Revised broadcaster's Seal of Approval information.

Effective 1 September 2007

(Sealholders recertifying in 2007 will follow the old guidelines posted on Web site http://www.nwas.org/seal.html)

The National Weather Association Broadcast Seal of Approval program has always placed an emphasis on continuing education, with recertification requirements that must be met every three years. With many changes in our field over the last decade, the Broadcast Meteorology Committee has been working diligently to revise the program and has considered all of the continuing education options available to broadcasters. The main purpose of recertification is to make sure that all NWA Sealholders maintain the high standards of the program.

All recertification beginning January 1, 2008 will be done by CEUs, or Continuing Education Units. The recertification period will remain three years, and Sealholders must obtain 10 CEUs per three-year period. CEUs can be accrued by attendance at conferences, presentation of papers, completion of appropriate college-level courses or online COMET courses, and completion of an NWS familiarization program. The Appendix to the updated Seal Qualifications and Procedures document (see page 71) clearly states all the options Sealholders can use for recertification. The Broadcast Meteorology Committee encourages Sealholders to maximize their continuing education by combining the various options to obtain recertification. Please note there are limits on how many CEUs you can receive for some of the options.

Many of you are able to attend annual NWA or AMS conferences, but others are not due to scheduling or financial conflicts. There are many other conferences and workshops that help further meteorological and technological knowledge, and we gladly acknowledge those options. While we have listed conferences that the Committee is aware of and has already approved, you are welcome to submit alternatives to the Recertification Chair for consideration. The COMET program offers many online courses covering a wide range of subjects, and we have received a lot of positive feedback from this program. Each course is assigned a number for its level of difficulty, and CEUs are assigned appropriately. Please note that you can only receive 6 CEUs during each three-year period through the COMET program. If you choose to include an NWS familiarization program, you must complete at least two of the tasks listed. You will need to contact your local NWS office to see if they can provide this option. The NWA greatly appreciates any involvement of local NWS offices in our recertification program, but we cannot guarantee or assume their availability to participate.

If you have any questions about the attached updated document on the National Weather Association (NWA) Broadcast Meteorology Committee and Radio & Television Weathercaster Seal of Approval Qualifications and Procedures or its Appendix on recertification requirements, please feel free to contact me at any time. I welcome your feedback, comments and suggestions. You may also contact Larry Rice, Seal Chair or Jim Moore, Recertification Chair. All of our contact information is on the NWA web site at www.nwas.org. Remember that our Committee is here to serve the broadcast community and maintain the credibility of the NWA Seal of Approval.

Mike Goldberg

Broadcast Meteorology Committee Chair

[e-mail]

Editor's Note: The revised National Weather Association Broadcast Meteorology Committee description and the Broadcast Seal of Approval Qualifications and Procedures are printed beginning on page 66 and are on the NWA Web site.