This month our speaker will be from Wohler Technologies makers of audio monitoring systems. As usual our luncheon will be at Sinbad's. Sinbad's is just south of the Ferry Building on the Embarcadero near the foot of Mission Street. Please RSVP to Karen Prasek at Zack's: 408-324-0551 x126 as we've been running out of tables and chairs. We meet at 11:30 and are seated at 12:30.

The chapter 40 web page is at http://www.lns.com/sbe.

The keeper of the chapter 40 email address list is Warren Reese his address is [email protected]. Please note the new email address. Warren worked for the KPH in Bolinas which was one of the last coastal Morse sites. He has photos of KPH on his web page at http://www.jps.net/radions.

Sept 13th - Digital Audio: Control and Compression
Steve Vernon of Dolby Labs and Birney Dayton and Chuck Meyers of Nvision will be the presenters. This seminar will be at Dolby Labs, 100 Potrero Av., San Francisco from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm.
Oct 11th - Growing into MPEG
The presenters will be Jean-Georges Fritsch, V.P. Technology and Software at Minerva Systems and Janek Kaliczak of FutureTel. The site is Stanford.
Nov 8th - Living in the Modern World of MPEG-2
The presenters are Dr. Paul Farrelle of Zapex Technologies, Jean-Georges Fritsch of Minerva. This is at Stanford.
For more complete details visit the SMPTE site at: http://members.aol.com/SMPTEsf/index.html and click on seminars.
The single seminar price will be $29 for SMPTE members and $39 for SBE members. Non- members rate is $59. The entire series is $89 for SMPTE members, $129 for SBE members, and $179 for non-members.
Make checks payable to SMPTE S.F. 1997 Tutorials and mail to: Andrew Zeyer, Finance Manager, SMPTE, 595 W. Hartsdale Av., White Plains, NY 10607-1824.

CUSTOMER SERVICE ENGINEER
Orban is looking for a broadcast engineer to provide technical support to our customers on our line of broadcasting equipment. This support includes providing information on specifications, applications, installation and setup, troubleshooting and repair, and theory of operation. Must have an AA in electronics or equivalent experience, and at least 4 years of broadcast engineering experience. Experience with IBM-compatible PC hardware is also essential. You must have excellent verbal and written communication skills, and thorough knowledge of electronic troubleshooting and repair techniques
Send resume to Orban, Human Resources, 1525 Alvarado St., San Leandro, CA 94577

MEMORANDUM
To: SBE Officers and Directors
From: Chris Imlay, General Counsel
Re: Congressional Budget Bill; Auction of 2 GHz ENG Band
Date: August 1, 1997
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Thanks to the United States Congress, and NO thanks to the NAB, which made a bad trade, broadcast ENG use of the 2 GHz band is in serious trouble. Yesterday, the Congress passed H.R. 2015, the Balanced Budget Amendment. I have the conference report, 105-217, and you can find it on the web in the Congressional Record for July 29, 1997 at page H6031. Title III of the Bill includes communications and spectrum auction provisions.
With respect to communications, it basically states that at least 15 MHz of the 1990-2110 MHz segment will be auctioned, and all of the 2110-2150 MHz band will be auctioned. This is part of the 55 MHz below 3 GHz that Congress has mandated that FCC auction off.The insider trading on this issue is that the Congress, while debating how to balance the budget, went to NAB and told NAB that they could either have spectrum fees, auctions of channels, or else lose ENG spectrum. NAB chose to avoid thespectrum fees and auctions, and chose instead to give up the 2 GHz ENG spectrum. We met late last week with Congressman Markey's office on this subject, and they rather candidly told us that NAB made the decision, and that the Democrats didn't favor the loss of the ENG spectrum, but that the Budget Bill was something of a steamroller and the revenue had to come from somewhere.

The Conference Report states as follows:
Use of Bands at 2,110-2,150 MHz -- The Commission shall reallocate spectrum located at 2,110-2,150 MHz for assignment by competitive bidding unless the Commission determines that auction of other spectrum (A) better serves the public interest, convenience and necessity; and (B) can reasonably be expected to produce greater receipts. If the Commission makes such a determination, then the Commission shall, within 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, identify an alternative 40 Mhz, and report to the Congress an identification of such alternative 40 MHz for assignment by competitive bidding.
Use of 15 MHz from bands at 1,990-2,110 MHz. The Commission shall reallocate 15 MHz from spectrum located at 1,990-2,110 MHz for assignment by competitive bidding unless the President determinates such spectrum cannot be reallocated due to the need to protect incumbent Federal systems from interference, and that allocation of other spectrum (A) better serves the public interest, convenience and necessity; and (B) can reasonably be expected to produce comparable receipts. If the President makes such a determination, then the President shall, within 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, identify alternate bands of frequenices totalling 15 Mhz, and report to the Congress an identification of such alternative bands for assignment by competitive bidding.

We should begin now to contact FCC and notify them of the damage to be caused by the loss of the 2 GHz band and the cost to broadcasters.