[SBE] Industry retirement situation

[Larry Will]

Me too - again

I was fortunate enough in my first TV job while a student at Drexel 
University to be directly involved in the color conversion of the CBS 
station I worked at in my co-op job - WLYH-TV CH 15 CBS at that time. 
I remember a lot of reception problems with early color sets as well.

The corporate mamagement actually embraced color as a way to increase 
revenues and our local GM got corporate to fund the conversion of the 
TX to color (No easy task on an RCA TTU-10) and we installed a film 
chain and ONE studio color camera.  This was about 1963 and studio 
VTR's were not in our picture except for an Ampex 660 2" Helical 
which we used on local sports remotes. (using the RCA 7 GHz "ash can" 
klystron MW sometimes with double hops).

With CBS only running 1-2 shows in color a year this was a giant leap 
and the chief (Ross Kauffman) and I made this all work with equipment 
that was never designed for color learning all the way.

Lesson here I learned quickly that technology needs to be able to be 
shown to the GM that it will result in an improvement to the bottom 
line.  Corporate would fund technology if that could be shown.

I never forgot that simple fact and it has served me well over the years.

So with profits that used to be a dizzying 60+ % net then and lucky 
if 5% now we engineers must understand the reality of it all.

Broadcast Engineering is a service arm to the organization not the 
center of attraction - always has been.

Regards,

Larry Will

At 12:00 AM 3/15/2008, you wrote:

>Let me jump into this....again -

>

>One thing has not changed - The laws of supply and demand and its 

>impact on the rate of pay.

>

>Some things have changed - Just about everything in Broadcasting.

>

>Another thing that has not changed - Those that are able to adapt to 

>change end up better off than those that do not.

>

>Another thing that has changed - The influx of people working in our 

>business that are involved, almost exclusively, with computers.

>

>What needs to change - The understanding that these folks are 

>Broadcast Engineers also.   We need to embrace them, take them to 

>chapter meetings and encourage them to join SBE etc.   (Just because 

>we no longer spend hours testing tubes or lubing MG-Sets does not 

>make us less of an Engineer)

>

>Another thing that has changed - The number of folks between you and 

>the GM. This means that you are more likely to be called upon to 

>interface with the higher-ups.   How are your skills in that area?

>

>Some things to ponder - I sincerely hope you will take the time to 

>attend the session Chriss is moderating...It could be VERY worthwhile.

>

>Clay Freinwald

>

>

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