In Memoriam
Longtime broadcast engineer Ron Rackley, one of the founding members of consulting engineering firm duTreil, Lundin and Rackley, died last Friday, April 12. John Lyons, president of the Association of Federal Communications Commission Consulting Engineers (AFCCE), announced the news.
Rackley was president of the AFCCE in 1987-88, and was the 2006 co-honoree with Ben Dawson of the NAB Radio Engineering Achievement Award. He was also a board member and as Vice President of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society.
Ron also worked for antenna system equipment manufacturer Kintronic Laboratories in Bristol, Tennessee, according to his bio on the duTreil, Lundin and Rackley website. He began his career at WFBC Radio and TV, Greenville, SC in 1970, as the Radio Transmitter, Supervisor, and Chief Radio Operator.
In 1983, Rackley co-founded duTreil-Rackley, which later merged with A. D. Ring & Associates to form duTreil, Lundin and Rackley.
Lyons and Rackley worked together on many projects, beginning in the 1970s. Lyons said on the AFCCE website he saw Ron last Tuesday at the NAB Show where the organizations honored his year’s Engineering Achievement Award honorees Gary and Cindy Cavell of Cavell, Mertz & Associates.
Wireless Consulting Engineer Steve Crowley tweeted that Ron helped him line up a job at broadcast consulting engineering firm Jules Cohen & Associates in 1985. He even let Steve stay with him for several months. Crowley then took a position with A.D. Ring & Associates. When that firm merged with du Treil-Rackley, Ron became Steve’s boss. Crowley said he benefited from Ron’s expertise, and accompanied him on several field trips to learn more about AM antenna measurement and adjustment.
“The AM industry has benefited immensely from Ron’s important input into FCC rulemaking proceedings, input that goes back decades,” said Crowley on his website. “I would have looked forward to his comments in future AM proceedings. I think he was always looking to reduce the regulatory burden, and associated costs, on the broadcaster, consistent with sound engineering.”
April 16, 2019
Reader Interactions