The Society of Broadcast Engineers has announced the recipients of the 2026 SBE National Awards, which recognize outstanding achievements by individual members, local chapters, and SBE Sustaining Member companies. Among the organization’s highest honors are the Robert W. Flanders SBE Engineer of the Year and the James C. Wulliman SBE Educator of the Year awards. All honorees will be recognized at the SBE 2026 National Meeting held in Middleton, WI, at the Midwest Regional Broadcasters Clinic, Sept. 15 and 16.
Joseph A. DiMaggio has been named the Robert W. Flanders SBE Engineer of the Year, recognized posthumously for his outstanding contributions to broadcast engineering and the SBE Connecticut Valley Chapter 14. With over 47 years at WVIT-TV30, where he retired as chief engineer, Joe was known for his generosity in sharing technical knowledge, warm friendship, and encouragement to colleagues. A founding member and longtime leader of SBE14, Joe’s dedication, kindness, and willingness to mentor others left a lasting impact on the broadcast community. His legacy continues to inspire engineers and members alike.
Jerry Brown, CPBE, of Oxford, NC and a member of Chapter 93, Raleigh-Durham, is the recipient of the 2026 James C. Wulliman SBE Educator of the Year Award. Brown has been an SBE member since 1983 and was key in creating the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters’ Broadcast Technology Academy. The NCAB BTA, began in 2025 when the NCAB saw a need for enticing younger individuals to become broadcast engineers. Along with the multi-week course, they also utilize SBE’s Technical Professional Training program.
Dielectric has received the SBE Technology Award for its RingMaster FM antenna system, a groundbreaking technology that delivers full-bandwidth FM performance with fewer components, reduced weight, and lower costs. Already adopted in over 20 major installations worldwide, RingMaster is reshaping FM antenna design and setting new standards for efficiency and adaptability in the industry.
The portable “Testing Kit On The Go,” assembled by John-Erick M. Rempillo, CPBE, of the CBC, has won the Facility Innovation of the Year Award. It enables safe, off-site diagnosis and repair of faulty power supplies in the CBC’s NV and VS series transmitters, eliminating the risks of live-system troubleshooting. In 2025, it restored five out of eight faulty modules in Toronto, saving $7,500 in procurement costs and reducing electronic waste. This innovation shifts maintenance from replacement to restoration, improving operational efficiency and supporting sustainability across CBC’s transmission network.
Chapter 39 has won the Best Chapter Communication Award for its newsletter, Quarterly Digest, produced by chapter Membership Chair Isaiah Chavez. It is distributed via email to all members and published directly to the chapter website.
SBE Chapter 37’s AntennaFest 2025: Shared Signals, held at WETA headquarters in Arlington, VA, has won the Best Chapter or Regional Educational Event Award. The event brought together industry leaders for a day of expert presentations on shared antennas and combining systems. The event featured in-depth sessions from Nautel, American Amplifier Technologies, Dielectric, Electronics Research Inc., and American Tower Corporation, culminating in a lively roundtable discussion. Recognized for its outstanding educational value and collaboration, AntennaFest 2025 earned the Society of Broadcast Engineers’ 2026 National Award for Best Chapter or Regional Educational Event.
Chapter Statistical Awards are determined with statistical information based on Dec. 31, 2025, figures on file at the SBE National Office. Chapters with fewer than 24.5 members (the chapter median) are Class A. Chapters with more than 24.5 members are Class B.
Percentage Growth of New Members:
Class A: 85 Central Western (OK)
Class B: 15 New York City
Highest Percentage of Certified Members:
Class A: 115 Southern Idaho
Class B: 131 Inland Empire
Highest Percentage of Member Attendance at Meetings:
Class A: 38 El Paso
Class B: 69 Alamo Area
With the announcement of the winners, SBE Awards Committee Chair Zhulieta Ibisheva, CBTE, CBT, said, “The SBE Awards Program recognizes the outstanding efforts of SBE members and chapters. Peer recognition is the highest honor, and the recipients and nominees exemplify the ideal of being an SBE member.”
Chapters are encouraged to select their own Chapter Engineer of the Year, based on their own criteria. Chapter honorees are automatically entered into consideration for the Robert W. Flanders SBE Engineer of the Year award.
Chapter 1 Sharon Gould
Chapter 14 Joseph DiMaggio
Chapter 17 Edward Smith
Chapter 37 William Harrison, CPBE, DRB, CBNE, CBT, CRO
Chapter 38 Bruno Cruz
Chapter 39 Dylan Scott, CBRE
Chapter 47 Saul Perez, CBRE
Chapter 70 Bob Long
Chapter 148 Davit Robakidze, CBTE, CBNE, CPT, CTO
More on the SBE Awards Program, including lists of previous winners is at sbe.org/awards.
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