2016 EAS Handbook a 'Tabula Rasa,' Says Cole
The new version of the FCC emergency alert system handbook requires much work from broadcasters and contains few instructions, said Fletcher Heald broadcast attorney Harry Cole in a blog post. Though the Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council said the…
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old version contained inaccurate instructions, the new one “seems to avoid those problems by opting not to provide instructions in the first place,” Cole said. The handbook is filled with blank spaces and is “more of a do-it-yourself effort than an FCC-provided regulatory roadmap.” Cole said. Calling the book a “tabula rasa,” he also said it isn't set up for onscreen completion and could require a typewriter to complete. Broadcasters have until Sept. 28 (see 1608190037) to have the handbook “located at normal duty positions or EAS equipment locations when an operator is required to be on duty and be immediately available to staff responsible for administering EAS tests,” Cole noted. Tabula rasa is a Latin term meaning "blank slate."