The Society of Broadcast Engineers will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its Program of Certification on Tuesday, April 25, during the SBE spring membership meeting during NAB2006 in Las Vegas. The celebration will include recognition of local chapter certification chairmen and the national Certification Committee. A special meeting memento will be presented to the first 250 people attending who hold SBE certification.
The concept of a creating this certification program was first discussed in 1973. The SBE originally petitioned the FCC to create more stringent licensing requirements for broadcast engineers and operators. When the FCC decided to take the opposite action, the SBE stepped in and created the Program of Certification. The program was introduced during a session called, "A New Broadcast License Certification Program," at the NAB convention in 1975.
The SBE Program of Certification includes four successive levels of certification (called the "Core Four") that include a requirement of professional, and several types of certification that evaluate a knowledge of specific elements of broadcasting, including broadcast computer networking, audio and video engineering and broadcast operations.
Since its introduction, the SBE Program of Certification has evolved and grown to establish a recognized standard of ability for broadcast engineers, audio and video engineers, broadcast IT professionals, and radio and television operators. The SBE has more than 5,500 members in 111 chapters across the United States, as well as members in 23 countries. Most chapters meet monthly and offer educational programs and networking opportunities.
CATEGORIES
