Are you a “P” or an “L”?

It's just about a universal truth, but certainly one in tougher economic times: Management looks at profit and loss statements when making decisions. Sometimes that doesn't jibe with the need for a new tube or rewiring of a studio But accept the premise and it’s a lot easier to * Relate to top management * Demonstrate your value and the value of your ideas * See your recommendations through top management’s eyes * Work with other departments for a common goal * Help them realize that you’re on the same team Wow! Remember one axiom - look at the profit or loss - and that’s it? Not really but it’s a heckuva start. If you think about it a little, you quickly realize that profitability is a top goal of management. After all, you may answer to an ubermanager, but he/she answers to the CEO and he/she’s God. No, wait, there’s that board of directors. They’re God. No, son of a gun, there’re those stockholders. Those are the folks everyone answers to. Hey, PBS-ers…there are taxpayers out there who write their congressmen…you know, those people that allocate tax dollars…so, somewhere along the line, everyone answers to someone else! So how do you find out if you’re a profit or a loss? Well, the simplest way is to look at your own balance sheet. How much money does your department receive from the company and how much money do you generate? How much money do I generate? Why, none. I just spend it. Salaries, equipment, repairs, power, telco. It goes out faster than I can track it. Not true. It’s how you look at it. And how you frame it. How ‘bout that transmitter? What a loss. Wait, though. Without it, you reach no one. So making sure it’s always there – at a hundred percent, keeps it generating money. You can even assign a figure to it. Then what about gear you recommend or design? Does that automatic tower light monitor save any money? Maybe it removes the need for someone to visually check. Or consider the remotes you plan and execute. Do they generate revenue? You’re helping get those dollars in the door. And don’t forget cost savings you may have instituted. Maybe you cut a bunch of spending through better management – or brought a job in-house at a rate cheaper than a consultant…or even outsourced a job rather than hiring someone (it can work both ways). Found a new source for MOSFETs that cuts costs by a third? Went together with another cluster to get a quantity discount on equipment? Maybe you did a couple of graphics for sales’ powerpoints. Take a little time and jot down all of the revenue and cost saving opportunities that you helped create. Do a spreadsheet and show it all. Then sum it up and see where you stand. What if it looks like I’m a real drain? Well, the easy answer is, fold your arms and realize that you’re a necessary evil. It’s also the wrong answer. A lot of engineers thought their “first phones” would give them a job for life…if nothing else, at a directional AM. So how’d that work out? Better is to make a two pronged commitment: 1. Find ways to generate revenue or cut expenses…without being told 2. Merchandise what you’ve found back to management Here are few examples: * Take a look at your people and staffing. If you’re the Lone Ranger, that’s one thing but if you have help, maybe you can schedule better, reprioritize activity, or reassign workers to help in other areas * Can you provide a way to deliver a cheaper remote? Sales can use the remotes to generate more revenue * Have you built a tower lamp surge reducer? If you cut the number of climbs in half, you’ve saved a lot of money * Did you find a way to cover spots or protected music for streams? That will save a LOT of money * Merchandise your people back to management, too. These are just some ideas but the bottom line is make sure your boss and their boss know what you’re doing. : * A weekly/biweekly/monthly newsletter about status * Taking time to explain what you’ve done and why it saved money * Initiate contacts with sales regarding help developing revenue (Email blasts? Streaming commercials? Special SCA uses?) You don’t have to be a braggadocio about it – just make sure folks are in the loop. It’ll help you, too. You’ll get a better handle on where the organization is heading. That’s definitely important – and it gives you the ability to plan appropriately…and show management how you’re a part of the team.

The Case for the “Proof”

Primarily on the radio side, but applicable to TV, too, audio equipment performance tests (the “proof”) have gone the way of the west. About all that’s left now are the spectrum occupancy measurements required of AM stations to ensure that they are operating within the NRSC2 mask.

Every time I write that, I envision a mask with two eyeholes and sidebands escaping through them. Regardless, there aren’t other measurements required. Or are there? Have you changed transmitters? Maybe other audio gear that would be in the signal chain for measurement during a proof? Change of transmitter or studio location or a new STL?

Any of those actually imply the need for a new spectrum occupancy proof – AM, FM, or TV. (see reprint of applicable rules, below) That proof isn't the full-blown set of tests – frequency response, distortion, AM noise (AM and FM) FM noise (FM) stereo separation (FM), all of the crosstalk measurements and the other “lesser-knowns,” but running what used to be a full proof can really pay off.

The proof can be one heck of a tool for making sure you’re getting the most out of the station. All sorts of crazy things make themselves visible during a proof. True, most are undesirable and may well leave you scratching your head or mumbling but if it gives you a chance to ferret out the culprits and drive a stake through their collector, it’s worth it.

A couple of examples: Once found a subsonic rumble that was making its way onto an AM. The doggoned thing actually tracked the audio in volume so that when audio was low, you really couldn’t hear it. But with higher levels, it was there, eating up modulation and standing out as a nonharmonic tone it whatever music was bellowing out. By first threatening then changing the power supply caps in the audio console we sent the tone packing.

By the way, this type of problem makes leaving all equipment in the chain a good idea. You’ll never see what that compressor is causing if you patch around it. Take it out for the real measurements if you want to but at least look at the mod monitor on a scope with all processing in. When you see that 120Hz floating on the audio, it’s a dead giveaway of a problem that’s affecting your sound.

Another time, we saw a change in VSWR with modulation. This often is caused by poor bandwidth - AM or FM. This time, though, it was 100% modulation that a capacitor in one of the ATU’s on a DA didn’t like. It’d do a “soft breakdown” (if there is such a thing), meaning the value changed with 10 seconds or so of 100% modulation. The impedance of that tower’s ATU changed. Incidentally, that meant the pattern changed, too. Now, we didn’t see it in normal operation – heck, even Eddie and Alex didn’t hold a note at 100% for 10 seconds, but we at least got the problem out of the way.

Yes, these are strange ones – unlikely to happen. But there are other equally challenging anomalies that will reveal themselves if you give them a chance. Don’t like the middle of the night? If you don’t have to run a proof, go on backup and run the main it into a dummy – just to see. It won’t find things like that VSWR problem above but will allow you to spot a lot of others. And you won't be able to use the whole signal chain unless you have redundancy there, too, but regardless, you'll know that what you did check is OK or needs looking after.

Short cuts: There are a couple of so-called short cuts. 1) Use pink noise and a spectrum analyzer (you can use an audio spectrum analyzer on the output of the mod monitor) for frequency response. You’ll see the preemphasis plain as day. 2) Use the mod monitors for noise measurements. 3) Record short segments of distortion tones onto a computer with a good sound card. Afterward, there are a number of programs which can show you harmonic distortion in both level and percentage. 4) If you’re using a two-way line like a DS-1, you can turn the signal around at the transmitter and get good information sent back to you for some of the measurements. Don’t, however, try to measure AM or FM noise at the studio through an RF amp. Your AM noise will be beautiful because of the limiter in the RF amp. Your FM noise will vary based on the noise that may be added by the amp.

Current Rules:

Subpart H_Rules Applicable to All Broadcast Stations Sec. 73.1590

Equipment performance measurements.

(a) The licensee of each AM, FM, TV and Class A TV station, except licensees of Class D non-commercial educational FM stations authorized to operate with 10 watts or less output power, must make equipment performance measurements for each main transmitter as follows:[[Page 290]]

(1) Upon initial installation of a new or replacement main transmitter.

(2) Upon modification of an existing transmitter made under the provisions of Sec. 73.1690, Modification of transmission systems, and specified therein.

(3) Installation of AM stereophonic transmission equipment pursuant to Sec. 73.128.

(4) Installation of FM subcarrier or stereophonic transmission equipment pursuant to Sec. 73.295, Sec. 73.297, Sec. 73.593 or Sec. 73.597.

(5) Installation of TV stereophonic or subcarrier transmission equipment pursuant to Sec. Sec. 73.669 and 73.1690.

(6) Annually, for AM stations, with not more than 14 months between measurements.

(7) When required by other provisions of the rules or the station license.

(b) Measurements for spurious and harmonic emissions must be made to show compliance with the transmission system requirements of Sec. 73.44 for AM stations; Sec. 73.317 for FM stations and Sec. 73.687 for TV stations. Measurements must be made under all conditions of modulation expected to be encountered by the station whether transmitting monophonic or stereophonic programs and providing subsidiary communications services.

(c) TV visual equipment performance measurements must be made with the equipment adjusted for normal program operation at the transmitter antenna sampling port to yield the following information:

(1) Field strength or voltage of the lower side-band for a modulating frequency of 1.25 MHz or greater, (including 3.58 MHz for color), and of the upper side-band for a modulating frequency of 4.75 MHz or greater.

(2) Data showing that the waveform of the transmitted signal conforms to that specified by the standards for TV transmissions.

(3) Photographs of a test pattern taken from a receiver or monitor connected to the transmitter output.

(4) Data showing envelope delay characteristics of the radiated signal.

(5) Data showing the attenuation of spurious and harmonic radiation, if, after type acceptance, any changes have been made in the transmitter or associated equipment (filters, multiplexer, etc.) which could cause changes in its radiation products.

(d) The data required by paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, together with a description of the equipment and procedure used in making the measurements, signed and dated by the qualified person(s) making the measurements, must be kept on file at the transmitter or remote control point for a period of 2 years, and on request must be made available during that time to duly authorized representatives of the FCC.[47 FR 8589, Mar. 1, 1982, as amended at 51 FR 18450, May 20, 1986; 65 FR 30004, May 10, 2000]