Indianapolis, IN. - Aug 4, 2008 - The Society of Broadcast Engineers has announced the winners of its 2007 National Awards. The winners will be recognized at the Society's National Awards Dinner on Oct. 15, 2008, in Madison, WI. The event is part of the annual SBE National Meeting, which is being held in conjunction with the Wisconsin Broadcasters Clinic, sponsored by Chapter 24 Madison and the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association, held at the Marriott Madison West Hotel.

"One of the important responsibilities of the Society is recognizing and rewarding excellence in broadcast engineering. These great engineers and Society chapters demonstrate the qualities indicative of our membership. We look forward to celebrating their achievement at our national meeting in Madison," said Society of Broadcast Engineers President Barry Thomas, CPBE CBNT.

The winner of the SBE Broadcast Engineer of the Year Award is Cris Alexander, CPBE AMD DRB. Alexander has been a member of the SBE since October 1985. Alexander began his broadcasting career in 1976 working for KWAS. He graduated from CIE in December 1978. For the past 24 years, he's worked for Crawford Broadcasting Company, where he is currently the director of engineering. Over the years, Alexander has designed and built studio and transmitter sites from the ground up. Alexander is known for being an effective teacher. As chairman of the SBE Education Committee, he has initiated several new ways of training the next generation of engineers, including online courses.

Recipients of the SBE Broadcast Engineer of the Year Award are recognized for making significant contributions to the field of broadcast engineering and for furthering the goals and objectives of the Society. They must be members of the Society and are nominated by their peers.

The 2007 SBE Educator of the Year Award will be presented to William Hayes. Hayes has been the driving force behind the very successful annual Iowa Public Television Symposium. Hayes has been the director of engineering and technology at Iowa Public Television since 1999. He started his broadcasting career in 1973 and received his bachelor's degree in communications from Loyola University in 1977. He is currently responsible for the planning and development of all technology projects at Iowa Public Television including RF transmission facilities and studio origination facilities.

The 2007 SBE Technology Award will be presented to Daniel Slentz and Zanesville, OH, stations WHIZ-TV/DTV/FM/AM. They are being recognized for adapting both consumer and information technology into the broadcast world by using wireless broadband gear along with consumer streaming technology, giving them the ability to create live TV broadcasts for a fraction of the traditional microwave equipment cost.

The award for Best Technical Article, Book or Program by an SBE Member goes to Doug Irwin, CPBE AMD, for his article, Performance Evaluation which appeared in Radio magazine in December 2007.

Local SBE chapters have also earned awards based on their own achievements. Some categories recognize two chapters, based on their size. Class A represents those chapters whose membership is less than the national median while Class B are those chapters that have membership greater than the national median.

Best Chapter Website: Chapter 54 - Hampton Roads, VA; Best Regional Conference: Chapter 22 - Central New York, NY; Best Chapter Newsletter: Chapter 70 - NE Ohio; Best Frequency Coordination: Dennis Orcutt Chapter 85 - Oklahoma City OK; Most Interactive Chapter: Atlanta, Georgia Chapter 5; Most Certified: A) Chapter 126 Saipan; B) Chapter 131 Inland Empire; Most Growth: A) Chapter 132 Ft. Meade, MD; B) Chapter 16, Seattle, WA; Highest Member Attendance: A) Chapter 51 Tri Cities; B) Chapter 24 Madison, WI.

The SBE National Awards Committee was chaired by board member Larry J. Wilkins, CPBE AMD CBNT of Chapter 118, Montgomery, AL. Members of the 2007 committee are Terry Baun, CPBE AMD CBNT; Keith M. Kintner, CPBE CBNT; and Troy Pennington, CSRE CBNT.