Emergency Alert System Said Not Ready for Digital Prime Time

EAS won’t work in a “one size fits all” digital environment, warned Drew Hahn, vp-R&D at NewsTicker parent Newsroom Solutions, in a preview of expected industry comments. To the FCC, “what is good for radio is good for television,” Hahn said: “But that isn’t necessarily true. In the case of an Amber Alert, what’s good for radio is looking for a particular vehicle in a specific area. What’s good for television is seeing a picture of the abducted child or suspect.”

NOAA officials want the FCC to be flexible about ways to distribute EAS information, including by broadcast, radio, cable, wireless, and Internet. “We want the FCC to encourage the broadest multiple technological platforms to disseminate the information,” said Mark Paese, dir., NOAA Office of Operational Systems “This will allow any broadcaster to disseminate the information as quickly as possible. This should be done without the problems of translation conversion for EAS or other obstacles, such as translating it into another language.”

Several officials bemoaned problems with the existing analog EAS, saying EAS equipment is often faulty, operators aren’t properly trained, and equipment has “disappeared.” In many cases, broadcasters have found themselves better served by reading information on the air, rather than relying on an automatic EAS signal and crawl, because the equipment simply didn’t work, some said. “It can be slow, prone to error, has not kept up with the times and demands of broadcasters, and is in no way optimized for a visual medium,” said Hahn. “For the FCC to be more concerned about mandating the message gets on the air, and less about making sure the message gets to the broadcaster -- it makes one question their priorities.”

There’s concern that the switch to a digital environment won’t clear up EAS problems inherited from the analog world, officials said. For example, last week, a month after Hurricane Ivan hit Pensacola, Fla., a local official called FEMA asking basic questions about handling EAS equipment, a FEMA source said. The FEMA official became greatly concerned that Pensacola-area EAS management personnel hadn’t been properly trained on EAS procedures before the storm.

Another fear is that EAS information will get lost on digital channels that provide a hodgepodge of local information. “This shortfall will… exist in the realm of digital broadcasters, especially if digital channels are primarily used as informational billboards,” said Hahn: “That’s where you really want an easy way to get important emergency messages on air quickly, accurately, and optimized for the medium. If you do those 3, then you won’t need a mandate. That’s what TV stations have been wanting for awhile -- effective distribution and appropriate content. What they get is spotty distribution and missed opportunity to realize television’s potential.”

Emergency officials said the FCC and Congress aren’t realistic in their forecast for mass digital availability for EAS, an industry expert said. For example, all the digital towers for the N.Y.C. metropolitan area were destroyed during the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11, and won’t be rebuilt until at least 2007. “I can’t believe the Congress of the U.S. would disenfranchise the people of N.Y., N.J. and Southern Conn.,” said Philip Roberts, N.J. Bcst. Assn. pres. “There can’t be a digital signal without a tower.” In addition, emergency representatives said there will be slow adopters to digital converters, especially among the elderly.

Roberts proposes the FCC adopt language that would allow varying rules for localities. Since weather-related emergencies vary by region, local officials could have the authority to implement emergency plans specific to their area, and not be subject to centralized rules, he said. He said the N.Y. metropolitan area should be exempt from standardized EAS digital requirements until it can comply. -- Michael R. Abramowitz