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SBE Names 2024 National Award Winners

Dalke and Wilkins are recognized for their contributions to the industry

The Society of Broadcast Engineers has named the winners of its various SBE National Awards, which recognize members who have contributed to the SBE, the industry or their chapters in a number of categories. All the winners will be honored at the SBE Awards Dinner on Sept. 11 during the SBE National Meeting, which is held in conjunction with the Midwest Regional Broadcasters Clinic in Middleton, Wis.

This year, the Robert W. Flanders SBE Engineer of the Year Award will be presented to James “Jim” Dalke of Bellevue, Wash.

Per an SBE press release, Dalke, who is a member of SBE Chapter 16 in Seattle, Wash., is “a dedicated SBE member of 26 years. [He] currently serves as the editor of the online publication The Waveguide and is actively involved with the Alternative Broadcast Inspection Program (ABIP) through the Washington State Association of Broadcasters. His contributions include numerous technical articles and holding an Amateur Extra Class License as W7PB.”

JIm Dalke
Jim Dalke

Also, this year, the annual James C. Wulliman SBE Educator of the Year Award will be given to Larry Wilkins of Prattville, Ala. The Educator of the Year Award recognizes outstanding service and excellence in sharing knowledge through teaching other broadcast engineers.

Wilkins, a member of SBE Chapter 118 in Montgomery, Ala., has been involved with the SBE for 33 years. According to the SBE release, Wilkins has been instrumental in the Alabama Broadcasters Association Engineering Academy as its director, where he developed curriculum and conducted classes across multiple states.

“His career highlights include designing numerous radio and television studio and transmitter facilities,” wrote the SBE. “During his tenure at the Engineering Academy, he concentrates on curriculum development for multiple classes a year focused on radio and on television. Following the educational week, students are eligible to sit for an SBE certification exam.”

Wilkins is also a past recipient of the Radio World Excellence in Engineering Award.

The SBE Awards Program also recognizes other achievements from SBE members, chapters and SBE sustaining member companies. This year, Telos has received the Technology Award for its “EAS at the Edge,” a collaborative effort with Digital Alert Systems, Telos Alliance and Nautel. According to the SBE, this innovation simplifies broadcasters’ Emergency Alert System implementations through software standards and AoIP-based techniques, “ensuring compliance with FCC regulations while enhancing public safety functions.”

In other award news, for the third consecutive year, Chapter 15 in New York, N.Y., has been recognized with the Best Chapter Communication Award. Instead of a traditional newsletter, Chapter 15 utilizes different social media channels to engage its members.

Also, Cody Hmelar has been awarded Best Technical Article, Paper, or Program by an SBE Student Member for his article titled “Your Phone’s About To Get Loud. Here’s how to manage the National Emergency Alert System Test,” which was published by Tech Radar, Radio World’s sister publication.

On the announcement of the 2024 winners, SBE President Ted Hand said in the release, “Recognition by your peers is the highest honor, and the 2024 SBE award winners, chosen by a group of their SBE member colleagues, exemplify the efforts of the SBE to educate and advance the careers of our members. Congratulations to all of them.”

Nominations for the 2025 awards will open in February.

[Find the full list of 2024 award recipients here.]

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