Indianapolis, IN - Nov 2, 2009 - The Society of Broadcast Engineers held a Certification exam session at the recent 127th Audio Engineering Society convention in New York City. The convention was held Oct. 9-12, and the exam session was held on Oct. 12.

The SBE holds Certification exam sessions throughout the year through the more than 100 local chapters, as well as a session at the annual National Association of Broadcasters convention in April. The SBE also arranges other exam sessions as they can be arranged, such as at regional broadcast conferences.

SBE President Vinny Lopez, CEV CBNT, said, "SBE Certification is one of the foundations of the Society. By working with other organizations, such as the AES, we can continue to expand the reach of this service to the broadcast industry."

The 127th AES Convention was the first time the SBE held an exam session at an AES convention. While preregistration for the exams through the SBE national office was encouraged, the SBE also accepted on-site registration. On-site registration has been arranged at previous special sessions. The exam opportunity was promoted by the SBE and the AES leading up to the convention.

In all, there were six people who sat to take an SBE Certification exam. Two of the examinees had preregistered. Four people took advantage of the on-site spontaneity.

The AES has been promoting broadcast-related events at its convention for many years, and the AES notes that interest in broadcast topics has increased year over year. The AES invited the SBE to host a Certification exam session at the convention.

While the number of examinees is not overwhelming, the SBE is pleased with the results of the effort. SBE Certification Committee member and SBE Past President Chriss Scherer, CPBE CBNT, handled the on-site portion with assistance from SBE New York Chapter 15, Chapter Chair Tom Ray, CPBE AMD DRB, and Chapter Certification Chair George Marshall, CBRE.

Jim Bernier, CPBE CBNT, SBE National Certification Committee chair, said, "The SBE constantly seeks ways to improve access to broadcast professionals who want to take an SBE Certification exam. The AES Convention is one venue that we will consider again in the future."

The SBE Certification Committee will review the process to determine if the SBE will host another exam session at the 129th AES Convention to be held in San Francisco in 2010, although initial indications show the effort was a success.