For all the latest news and insight on the repack and ATSC 3.0, visit our silos for the two, repack and ATSC3.

The Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers recognized FCC Media Bureau Video Division Deputy Division Chief Hossein Hashemzadah with the 2018 E. Noel Luddy Award.

Hashemzadah accepted the award, which highlights “years of meritorious service to the telecommunications industry,” at the AFCCE’s Nov. 28 FCC Reception.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai also attended the event and described Hashemzadah’s 36-year tenure at the commission.

[Read a Q&A with Noel Luddy at 93, two years before his death in 2013.]

Hashemzadah joins recent Luddy Award recipients Rudy Bonacci, Julius Knapp, Alan Stillwell, Ann Gallagher and Norman Miller.

The first E. Noel Luddy Award was handed out in 2000 to John Reiser, according to the AFCCE. The award is named for Luddy, who had previously served on the AFCCE board of directors. His former employer, Dielectric, also funds a scholarship in his honor.

WASHINGTON—In recognition of his service to the telecommunications industry, the Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineering Board of Directors presented Rodolfo Bonacci, the assistant division chief, engineering, in the audio division of the FCC’s Media Bureau, with the E. Noel Luddy Award.

John Reiser, Rodolfo, Bonacci and John Lyons.

The AFCCE has presented the E. Noel Luddy Award annually since 2000 usually—but not always—to an FCC employee who has provided “notable and exemplary service to the telecommunications industry,” the announcement read. The AFCCE is a membership organization made up of engineers and other professionals in the telecommunications engineering field.

Bonacci was introduced by his FCC colleague James Bradshaw, deputy division chief, engineering in the audio division of the Media Bureau. In his speech, Bonacci thanked the AFCCE and expressed his admiration for his peers.

Bonacci joins previous Luddy award winners that include John Reiser, Jules Cohen, Ann Gallagher and Julius Knapp.

The AFCCE presented the award to Bonacci on Nov. 30 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. 

NEW YORK—The new slate of officers for the Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers Board of Directors has been announced, and John Lyons has been tapped to take over as president. Lyons, the assistant vice president and director of broadcast communications for The Durst Organization, most recently served as vice president and will replace Robert Weller, NAB vice president of spectrum policy, as the organization’s president.

John Lyons

Weller, who in addition to this position with the NAB will serve as the chairman of the IEEE BTS Symposium in 2018, told TV Technology that he wanted to focus his limited volunteer time on that and made his decision to step down as president back at the June AFCCE Annual Meeting. He said the board agreed that Lyons should become the next president, but Lyons only became a full member of AFCCE in September and organizational by-laws required the president to be a full member. As a result, Weller agreed to be reelected as president over the summer until Lyons’ membership was elevated. Weller will continue to serve on the AFCCE board in his new position as secretary.

Additional moves include Chris Horne becoming vice president after serving as secretary; Weller will now serve as secretary; and Ron Chase will remain as AFCCE’s treasurer. The other Board of Directors officers includes Marshall Cross, Steve Crowley, Anne Goodwin Crump, Jon Edwards and Mark Fehlig. Officers will assume their new positions as of Oct. 1.

The vote took place on Friday, Sept. 15, during an AFCCE board meeting. According to Lyons, the date happened to coincide with his 51st anniversary in broadcasting.

WASHINGTON—The Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers Board of Directors has announced the 2017-18 panel of officers.

All officers are reprising the same roles they held during the 2016-17 term: Robert Weller returns as president; John Lyons will serve as vice president; Chris Horne was elected as secretary; and Ron Chase fills the role of treasurer.

The board met and voted electronically, shortly after the June 22–24 annual meeting was held in New York.

Additionally, David Layer will also step down from the board, and Anne Goodwin Crump joins the board as its newest member. Returning members are Marshall Cross, Steve Crowley, Jon Edwards and Mark Fehlig. 

WASHINGTON—The Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers (AFCCE) and the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society (BTS) are providing 10 students interested in telecommunications across the country with scholarships for the spring 2017 semester.

The recipients are:

Shane Cyr, University of Maine

Martin Doczkat, The George Washington University

Dhantha Gunarathna, Drexel University

Mohammad Islam, University of Missouri

Elaine Khuu, Virginia Tech

Abdullah Njie, Georgia Tech

Prosanta Paul, Old Dominion University

William Shifflett, Oklahoma State University

Tyler Turcotte, University of Massachusetts

Rafida Zaman, University of Missouri

Doczkat and Shifflett were the first recipients of the IEEE BTS /AFCCE Jules Cohen Memorial Scholarships, which awards scholarships of up to $10,000 for promising undergraduate or graduate students at accredited U.S. universities that plan to pursue a career in broadcast engineering.

Cyr was the recipient of the E. Noel Luddy Scholarship, which is sponsored by Dielectric Communications.

Applications for the fall 2017 semester will be accepted starting March 1, 2017, with a cutoff date of April 30, 2017. Click on the links for more information of AFCCE scholarships and IEEE BTS scholarships.