Michigan Broadcast Engineering Conference

The Michigan Broadcast Engineering Conference, an unmissable opportunity for broadcast engineers to network, learn, and honor excellence in our field. This event brings together broadcasters, engineers, station managers, and industry partners for the iconic Beer and Bull networking reception—a chance to connect with peers and industry leaders. Attendees will dive into insightful sessions on the latest in broadcast engineering and innovation, culminating in the prestigious Carl E. Lee Engineering Excellence Award presentation.

Schedule of Events Tuesday, February 25

5:30 – 6:30 pm The Nautel Happy Hour: Engineering Talk: Figuring Out the Things That Keep Us Up at Night (21+ Event)
Location: The Centennial Room at Founders Brewing Co., 235 Cesar E. Chavez Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

6:30 – 9:30 pm Beer & Bull Reception, sponsored by Nautel (21+ Event)
Location: The Centennial Room at Founders Brewing Co., 235 Cesar E. Chavez Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Shuttle service will be available between the JW Marriott Grand Rapids and Founders Brewing Co. beginning at 5:15 pm from the JW Marriott and ending with the last pickup from Founders at 9:45 pm. If you plan to drive separately, please review the parking information for Founders Brewing Co. found HERE.

Schedule of Events Wednesday, February 26

Location: JW Marriott, 235 Louis St NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Level 2 Event Space, Ballrooms C & D
8:45 - 9:45 am MAB Board of Directors Meeting (Closed Meeting)

9:00 – 10:00 am Vendor Walk Around Breakfast

10:00 – 10:30 am Session 1

New Developments in 12G Cable Interconnectivity

10:30 am – 11:15 am Session 2

Advanced Gen TV and Areas for Growth

11:15 am - 11:45 am Vendor Break

11:45 am – 12:30 pm Session 3

Leading Through Change

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Lunch with the Carl E. Lee Broadcast Engineering Excellence Presentation sponsored by Nemal Electronics

1:30 - 2:15 pm Session 4

Forging a Media and Public Safety Partnership Using AI

2:15 - 2:45 pm Vendor Break

2:45 - 3:30 pm Session 5

Staying in the Clear: Navigating Technical Compliance for Stations

Parking

Paid parking is available in the hotel's ramp or via valet.

1-3 hours: $12 self-parking or $16 valet parking;
3-5 hours: $16 self-parking or $20 valet parking;
5-7 hours: $20 self-parking or $24 valet parking;
7-9 hours: $24 self-parking or $28 valet parking;
9-11 hours: $28 self-parking or $32 valet parking;
Max daily rate: $41 self-parking or $45 valet parking;
Overnight hotel guest: $35 self-parking or $39 valet parking

Conference Sessions

February 25: Beer & Bull Happy Hour 5:30 - 6:30 pm
Engineering Talk: Figuring Out the Things That Keep Us Up at Night

We'll look at the top half dozen or so things that cause us to lose sleep (UPSs failing on power glitches, transmitters that go down and don’t come back up, stuff that seems to blow up every time it gets cloudy, that sort of thing!). Maybe a smattering of “how to keep the sales team from clicking on every piece of malware that comes into their email”, as well! This will be an interactive session with a whole bunch of input from everybody, as we take a moment to learn from each other – because Jeff says that nobody should have to listen to him ramble on solo for over an hour!

Regional Sales Manager, Nautel

Jeff Welton has been in the broadcast industry for over 33 years, with an extensive background in electronics technology and customer service. In addition to his current Regional Sales Manager role, his background includes being part of the Nautel Customer Service Team for 17 years where he has installed and serviced transmitters around the world. Jeff was named to the SBE board in late 2023 and in 2018, he was named the SBE Educator of the Year; Welton has also been recognized by the National Association of Broadcasters and the Association of Public Radio Engineers.

Session 1: 10:00 - 10:30 am
New Developments in 12G Cable Interconnectivity

As the demand for high-resolution content continues to grow, 12G-SDI technology is becoming an essential component in modern broadcast infrastructure. Explore the latest advancements in 12G cable interconnectivity, focusing on the practical applications of copper, fiber, and hybrid cabling solutions for UHD broadcast environments and gain insight into applicable industry and safety standards. The latest developments in data cables (Category 5, 6, and 7), coaxial cables, and connectors optimized for 12G/UHD transmission will be presented and we'll highlight new hybrid cable solutions and emerging fiber connector options, such as FiberFox and MTP, ensuring high-performance and reliable connectivity.

Benjmin-Nemser-CEO-Nemal-Electronics web

Benjamin Nemser, CEO, Nemal Electronics

Ben Nemser founded Nemal Electronics in 1977 in Miami, and is the company CEO. He started in electronics at age 12 by getting his ham radio license (WA4DZS), and then a FCC First Class Radiotelephone License a few years later. He has been designing and building cables ever since. He graduated University of Miami with a BBA in International Finance and Marketing in 1977 and JD in 1982. Ben is a member of SBE, ARRL, AOPA, NAFI, MENSA, Florida and NY Bar Associations, and the NY Road Runners Club. He also holds the rank of major in the Civil Air Patrol (US Air Force Auxiliary). Ben is President and Director of Operations of Catalina Aerospace Corp. a FAA certificated air charter service, and has 8000 hours of flight time as captain in Learjet, Hawker, and Cessna aircraft. He has also completed 23 marathons, and is the Communications Director for the Miami Marathon.

Session 2: 10:30 - 11:15 am
Advanced Gen TV and Areas for Growth

As the media industry evolves with the adoption of ATSC 3.0 and other next-generation technologies, broadcast engineers must navigate a complex landscape of innovation and opportunity. Explore the latest developments in the ATSC 3.0 deployment in the US and beyond and the expansion of use cases and verticals to compliment linear TV services. Find out what new technical developments are in the works in ATSC and gain insight into how these advancements are reshaping content delivery, audience engagement, and monetization strategies.

Madeleine Noland, President, ATSC Inc.

Madeleine Noland is the President of the Advanced Television Systems Committee Inc. A 20-year industry veteran who is widely respected for her consensus-building leadership style, she chaired the technology group that oversees the ATSC 3.0 next-generation broadcast standard before being named ATSC President in May 2019. Previously, she chaired various ATSC 3.0-related specialist groups, ad hoc groups and implementation teams since 2012.

Session 3: 11:45 am - 12:30 pm
Leading Through Change

With today’s fast-paced technology, change is inevitable—but navigating it successfully requires strong leadership, cohesive teamwork, and a clear strategy. In this session, we’ll explore how effective leaders can guide their teams through uncertainty while fostering trust, collaboration, and resilience.

Amador Velasquez, Director of Technology, WDIV-TV (Detroit)

Amador Velasquez is the Director of Technology for WDIV-TV, the NBC affiliate in Detroit, a Graham Media Group television station. He took over the role in November of 2020. Before coming to Detroit, he was the Broadcast Technology Manager at WCAU-TV, the NBC Owned Television Station in Philadelphia, PA from 2014 to 2020. Before starting a career in Broadcast Engineering, he served in the US Army Signal Corp as a 31R Multi-channel Transmission Systems Operator/Maintainer from 1995 to 1999. Amador is the Professional Development Director on the Executive Board for the Detroit chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE). He is also the Chair of his company’s Hispanic/Latinx Employee Resource Group, GMG Unidos. Amador lives in Rochester Hills, MI with his wife and their two children.

Session 4: 1:30 - 2:15 pm
Forging a Media and Public Safety Partnership using AI

Recent natural disasters have highlighted the reliability of broadcast Radio and Television while at the same time uncovering the shortcomings of Cellular and Power infrastructures. Futuri has developed a product which incorporates AI, Broadcasting, and mobile apps to meet the need for Emergency Management to reliably communicate lifesaving information to the public in their native tongue.

Craig Bowman, Senior Vice President, Futuri

An award-winning engineer, Craig Bowman's career spans 35+ years providing his expertise that has led to tremendous advancement in the technology, broadcasting, and engineering sectors. His broadcast industry accolades include being the recipient of the Carl E. Lee Broadcast Engineering Excellence Award in 2017. He has engineered complex media operations for multiple public and private broadcast companies including iHeart, Cumulus, EMF, Westwood One, Liggett Media, Krol Communications, and Synergy Broadcasting in addition to owning his own engineering consultancy. Since 2009, Craig’s many technical capabilities have been utilized in the build-out of many of Futuri’s SaaS technologies that have shaped the future of the media industry.

Session 5: 2:45 - 3:30 pm
Staying in the Clear: Navigating Technical Compliance for Stations

In the fast-paced world of broadcasting, regulatory compliance is non-negotiable. This session dives into the critical aspects of technical compliance and FCC regulations that govern broadcast operations. Explore the protocols and procedures essential for maintaining compliance, including real-world examples of how lapses can lead to severe penalties or disruptions. This session emphasizes why a comprehensive understanding of compliance protocols is vital for protecting your station, safeguarding public safety, and ensuring seamless operations. Equip yourself with the knowledge to keep your station compliant and your signal strong.

Keenan Adamchak, Counsel, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP

Keenan Adamchak advises broadcast and telecommunications clients on a range of regulatory, transactional, and appellate matters. He represents both radio and television broadcasters before the FCC on concerns involving license renewals, auctions, transaction approvals, enforcement, and other regulatory compliance questions. He also counsels wireless, VoIP, and telecommunications providers before the FCC and state public service commissions on a variety of regulatory issues including licensing, transaction approvals, and other regulatory matters. In addition, Keenan has represented both broadcasters and telecommunications service providers before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Frank Maynard, President, Maynard & Associates LLC

Frank Maynard, CPBE, is president of Maynard and Associates, LLC, which provides broadcast engineering services in the Great Lakes region. He recently retired after 37 years with CBS-owned television stations WWJ-TV and WKBD-TV in Detroit, where he was Supervisor of Technical Operations. Prior work in his fifty-year-plus career included chief engineer positions for various radio stations in Michigan and Louisiana and technical consulting for broadcast stations in the region. Maynard is a Certified Professional Broadcast Engineer by the Society of Broadcast Engineers, and was Chair of SBE chapters 91 (Lansing) and 82 (Detroit), where he serves the latter as Certification Chair. He is past Chair and current Manager of the Detroit Section of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, serves on the Engineering Committee of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters and the Midwest Broadcast and Multimedia Technical Conference, and is a recipient of the MAB's Carl E. Lee Broadcast Engineering Excellence Award in 2020.