Fixed and Portable Services

in Broadcast Microwave Bands

 Broadcast Microwave
Presented By…
Dan Ryson, Cavell Mertz & Associates, Inc.

With Assistance and Photos From…

Joe Snelson, Craig Strom, & Ray Benedict
SBE National Frequency Coordination Committee

Additional Photos Provided By…

Cindy Cavell, Jeremy Lewis, Gary Nadler, & Mike Rhodes
 Broadcast Microwave
Introduction

 What is Broadcast Microwave?

 How broadcasters use BAS bands
 Fixed point-to-point
 News coverage
 Sports coverage
 Trends in equipment used by broadcasters
 Considerations in sharing 7 & 13 GHz
 SBE Frequency Coordinators
 What is Broadcast Microwave?

Broadcast Microwave is:

 A bit unusual
 Associated with broadcast licenses
 Renewed with broadcast license
 Expiration concurrent with broadcast
license
 Originally administered by Media Bureau
 What is Broadcast Microwave?

Types of Broadcast Microwave Stations

AS Aural Studio Transmitter Link

TI TV Intercity Relay
TS TV Studio Transmitter Link
TP TV Pickup
AI Aural Intercity Relay
CT Local Television Transmission
TT TV Translator Relay
TB TV Microwave Booster
AB Aural Microwave Booster
 What is Broadcast Microwave?

Types of Broadcast Microwave Stations

 Aural Broadcast Auxiliary Stations

 Issued to AM, FM, LPFM, some FM translator, FM
booster, and TV stations.
 Aural studio transmitter link stations
 Aural broadcast intercity relay stations
 Aural broadcast microwave booster stations
 What is Broadcast Microwave?

Types of Broadcast Microwave Stations

 Television Broadcast Auxiliary Stations (§74.601)

 Issued to a TV, Class A TV, LPTV, or TV translator
stations and TV network entities.
 Television pickup stations
 TV studio transmitter link stations
 TV relay stations
 TV microwave booster stations
 TV translator relay stations
 What is Broadcast Microwave?
Aural Broadcast STL Stations

 Radio Service code “AS”

 Fixed stations for the transmission of aural
program material between the studio and the
transmitter of a broadcasting station.
 ULS universe: 10,800 or 42.9% (as of May 2012)
 There are far more Aural STLs than any other
BAS Radio Service.
 What is Broadcast Microwave?
Aural Broadcast STL Stations (cont’d.)

 Typically licensed by radio stations

 High Reliability Vital
 Previously coordinated by local (often SBE)
frequency coordination committees.
 Now coordinated using Part 101 and PCN
procedures
 What is Broadcast Microwave?
Aural Broadcast Intercity Relay Stations

 Radio Service code “AI”

 Fixed stations for the transmission of aural
program material to other radio stations, FM
booster stations and FM translator stations, or
other purposes per §74.531.
 ULS universe: 6,419 or 25.5% (as of May 2012)
 What is Broadcast Microwave?
Aural Intercity Relay Stations (cont’d)

 Use same frequencies as Aural STLs

 Typically licensed by radio stations
 High reliability often required
 What is Broadcast Microwave?
Aural Broadcast Microwave Booster Stations

 Radio Service code “AB”

 A fixed station in the broadcast auxiliary
service that receives and amplifies signals of
an aural broadcast STL or intercity relay station
and retransmits them on the same frequency.
 ULS universe: 7 or 0.03% (as of May 2012)
 Same frequencies as Aural STL/ICRs
 What is Broadcast Microwave?
TV Studio Transmitter Link Stations

 Radio Service code “TS”

 Fixed station that transmits TV program
material and related communications from the
studio to the transmitter of a TV, Class A or
LPTV station or other purposes per §74.631.
 ULS universe: 3,112 or 12.4% (as of May 2012)
 There are more TV STLs than other TV services
 What is Broadcast Microwave?
Television Pickup Stations

 Radio Service code “TP”

 Land mobile stations for transmission of TV
program material and related communications
from scenes of events to TV or LPTV stations
or other purposes per §74.631.
 ULS universe: 2,616 or 10.4% (as of May 2012)
 Because they’re unusual, we’ll focus on TV
Pickup Stations in today’s presentation.
 What is Broadcast Microwave?
TV Relay Stations

 Radio Service code “TI”

 Commonly known as “ICR” (InterCity Relay)
 A fixed station for transmission of TV program
material and related communications for use
by TV, Class A or LPTV stations or other
purposes as per §74.631.
 ULS universe: 6,419 or 25.5% (as of May 2012)
 What is Broadcast Microwave?
TV Microwave Booster Stations

 Radio Service code “TM”

 A fixed station in the TV broadcast auxiliary
service that receives and amplifies signals of a
TV pickup, TV STL, TV relay, or TV translator
relay station and retransmits them on the
same frequency.
 ULS universe: 9 or 0.04% (as of May 2012)
 What is Broadcast Microwave?
TV Translator Relay Stations

 Radio Service code “TT”

 A fixed station used for relaying programs and
signals of TV broadcast or Class A TV stations
to Class A TV, LPTV, TV translator, and to other
communications facilities that the Commission
may authorize or for other purposes as
permitted by §74.631.
 ULS universe: 574 or 2.3% (as of May 2012)
 What is Broadcast Microwave?
Common Terms

 BAS – Broadcast Auxiliary Service

 ENG – Electronic News Gathering
 ENG Truck – A vehicle (typically a van)
equipped with a mast, transmitter & antenna
 Portable – Temporary fixed links, sometimes
used on building rooftops or mountains and
deployed from the trunk of a car.
 What is Broadcast Microwave?
Common Terms

 Mobile – Transmissions from a vehicle in

motion or aircraft
 Backhaul link – A fixed link used to transmit
program material to the studio
 What is Broadcast Microwave?
Broadcast Auxiliary Microwave Bands

 Aural
 944–952 MHz
 18 GHz BAS band – 18.76 to 18.82 GHz and
19.10 to 19.16 (legacy)*

* Shared with other services

 What is Broadcast Microwave?
Broadcast Auxiliary Microwave Bands

 ENG, STL, ICR, Television Translator Relay

 2 GHz BAS band – 2,025 to 2,110 MHz
 2.5 GHz BAS band – 2,450 to 2,483.5 MHz*
 7 GHz BAS band – 6875 to 7125 MHz*
 13 GHz BAS band – 12.70 to 13.25 GHz*
 18 GHz BAS band – 17.70 to 18.58 GHz and
19.26 to 19.70*

* Shared with other services

 What is Broadcast Microwave?
Broadcast Auxiliary Microwave Bands

 Mobile Only
 6.5 GHz BAS band – 6,425 to 6,525 MHz*

* Shared with other services

 How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands
Studio Transmitter Link (STL) – Transmits program
material from the studio to the main transmitter
 How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands
Intercity Relay (ICR) – Feed
program material back to the
studio such as:

 TV Network programs from

off-site satellite receivers
 Remote news bureaus
 ENG receive sites
 Studio programming to
other TV stations
 How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands
Television Pick-Up
Sports:

 Camera back
operation inside
a stadium
 How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands
Television Pick-Up
Sports (cont’d):

 Television
remotes such
as parades
and sporting
events
 How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands
Television Pick-Up
Sports (cont’d):

 Multiple non-
directional
receive
antennas were
located
throughout the
NASCAR track.
 How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands
Television Pick-Up
Sports (cont’d):

 Golf coverage
is particularly
challenging
 This temporary
transmitter site
is for a
multiple golf
course event.
 How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands
Television Pick-Up
Sports (cont’d):

 This is the
temporary
receive site
for the same
multi-course
broadcast.
 How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands
Television Pick-Up
Sports (cont’d):

 Some sports
coverage requires
Herculean effort.
 This is 1 of 6
7GHz microwave
relays from
Mount Everest to
Kathmandu,
Nepal.
 How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands
Television Pick-Up
News:

 Temporary,
transmit
equipment for
live news
coverage of
the 2009
inauguration.
 How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands
Television Pick-Up
News (cont’d):

 Rooftop Receive
Equipment for live
news coverage of
the 2009
inauguration.
 How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands
Television Pick-Up
News (cont’d):

 This is the WLS-TV,

Chicago newsroom.
 Journalists pick the
news stories that
deserve coverage.
 How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands
Television Pick-Up
News (cont’d):

 The WLS-TV
Assignment
Desk monitors
and dispatches
news crews
 How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands
Television Pick-Up
News (cont’d):

 Based on the
story and the
location, the
Assignment
Desk may
deploy an ENG
truck.
 How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands
Television Pick-Up
News (cont’d):

 The ENG truck is

equipped with AC
and generator
controls, UHF
communications,
a digital editor,
and ENG/SNG
modulators and
power amplifiers.
 How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands
Television Pick-Up
News (cont’d):

 They may also

deploy the
WLS-TV
helicopter,
known as
Chopper 7HD.
 How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands
Television Pick-Up
News (cont’d):

 ENG signals
are received
by a steerable
antenna atop
Willis Tower,
the tallest
building in the
USA.
 How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands
Television Pick-Up
News (cont’d):

 From such a tall

rooftop, one might
think ENG coverage
with low antennas
wouldn’t be a
challenge. Still,
“bounce” shots are
often necessary.
How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands
Television Pick-Up
News (cont’d):

 At the studio,
Transmission
is responsible
for remote
control of the
Central
Receive
antennas.
BAS Microwave Equipment Trends
Lower Antenna Gain
and Height.

 Will-Burt
“Night Scan”
mast doesn’t
require any
interior
vehicle space.
Only extends
~15 ft.
BAS Microwave Equipment Trends
Combination of ENG
and Satellite
Technology.

 In some cases,
ENG is used
for “first mile”
and satellite is
used to
backhaul
video to a
distant city.
BAS Microwave Equipment Trends
Wireless Camera-
back Transmitter

 Often used for

short “hop” to
the ENG truck
or in lieu of
long cable
runs in
buildings.
BAS Microwave Equipment Trends
3G, 4G, WiFi,
Microwave Combo

 Claimed to go
where ENG
and satellite
signals are
impractical.
 Shared with
public, can be
problematic.
Sharing 7 & 13 GHz – Possible Issues
Fixed and Mobile in the Same Band:

 News crews are often in a rush to get to a

news event and quickly establish video.
 STLs must have high reliability – or
broadcast stations go off the air.
 Having these diametrically opposed needs
within the same band can be problematic,
even among fellow broadcasters.
 New FCC Rules preclude FS in markets with 7
& 13 GHz ENG. It’s a good move.
 SBE Frequency Coordination
 Most coordinators are unpaid volunteers
 Many are familiar with the nuances of
broadcasting and news – in their region.
 They typically do not assign frequencies
 Primarily a facilitator to provide contact and
predominant use information
 May not know precise, day-to-day usage by
every broadcaster in his region.
 There are a few incorporated coordination
committees
 Fixed and Portable Services
in Broadcast Microwave Bands

Questions