Monday Morning Coffee and Technical Notes

July 28, 2025 View as Webpage

2025 ABA Conference

The date for the Alabama Broadcasters Association’s 2025 Conference is quickly approaching.

Conference will be held at the Ross Bridge Resort in Birmingham on Thursday and Friday August 7th and 8th. Engineers should take note of the Engineering Seminar scheduled for Thursday. 

We have scheduled 5 informative technical presentations covering the following topics:

•        Latest advancements in liquid cooled transmitters

•        Proper sizing and installation of large diesel generators

•        Creating Quality Audio for radio and television program streams

•        Implementation of ATSC 3.0 Datacasting.

•        Chief Operator duties as it relates to the requirements of maintaining a

“Station Log”.

An exhibit hall will feature a number of vendors which is a great opportunity to check out new products, services, and equipment information.



Registration is only $40.00 which includes a great lunch, during which we will honor our 2025 Engineer of the Year, Steve Kohn with WSFA-TV Montgomery. See next article.



Register online here.

Engineer of the Year

We are excited to announce the 2025 Engineer of the year. Steve Kohn with WSFA-TV Montgomery. Steve has been with the station for over 40 years and was a major part of the recent studio move to a high-rise office complex in downtown Montgomery.

Chief Engineer Morris Pollock said “It's rare to find a broadcast engineer working his entire career at one station but that's our Steve. As Engineering Manager, he continues to work with staff and vendors to design, integrate, document and maintain one of the finest news producing TV stations in the country. "Anyone watching WSFA has seen Steve's work, "what they don't see is the passion Steve pours into WSFA each and every day".

WSFA General Manager Mark Bunting added “Steve Kohn has been and continues to be an integral part of our WSFA engineering team. His love for this industry and our television properties further confirm why he is an excellent choice in being selected as the ABA’s Engineer of the Year.”

This award recognizes excellence and innovation in broadcast engineering for an Alabama radio and/or television station. Criteria include development of new technology, leadership in education and contributions to broadcast engineering technical standards.



WSFA is an NBC affiliate, owned by Gray Communications and is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. Steve oversees the studio operations and their modern transmitter facility, which includes a 2,000-foot tower south of Montgomery.

He will be honored during the luncheon on Thursday August 7^th as part of the ABA 2025 conference.

Transmitter Site Visits

Questions often come up concerning transmitter site visits and maintenance logs.

Section 73.1580 of the Commission’s Rules and Regulations states that Each AM, FM, TV and Class A TV station licensee or permittee must conduct periodic complete inspections of the transmitting system and all required monitors to ensure proper station operation.

 This is stated again in 73.1350:

“(a) Each licensee is responsible for maintaining and operating its broadcast station in a manner which complies with the technical rules set forth elsewhere in this part and in accordance with the terms of the station authorization.

(c) The licensee must establish monitoring procedures and schedules for the station and the indicating instruments employed must comply with § 73.1215.”

Beyond these required inspections and monitoring protocols, it is essential for station personnel to maintain clear and up-to-date maintenance logs. Such records not only provide a historical account of equipment performance and any corrective actions taken, but also serve as documentation of compliance in the event of an FCC inquiry or technical audit. Properly kept logs should include the date and time of each inspection, a description of any deficiencies noted, the steps taken to remedy issues, and verification that all parameters meet established standards.



Consistent attention to these details helps ensure the station's ongoing reliability and legal operation, safeguarding both its technical integrity and its standing with regulatory authorities. By fostering a culture of diligence and accountability, broadcasters can respond proactively to any concerns and demonstrate their commitment to responsible stewardship of the public airwaves.

ABIP Training Seminar

Another great event scheduled in August is our ABIP Training Seminar. This two-day seminar will cover all the items that are reviewed during a Alternative Broadcast Inspection, both legal and technical.

The first day will be in the classroom going over the checklist including details of the Online Public File. The second day will be in the field conducting “mock” inspections at Birmingham area AM, FM and Television stations.

Instructors include John George, ABIP inspector for South Carolina and Larry Wilkins, ABIP inspector for Alabama. We will also have a representative from the Atlanta FCC office with us on the first day.

The seminar is open to anyone (technical or operations) interested in learning how to keep your broadcast operation in compliance with current FCC Rules and Regulations.

It will be held Monday and Tuesday August 18th and 19th at the ABA Training Center 2180 Parkway Lake Drive in Hoover (Birmingham).



Best of all, it is offered at no cost by the Alabama Broadcasters Association Engineering Services. Log on to our website for registration and a list of area hotels.

EAS Operation

You may say, oh-no another EAS article, but it is an important part of your station’s service to listeners and viewers, one that could possibly save life or property.

An engineer’s day is full of things to take care of but don’t neglect checking the EAS operation. Ensuring that all required monitor sources are operating properly, that requires actually listening to the sources to verify quality and level. The requirement to review the “Station Log” weekly doesn’t verify the quality or level of the test or alerts.



When checking the two required local sources, make sure it is the correct source assigned to you by your State Emergency Communication Committee (SECC).

ABA Engineering Academy

The Radio and Television engineering classes offered by the ABA Engineering Academy have two classes scheduled this fall.

The Radio Engineering Class will be held September 22^nd – 26^th and the Television Class will be held November 3^rd – 7^th. Classes held at the ABA Training Center, 2180 Parkway Lake Drive in Hoover (Birmingham) AL. Class outlines, hotel information, and online registration are available at the Engineering Academy website.



Remember these classes are offered at no cost, so we encourage you to register early as sitting is limited.

Attention Ham Operators

The Huntsville Hamfest called the “World’s Friendliest Hamfest” will be held Saturday and Sunday August 16^th and 17^th . It will feature plenty of vendor displays, flea markets with over 400 booths, and seminars. This is the 72^nd year of the Hamfest. Visit www.hamfest.org for more details.

Pro Audio – Vocals

A key element in mixing audio, whether in the studio or live event, is most often the vocal. While there are no rules in mixing audio, there is a major issue that needs to be addressed that Chris Huff writing in Church World talked about.

“Much of the natural voice is in the mid-range frequencies, and so are the fundamental frequencies of most other instruments. Part of mixing a good vocal is making room for it in the mix. The vocal needs to own the primary area where it shines through. This doesn’t come by boosting only the good – it also comes by carving out space from other channels."

"Look at vocal and instrument channels that clash with the lead vocal. Determine which owns that primary frequency area and then adjust the others by applying a slight cut in that area. I’ve gone back and found I had two channels where both had the same frequency boost applied – of course they clashed.”

Always start by removing sounds that don’t belong or fit nicely!  

And you think you have a tough job?