INDIANAPOLIS—The Society of Broadcast Engineers has selected Joseph Conlon to be the recipient of its Robert W. Flanders SBE Engineer of the Year honor and Andrew Gladding as its next James C. Wulliman SBE Educator of the Year.
The annual awards recognize achievements of members who have contributed to the SBE, the industry or SBE local chapters.
The engineering award is presented to a member who has excelled in his or her career while furthering the SBE mission. The educator award honors outstanding service and excellence in sharing knowledge through teaching other broadcast engineers.
Conlon of Inver Grove Heights, Minn., is a member of SBE Chapter 17 Central Minnesota and an SBE member for 17 years. He has held several roles in his chapter, including secretary, treasurer, assistant chair and chair.
Gladding of Brooklyn, N.Y., has been a member for eight years and is the secretary of Chapter 15 in New York City. As an adjunct professor for audio production at Hofstra University, he has recruited and engaged new SBE members by teaching them about broadcasting and broadcast engineering. He personally is responsible for recruiting 40 student members to Chapter 15.
The SBE also has named winners of several other awards, including:
- Technology Award: Nautel for the GV2: Just Add Audio, a transmitter series that simplifies the HD Radio air chain and synchronizes FM and HD audio streams and eliminates FM and HD main channel blend drift.
- Seven Chapter Engineer of the Year Awards, selected by their own chapters and automatically nominated for the national SBE Engineer of the Year Award.
- Best Educational Event: the SBE Wisconsin Chapters and the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association for their Wisconsin Broadcasters Clinic, a three-day, two-night educational event held in October 2022.
- Best Chapter Communication: Chapter 15 New York City, which relies on multiple channels and platforms, including social media, its chapter website and Zoom, not a traditional newsletter, to keep member informed. The chapter has now won the honor for the second consecutive year.
- Best Technical Article, Book of Paper: Donald Smith for his paper “ATSC 3.0 and Public Broadcasting, a Case for Flash Cut,” presented at the 2023 NAB Sho in Las Vegas.
- Statistical Awards based on data as of Dec. 31, 2022, including Percentage Growth of New Members: Class A, Chapter 111 Huntsville, Ala., Class B, Chapter 15 New York City; Highest Percentage of Certified Members: Class A, Chapter 115 Southern Idaho, Class B Chapter 131 Inland Empire, Calif.; Highest Percentage of Member Attendance at Meetings: Class A, Chapter 60 Richmond, Va., and Class B, Chapter 39 Tampa Bay Area, Fla.
Winners will be recognized Sept. 28 during the SBE Awards Dinner during the annual SBE National Meeting. The event will be held in conjunction with the Midwest Broadcast & Multimedia Technology conference in Columbus, Ohio.
Nominations for the 2024 awards will open February 2024. Individual and chapter awards are considered for the period between June 1 of the previous year and May 31 of the current year. Statistical awards are based on SBE data as of Dec. 31 of the previous year.
More information is available on the SBE website.
