Unanimous Approval for EAS Code Item Expected
A draft order that would allow broadcasters to use three new emergency alert system codes to communicate specific storm threats is expected to be unanimously approved by the FCC Friday, said industry and agency officials in interviews this week. The EAS item is seen as uncontroversial, and though some broadcasters may not possess equipment capable of transmitting the new codes, their use is expected to be voluntary, industry officials told us. Historically, the use of new EAS codes has been up to broadcasters, said Monroe Electronics Senior Director-Strategy and Government Affairs Ed Czarnecki.
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The order is the result of a request from the National Weather Service, said FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler in a blog post this month (see 1606030025). “High winds from hurricanes can also be devastating, yet there is currently no specific alert for either high winds or storm surges. We need to fix that,” said Wheeler. The draft order would add event codes for Storm Surge Watch, Storm Surge Warning and Extreme Wind Warning.
The new codes are intended to provoke more specific reactions than a general hurricane warning would, such as informing viewers when to prepare for flooding. "The whole philosophy of emergency public warning system is to get information to people to help them save their lives and property,” said Broadcast Warning Working Group Core Member Richard Rudman. The BWWG recommended the commission adopt the new codes.
Broadcasters with newer EAS equipment should be able to use the new codes without trouble, Czarnecki told us. Stations with older equipment may not be able to use them, and some broadcasters may be located in areas where storm surges are unlikely, Rudman pointed out. Industry officials have told us they expect the draft order will allow broadcasters to decide whether to use the codes. A phase-in period is expected, industry officials told us.
Wheeler said in his blog post the commission was aiming to have the new codes ready for use by the next hurricane season. "If adopted, the updated rules would require EAS equipment manufacturers to integrate the codes into new equipment and enable EAS participants to update their existing equipment in advance of next year’s Atlantic hurricane season,” Wheeler said. The agency wouldn't comment.