NFL Renews SBE Contract for Game Day Frequency Coordination

The Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE) continues to provide frequency coordination services to the National Football League, and the league and SBE have renewed their contract for the 2007–08 football season.

SBE Game Day Coordinators (GDCs) coordinate frequencies for all wireless services at all preseason, regular season and playoff games, excluding the Super Bowl. In addition to broadcast links for items such as video links and wireless mics, the GDCs also handle coordination of coach-to-player and coach-to-coach communications.

"This unique relationship between two respected organizations has enabled us to work together toward the mutual goal of creating an RF environment at NFL games, free of interference unprecedented in event-type operations," said Jay Gerber, founder and manager of the GDC program and the NFL Frequency Organization Group.

Barry Thomas, president of SBE, noted that the coordination program was an important example of the cooperative and effective use of broadcast auxiliary spectrum.

"SBE serves an important role by working in concert with the NFL to provide an interference-free atmosphere that benefits the games and broadcasters," Thomas said.

The contract renewal marks the ninth year of the SBE/NFL partnership.