LYNDONVILLE, N.Y.—Digital Alert Systems has introduced the DAS3-DC-PS, a new DC power supply option for its DASDEC-III emergency alert system. Designed to meet the growing demand for DC-powered infrastructure, the DAS3-DC-PS supports a -36V to -72V input range, making it ideal for standard -48VDC facilities, the company said.

The DAS3-DC-PS marks an industry first, making Digital Alert Systems the only modern EAS equipment manufacturer to offer both AC and DC-powered product versions, according to DAS. By eliminating the need for multiple AC-to-DC converters, the new option reduces heat generation, improves operational efficiency, and simplifies backup power integration using direct battery banks.

“The introduction of the DAS3-DC-PS reflects our commitment to evolving with our customers’ needs,” said Jon Rue, vice president of technology at Digital Alert Systems. “As more facilities transition to DC power architectures, we’re proud to offer a solution that not only simplifies integration but also enhances safety and reliability. This option opens the door for broader deployment of DASDEC-III systems in telecom and broadcast environments where efficiency and uptime are critical.”

Replacing the standard AC power supply, the DAS3-DC-PS connects via a two-lug terminal strip and offers a safer, more efficient alternative for facilities that have adopted DC powering schemes. Operating at 48V DC—below the 50V threshold recognized by safety regulations—the DAS3-DC-PS reduces the risk of electric shock and allows for the use of lower-voltage cabling, simplifying installation and maintenance.

DAS says the new DC option also brings significant facility-level benefits. The negative polarity of -48V DC helps prevent corrosion of copper cables and battery terminals, while its compatibility with telecom standards ensures seamless integration with other equipment. Facilities can use standard 12V lead-acid batteries wired in series to create a 48V backup power source, enabling uninterrupted operation during power failures without the need for inverters or AC-to-DC conversion.

Priced at $450, the DAS3-DC-PS can be factory-fitted into new DASDEC-III units or retrofitted by returning existing units to the factory.

More information about Digital Alert Systems is available at www.digitalalertsystems.com.

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y.—Emergency communications solutions provider Digtal Alert Systems said it has promoted Adam Jones to senior account manager.

In his new role, Jones will be the primary contact for all of the company’s dealers and systems integrators and will manage several key customer accounts, DAS said. Formerly senior sales engineer, Jones will remain based in Daleville, Ind., and continue to report to Vice President of Business Development Bill Robertson.

“When an employee shows a desire for greater involvement, asks for more challenging assignments, and delivers consistently improving results, it’s to everyone’s benefit that this person is moved up the ranks,” Robertson said in a statement. “Adam has consistently grown his skills and knowledge regarding the product and customers during his tenure at Digital Alert Systems and has proven his capabilities in working with challenging assignments. His promotion reflects our commitment to recognizing and advancing talent from within.”

Jones joined the company in 2020 from global test and measurement systems provider Viavi Solutions, where he was Emergency Alert System product-line manager.

Since joining Digital Alert Systems, the company said, Jones has played pivotal roles in assessing customer and internal needs and in troubleshooting complex issues. His customer advocacy has influenced its software and firmware development road map, the company said, particularly through his work evaluating and advocating for nonfeature requests.

“I’m honored to take on this new role and continue growing with Digital Alert Systems,” Jones said. “Over the past few years, I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with our customers and partners, and I’m excited to deepen those relationships while helping to drive even greater value for them. I’m grateful for the trust the company has placed in me and look forward to contributing to our continued success.”

For more on Digital Alert Systems, visit the company’s website.

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y.—Digital Alert Systems and broadcast streaming processing specialist D2D Technologies have launched DAS-Flex, a combination of both companies’ technologies that creates a unified, resilient broadcast solution.

The partnership has resulted in a true technology with D2D’s multiplexing capabilities being directly integrated into the Digital Alert Systems DASDEC platform. The resulting product is an all-in-one emergency alert encoder/decoder, signal switcher, media playout system and ASI-IP bridge, which reduces the hardware broadcasters require and simplifies workflows, the company said.

“We’re excited to bring our Flex-series technology into this powerful new platform,” said Steve Doll, president at D2D Technologies. “The DAS-Flex combo is a great example of how thoughtful integration can solve real-world challenges for broadcasters. Whether it’s ensuring signal continuity during a disaster or enabling localized alerts at translator sites, this solution offers a unified approach with enhanced performance and adaptability.”

DAS-Flex brings together Digital Alert Systems’ DASDEC-III emergency messaging platform and D2D Technologies’ Flex-series ATSC multiplexer and media keyer in a compact 2 rack-unit chassis. While purpose-built for U.S. broadcasters and cable operators subject to EAS/CAP mandates, the unit offers a modular design that makes it suitable for a wide range of program distribution environments, it said.

The platform supports full-power stations during normal operation with DASDEC providing alert information within the standard air chain but with the DAS-FLEX option also functioning as a tower backup switch with alerting capabilities automatically detecting loss of the studio transmitter link (STL) and switching to a secondary feed. It also can display a technical difficulties slate or play locally stored media.

Even during these fallback modes, DAS-Flex continues to monitor and display emergency alerts across all channels, ensuring uninterrupted public safety messaging.

For translator sites, DAS-Flex enables localized alert insertion, allowing geographically targeted emergency messages without disrupting the broader network. This is especially valuable for statewide networks, where over-alerting can lead to viewer fatigue, the company said.

For low-power television operators, it offers easy deployment with support for ASI and SRT feeds, it said.

WASHINGTON—The Advanced Warning and Response Network (AWARN) Alliance made the rounds at the Federal Communications Commission last week to underscore the importance of removing the ATSC 1.0-3.0 simulcast requirement, establishing a date certain for the shutoff of legacy DTV and setting a date by which broadcasters must transmit 3.0 to facilitate a successful transition and support continued technological innovation in broadcasting.

AWARN Alliance executive director Dave Arland and Ed Czarnecki, AWARN steering committee member and vice president of government and international affairs at Digital Alert Systems, met July 25 with FCC Media Bureau and Public Safety Bureau staff, as well as legal and policy advisers to Commissioners Anna Gomez and Olivia Trusty, to discuss how realizing all of the benefits of advanced emergency warnings depends on shutting down ATSC 1.0 and fully transitioning to 3.0, along with other issues, according to notices of ex parte communication sent to the agency.

Arland and Czarnecki told Media Bureau staff that “the full capabilities of the ATSC 3.0 standard require that each broadcaster have at its disposal an entire 6Mhz channel, as is done today with ATSC 1.0 transmissions, in order to have the certainty of knowing what technology will be utilized in the future before committing to more extensive deployment of ATSC 3.0’s full range of capabilities,” according to one of the ex parte notices.

Certainty of a date for the full transition to 3.0 will enable local stations to plan for “necessary technical upgrades and staff training to more fully deploy the capabilities of ATSC 3.0 such as advanced emergency alerting and information messaging,” the pair told the Media Bureau staff.

During the Media Bureau meeting, the AWARN Alliance representatives discussed A331, the ATSC standard on signaling, delivery, synchronization and error protection. Media Bureau staff inquired about the “wake-up bit” that can bring an ATSC 3.0 receiver out of sleep mode during an emergency, the notice about the meeting said.

The meeting with Public Safety Bureau staff covered the same material with additional discussion about advanced emergency alerting and information demonstrations. Noting that there have been some demos and real-world examples of how 3.0 has enhanced emergency alerting, Arland and Czarnecki added, “it’s very much a ‘chicken-and-egg’ situation” as broadcasters wait for the ability to devote all of their assigned spectrum to 3.0 and for more of their audience to have NextGen TVs and receiving devices.

The meeting with Gomez’s staff covered much of the same territory. Deena Shelter, legal adviser to Gomez, noted that the FCC does not want to leave any consumer behind during the transition and that there is no coupon program, as there was during the analog-to-digital transition. The AWARN pair said the transition would not succeed without certainty from the FCC regarding 1.0 shutoff.

Arland and Czarnecki told Shelter that “[i]naction could threaten the important technological innovations that ATSC 3.0 is designed to deliver,” the ex parte communication notice of the meeting with Gomez’s staff said.

During the meeting with Trusty’s staff, ATSC 3.0 digital rights management (DRM) was discussed in addition to the topics addressed at the other meetings. Broadcasters are using DRM to ensure free over-the-air transmission of high-value content is available, the communications notice for the Trusty meeting said.

“Arland noted that consumers have already purchased more than 15,000,000 ATSC 3.0 NextGen TV sets that work seamlessly with DRM technology and that only a small relative number of consumers are impacted by a set-top box product sold with a banned chipset that cannot be authorized to decode protected content,” the notice said, referring to the SiliconDust HDHomeRun 4K Flex and the HiSilicon SoC (system on a chip) that it uses.

BALTIMORE—Sinclair will make the first public showing of a NextGen TV-enabled Android media tablet with integrated ATSC 3.0 receiver and antenna during the public-safety convention APCO 2025, to be held July 27-30 at the Baltimore Convention Center.

The broadcaster, exhibiting with the AWARN Alliance and Digital Alert Systems in booth 3065, is debuting the media tablet during the annual gathering of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials to underscore the important role ATSC 3.0 can play in keeping the public informed during emergencies—whether at home watching TV or on the move.=

“We’ve had our eye on APCO for this demonstration because we want to show public safety officials—particularly public-safety communications officials—what 3.0 can do in the home and on the go in a public safety context,” Patrick McFadden, senior vice president for global public policy and communications at Sinclair, said.

But why should a tablet that can already connect to a cell tower or Wi-Fi network need ATSC 3.0 to receive emergency messaging? It boils down to resiliency, McFadden said.

“I’m not taking a shot at the wireless carriers, but their networks are just designed differently than ours,” he said. “If you look at some of those counties in Western North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, 60 to 70% of the cell sites went out of service. Our station in Asheville never went off the air.

“That resilience and reliability is tremendous for the TV viewer, but what about someone who’s out of their home when the emergency happens or someone who’s been evacuated?” he asked, rhetorically. “If we can combine our resilience with the ubiquity of mobile devices, that’s a pretty huge public-safety benefit.”

McFadden declined to identify the company responsible for making the NextGen TV-enabled tablet but said Sinclair has been “working with a number of manufacturers” to develop 3.0 mobile devices, including tablets and phones.

In October 2020, Sinclair subsidiary ONE Media Technologies surprised the industry when it unveiled production samples of the Mark One NextGen TV-enabled smartphone. Since then, it has rolled out the next-generation Mark Two smartphone.

Like the Mark One, the tablet shown next week at the gathering is not available for purchase, he said, adding, “I would characterize it as a precommercial trial.” However, the broadcaster has ordered “a large number of these devices,” a sign that the tablet is beyond the proof-of-concept stage. “We’re confident that the market will advance as 3.0 moves forward,” McFadden said.

Besides the NextGen TV-enabled tablet, Sinclair will show the Mark Two 3.0-enabled smartphone as well as NextGen TV dongles that work with mini devices. All of these devices will be used to demonstrate to the more than 5,000 show attendees what emergency alert messages and advanced emergency information could look like on these devices, he said.

Broadcasters in North Carolina, including PBS North Carolina and Capitol Broadcasting’s WNGT, along with several technology developers and vendors demonstrated a few years ago the ability of ATSC 3.0 digital broadcast paging to transmit emergency call data to first responders in the field.

Sinclair’s APCO 2025 demonstration of the version 3.0 tablet and phone, however, will focus on the consumer-facing side of emergency communications, not first responders. “One of the great things about 3.0 is it can do both [communicate to first responders and the public],” he said. “Broadcasters’ use of 3.0 to communicate emergency alerts and information to the public is a valuable service we can provide to the communities we serve, and we want to make that clear to those attending APCO.”

Of course, having the ability to receive an over-the-air TV signal on a tablet beyond emergency alerting and information is important to both the public and broadcasters. “Obviously, the way people consume video has evolved and will continue to evolve, and the opportunities for us to reach viewers wherever they are is hugely significant for the industry,” he said.

In a wide-ranging filing with the Federal Communications Commission, Digital Alert Systems has come out in favor of an NAB proposal to help speed-up the transition to NextGen TV and is backing a proposal to withdraw multilingual EAS using pre-translated templates.

The alerting system technology provider also reiterated its previously reported opposition to an NAB’s petition urging the agency to allow software-based EAS, saying it is premature, and submitted without substantive discussion with the EAS manufacturing community.

The filing, which was made in the FCC’s “In Re: Delete, Delete, Delete” docket, also asks the FCC to revisit how the Electronic Test Reporting System (ETRS) filings are done, and requests that those filings from radio and TV stations be reduced.

The “In Re: Delete, Delete, Delete” GN Docket 25-133 asks for public comment on FCC rules that should be deleted. It has emerged as one of the agency’s most popular dockets, with over 1,130 filings as of May 8.

The May 8 DAS filing strongly supports the NAB call to delete the simulcasting and "substantially similar" requirements that are holding back deployment and innovation on ATSC 3.0 Next Gen TV.

“We support NAB’s petition asking the FCC to facilitate a nationwide transition to ATSC 3.0,” the filing argued. “First, the FCC should delete, effective immediately, the “substantially similar” rule, which is currently scheduled to sunset in July 2027; and Second, the FCC should delete the rule requiring simulcasting of ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0 in its entirety in February 2028, along with the beginning of the full two-phase transition to nationwide Next Gen TV broadcasting, to allow broadcasters to use spectrum as efficiently as possible.”

“While both rules were intended to ensure continuity and consumer protection during the early stages of Next Gen TV deployment, we believe they have now become obstacles to progress,” the filing argued. “Their continued enforcement undermines broadcasters’ ability to fully utilize ATSC 3.0 capabilities, most notably, the delivery of AEI services critical to public safety.”

More specifically, the filing noted that the rules are “artificially limit innovation in ATSC 3.0 by preventing broadcasters from offering enhanced content.” That enhanced content includes: interactive emergency alerts; localized and multilingual warning graphics; real-time shelter maps and evacuation instructions; supplemental information for people with disabilities (e.g., synchronized sign language, enhanced audio cues, screen reader compatibility).

However, DAS strongly opposed the NAB’s proposal that would allow broadcasters, on a voluntary basis, use a software-based alerting system. That NAB proposals was also supported by the Society of Broadcast Engineers.

“Digital Alert Systems (DAS) supports innovation within the Emergency Alert System (EAS), however we cannot support the NAB Petition for a rulemaking remove the requirement that EAS Participants must use an FCC-certified physical hardware device, and allow usage of software solutions for which there are neither FCC certification procedures, nor are there conformity testing processes via DHS FEMA,” the filing said. “The NAB proposal in its Petition is premature, underdeveloped, and raises profound regulatory, cybersecurity, operational, and public safety concerns that must be resolved before any rulemaking proceeds.”

In addition, the NAB petition would allow software-only EAS solutions without clear certification frameworks, which would remove FCC oversight currently provided by hardware certification, DAS argued. This raises a number of problems, including:

• Lack of a Certification Process: No plan is offered for verifying software compliance, raising serious concerns over version control, auditing, and enforcement.
• Oversight Erosion: The FCC would lose the ability to perform field inspections or monitor standard compliance if there is no physical device.
• Fragmentation Risk: Absence of a standardized certification path would result in a fragmented EAS environment, undermining reliability and interoperability.
• Regulatory Ambiguity: Dual regimes for software and hardware would create inequities and confusion for EAS Participants and manufacturers alike.

The full filing can be found here.

WASHINGTON—The Society of Broadcast Engineers has filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission that support a proposal by the National Association of Broadcasters to allow software-based alerting technologies in a filing with the FCC.

As previously reported the NAB is requesting the Federal Communications Commission make changes to Emergency Alert System (EAS) rules that would allow but not require EAS participants to use software-based EAS encoder/decoder technology instead of a legacy physical hardware device to process EAS messages.

The NAB is urging that the FCC fast-track the request because hardware supplier Sage Alerting Systems, one of two hardware suppliers, has recently stopped production of devices and “the current legacy ecosystem is not sustainable,” the NAB argued in its March 31 filing.

In response, the SBE argued: “Permitting broadcasters to use flexible software-based EAS equipment would open up another potential area of EAS development, both for broadcasters and equipment manufacturers. This could help fill the hole created by the aforementioned manufacturer’s discontinuation of EAS hardware offerings. And, perhaps just as importantly, opening up the viability of flexible software-based EAS solutions could prevent a similar situation from arising in the future by providing more diverse EAS equipment development and deployment solutions such that the exit of a single manufacturer from the marketplace would not risk disabling the EAS infrastructure of so many of the key distribution points in the daisy chain.”

In a separate May 2 filing, Digital Alert Systems, a major supplier of EAS equipment, expressed reservations about the NAB proposal and urged the commission to delay action or reject the proposal.

“While the goal of modernizing alerting infrastructure is a valid and worthwhile objective, we are concerned that this petition fails to take into account a substantial array of unresolved regulatory, procedural, cybersecurity, operational, and intellectual property questions,” DAS argued. “These issues go well beyond implementation detail; they are foundational questions that will materially affect the safety and manageability of any software-based EAS platform.”

The SBE filing stressed, “Allowing EAS Participants to evolve to flexible software-based reception and distribution is not merely change for change’s sake—such evolution is vital to ensuring the continued viability of the EAS. In particular, near the end of 2024 one of the two primary EAS hardware manufacturers announced that they were ceasing production of their physical EAS endec … This, in turn, raises meaningful concerns for the EAS system as a whole.”

“Moreover, even if the foregoing immediate concerns were not present, permitting broadcasters to voluntarily utilize flexible software-based EAS solutions would still bring meaningful alerting and regulatory benefits,” the SBE concluded. “Among other things, SBE agrees with NAB that a flexible software-based approach could meaningfully alleviate delays and other difficulties many broadcasters currently face when dealing with EAS equipment maintenance and repair.”

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y.—Nebraska Public Media is deploying the Digital Alert Systems DASDEC Emergency Alert System (EAS) messaging platform at all of its radio and TV stations as part of its implementation of an IP infrastructure to prepare for transitioning to ATSC 3.0.

The public broadcaster is installing about 20 DASDEC units for redundancy and to support regional emergency messaging around Nebraska.

“We’ve been redesigning our signal distribution out to all our sites, and part of that redesign was to move to an IP workflow. We’ve also got ATSC 3 on our horizon. We knew our old equipment wasn’t up to the task,” said Al Krause, network operations manager at Nebraska Public Media.

“Not only are we futureproofing our system by going with all DASDECs into the future, but we’re gaining function and efficiency that we never would have had with our old gear," he added. "The plan going forward is to do more regionalization, which will enhance the precision and relevance of emergency communications across our 500-mile-wide state. I think that’s going to be easier to do with the DASDEC if for no other reason than the IP connectivity.”

The DASDEC platform gives Nebraska Public Media more flexibility in sending alerts and targeting specific regions. In the past, Nebraska Public Media could only trigger events across the entire state. Now, it can send statewide messages as well as use DASDEC units at specific radio transmitter sites to regionalize emergency alerts.

Beyond regionalization, the DASDEC system makes it possible for Nebraska Public Media to add a satellite-redundant mode for Emergency Action Notification (EAN) coverage if the IP network —the broadcaster’s primary method of alert delivery— fails.

In this scenario, the DASDEC units serve as backups for delivering critical emergency alerts. DASDEC devices installed at each FM site can receive alerts via SiriusXM, a secondary source of presidential alerts and EAN messages independent of the IP network. Linking SiriusXM with the DASDEC devices ensures continued primary alert delivery, thereby eliminating the IP network as a single point of failure, Digital Alert Systems said.

The DASDEC platform is easier to program, offers a test mode to ensure settings perform as intended and includes internal tuners, modern audio connections, programmable GPIO and a streamlined user interface—all improvements over its previous system, the company said.

“I have to sing the praises of DASDEC because it’s so much more efficient and flexible. My favorite thing is the alert node simulator. I can check to make sure that the filters are set correctly and that it’s going to fire off the right message at the right time. There’s also the programmable GPIOs. Unlike our previous system, which was pretty much just open/close, with the DASDEC you can program those GPIOs to do so many different things,” said Phil Gebers, broadcast engineer at Nebraska Public Media.

“I've also really liked working with the internal tuners. The less external gear you have to buy the better, and with the DASDEC we get three tuners built right into the box. Just plug in an antenna, set the frequency and off you go. I love that so much. No extra power supplies, no extra rack space and no extra cabling.”

Nebraska Public Media has also purchased a Digital Alert Systems HALO enterprise-level EAS device management system, which it will implement after the DASDEC rollout is completed.

More information is available on the company’s website.

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y.—Emergency communications solutions provider Digital Alert Systems has tapped Daniel Dillon as a product and project manager.

In this role, Dillon will manage Digital Alert Systems’ HALO product, a patented system for managing Emergency Alert System and Common Alerting Protocol devices, as well as related products and services.

An 18-year industry veteran with substantial cable industry knowledge, Dillon served in management roles with Trilithic and VIAVI Solutions, Digital Alert Systems said. He has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University and is a member of the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers.

“Digital Alert Systems has built a strong reputation for reliability and expertise in the emergency notifications space, and working here means being involved in the development of cutting-edge technologies that have a direct impact on the public,” Dillon said. “As someone who spent much of my early life involved in emergency management, it gives me great pride knowing that I can have a direct, meaningful impact in the real world, helping save lives, especially in situations like severe weather, natural disasters or national emergencies.”

Dillon will work remotely from Indianapolis, reporting to Vice President of Business Development Bill Robertson, the company said.

“Dan’s expertise was a natural fit for our organization and will ensure our customers’ needs are even further intertwined with our valued product offerings,” Digital Alert Systems Chief Operating Officer Anne Wakeman said. “The entire team looks forward to Dan’s contributions to Digital Alert Systems.”

For more information, visit the Digital Alert Systems website.

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y.—Digital Alert Systems and video compression tech specialist Ateme today said they will collaborate on Emergency Alert System (EAS) integration, making it more efficient and cost-effective for broadcasters and cable operators.

The partnership adds Digital Alert Systems’ EAS-Net device networking protocol to Ateme’s TITAN line of SD, HD and UHD encoders. The integration allows Digital Alert Systems’ DASDEC flexible emergency-messaging platforms to connect directly to Ateme solutions via a simple network connection, eliminating the need for added hardware or software to provide full EAS text crawl and audio capabilities across all streams from the Ateme units.

“We are pleased to offer EAS-Net within the TITAN encoders to streamline airchains, reduce potential points of failure, increase redundancy and reduce costs,” ATEME Director of ATSC Sales Fred Ramsey said. “Digital Alert Systems and its EAS-Net interface are the gold standard for emergency alerting. We have the highest regard for the system and are eager to enable our customers to benefit from this advancement.”

Prior to the integration, linking DASDEC and the Ateme solutions required a combination of the legacy SCTE-18 protocol with an MPEG-2 transport stream for audio, resulting in a more rigid equipment configuration. The addition of EAS-Net introduces a new mode that supports hybrid virtualization at a significantly lower cost than previous methods. This makes it an attractive option for smaller broadcasters and those looking to implement more flexible, IP-based workflows, the companies said.

A key advantage of the integration is its ability to work across all streams in the Ateme encoding systems. Users no longer need one unit per stream or multiple DASDEC clients to support this comprehensive solution. This single-interface approach reduces equipment footprints and simplifies system design. The configuration process also has been greatly simplified, requiring only a network connection between the two systems. There are no restrictions on colocation, nor is there a need for additional hardware to provide fully compliant EAS text crawls and audio through the Ateme platform, they said.

“Teaming up with Ateme to bring this innovative solution to market is a real boon for our shared customers,” Bill Robertson, vice president of business development at Digital Alert Systems, said. “EAS-Net has become the de facto standard for linking equipment together for EAS information exchange, and the integration with Ateme shows how this protocol works around the facility and across multiple platforms for playout, automation and direct transcoder support. This level of flexibility allows broadcasters to select and implement newer, higher-performance equipment while maintaining seamless emergency alert capabilities. By integrating EAS-Net into Ateme’s encoder solution, broadcasters can ensure that critical emergency alerts reach viewers more efficiently and reliably.”

More information is available on the Ateme and Digital Alert Systems websites. 

LYNDONVILLE, NY—Digital Alert Systems, a provider of emergency communications solutions for media providers, and Masterplay, provider of the Masterplay On-Air playout system, today announced a new technology partnership.

The Masterplay On-Air server now integrates with the Digital Alert Systems DASDEC emergency messaging platforms that use the Digital Alert Systems EAS-Net communication protocol, allowing users to now use EAS-Net for advanced IP-based alerting in broadcast and low-power TV environments. The two companies said they will share support for their combined customers.

Through this integration, Masterplay has extended its Emergency Alert System (EAS) support beyond the traditional serial and audio cables. This technological advancement provides a pure-IP link to the Masterplay servers so customers can link remote sites over a simple network interface. The setup is ideal for centralcasting operations, where the equipment isn't required to be collocated, according to Masterplay.

"Using EAS-Net and aligning with the leading EAS vendor in the TV market showcases the strength of our collective commitment to smaller companies and smaller operators," said Rick Mella, sales engineer at Masterplay.

"We use EAS-Net to link our DASDEC EAS devices in the field with our Masterplay On-Air playout servers in one single centralcast location," said Matthew Davidge, CEO of Roseland Broadcasting. "With broadcast stations in Texas, Florida, and the Midwest, we use a hub-and-spoke model, and EAS-Net helps us better accomplish the alerting mission with less equipment. It saves us time and money and reduces the amount of wiring and support required to maintain FCC compliance."

Masterplay On-Air playout system for 4K/HD/SD playback and scheduling is scalable, making it suitable for operations of any size, but the technology integration with Digital Alert Systems is especially beneficial for smaller, low-power TV operators looking for a low-cost EAS solution, DAS said.

"The Masterplay system is a robust and powerful playout tool that provides high-quality performance for a much lower cost than many other solutions," said Bill Robertson, vice president of business development, Digital Alert Systems. "The greater the selection Masterplay customers have for complying with emergency messaging mandates, the easier it is to find exactly what they need at a price they can justify. By making our technologies work together, we're giving customers another option for delivering emergency alerts that is affordable and easy to implement."

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y.—Digital Alert Systems has announced the availability of a necessary update of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) digital certificates used to authenticate messaging from the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS). 

The company has released updated IPAWS Certificate Authority (CA) credentials for the DASDEC and One-Net series of Emergency Alert System/Common Alerting Protocol (EAS/CAP) encoder/decoders to replace the current certification chain that expires on April 14.  

The company noted that this is a free update for all U.S. DASDEC and One-Net users. The new certificate is fully functional right now, so customers are advised to replace the existing certificate to ensure the required message authentication continues to operate correctly. 

“We teamed with FEMA and have fully tested this new certificate to ensure current and future compatibility, so customers can begin loading it right now,” said Adam Jones, senior sales engineer for Digital Alert Systems. “We appreciate FEMA getting these out so quickly, and our customers will be pleased to know this new certificate is good until March of 2031! No additional software update is required for this new certificate, and, of course, there is no cost to our customers.”

The company noted that this is a free update for all U.S. DASDEC and One-Net users. The new certificate is fully functional right now, so customers are advised to replace the existing certificate to ensure the required message authentication continues to operate correctly. 

Digital Alert Systems also reminded all EAS participants that the FCC requires them to “configure their systems to reject all CAP-formatted EAS messages that include an invalid digital signature.” 

The new certificates will also be packaged with the forthcoming DASDEC V5.3 release, so customers planning to update to that version can wait and get their certificates then if they wish, as long as they do it before April 14.

FEMA uses digital certificates to create a chain of trust between an EAS device and the IPAWS servers. Publicly trusted certificate authorities issue digital certificates. The DASDEC and One-Net EAS/CAP devices use these digital certificates to validate the authenticity of IPAWS-sourced CAP alerts. In this case, the old CA is changing, requiring the new CA to publish replacement certificates. 

All DASDEC and One-Net customers using the IPAWS system must have the latest certificates in place so that the devices only process messages authenticated through IPAWS. 

Digital Alert Systems stressed that users not updating their equipment before April 14 could see this error message: “Event Log: Digital Signature VERIFICATION ERROR: Signer UNTRUSTED! Check for correct CAP decoder CA file.” Alternatively, the device might simply ignore valid IPAWS alerts. 

The new field service bulletin and CA file are now available from the Digital Alert Systems website at www.digitalalertsystems.com/alerting-authorities-digital-certs. DASDEC and One-Net customers should go to the website, download the field service bulletin for instructions, and link to the new CA file. 

Further information about Digital Alert Systems and its products is available at www.digitalalertsystems.com.  

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y.—Digital Alert Systems has released its v5.2 software for compatible DASDEC and One-Net emergency messaging devices. 

DASDEC v5.2 includes the latest FCC compliance features for the Emergency Alert System (EAS) that broadcasters must implement by December. This third release in the v5.0 series also includes more security features and safelists to restrict access to the device.

Changes in v5.2 include three sets of modifications required by the FCC's recent order on EAS. 

"Version 5.2 is key for compliance with the FCC's rules due in December, so we encourage all customers to move to this version as quickly as possible," said Bill Robertson, vice president of business development for Digital Alert Systems. "With the latest changes, we've also continued to advance our security posture with several new features."

The first set of modifications is to the text displayed during a national-level alert message. The NPT and EAN event codes are now referred to as "Nationwide Test of the Emergency Alert System" and "National Emergency Message," respectively. In addition, the text for the primary entry point (PEP) originator code is now "United States Government" rather than "Primary Entry Point," and the station EAS originator code has changed to "EAS Participant,” the company reported. 

The second set of modifications adds the FCC-required function for the DASDEC to generate a predefined message when it receives a national NPT or EAN message via conventional EAS relay rather than from Common Alerting Protocol (CAP).

The third set of changes relates to prioritizing CAP alert messages with Triggered CAP Polling. The latest FCC rules required changes to Triggered CAP Polling, removing the option for selectivity in each Alert Node and forcing it to be always on. Digital Alert Systems has provided the Triggered CAP Polling feature since 2018. The FCC changes now make this function mandatory, without any user-allowed overrides.

The v5.2 requires a DASDEC or One-Net device with a 64-bit processor in order to install and operate the latest code. All units shipped since 2016 featured a 32-/64-bit processor, so owners of those devices can simply install v5.2 using Digital Alert Systems' secure field upgrade server. Once a device is running v5.0, all future in-version upgrades will be available at no charge.

This update is free for anyone currently running v5.0 series software who has either purchased a new DASDEC unit, is enrolled in the company's Software Assurance Plan, or has participated in the company's UP•TRADE program since October 2022. The cost for other users varies. They can contact the factory for more information and should have their serial numbers handy.

Further information about Digital Alert Systems and its products is available at www.digitalalertsystems.com. 

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y.—Digital Alert Systems today unveiled Version 5.1 for its DASDEC and One-Net platforms, bringing a new UI and upgraded operating system to units in the field.

Marking the first time Version 5 software has been available for older DASDEC-II and One-Net SE units, the latest version improves the experience of users and increases security of the overall architecture, the company said.

Version 5.1 builds on the new, fresher user interface introduced in Version 5 and showcased in the DASDEC-III device. Offering greater visual clarity, the new release highlights the security of the company’s download server and is a steppingstone to Version 5.2, which will include FCC-mandated changes, it said.

"With the updated user interface that our DASDEC-III customers have enjoyed now available for older DASDEC and One-Net units, Version 5.1 is a big step up for many broadcasters," said Bill Robertson, vice president of business development at Digital Alert Systems. "There's also a more powerful, more stable and updated operating system for even greater security. We're laying the groundwork to accommodate all the latest FCC mandates — new capabilities that will be available for free to all Version 5-series customers with our Version 5.2 release coming soon."

Available in mid-May, Version 5.1 is free to all customers who are either actively enrolled in the company’s Software Assurance Plan, have purchased a new DASDEC or recently took advantage of its UP-TRADE program. Costs for other users depend on hardware compatibility and the age of their current system, it said.

Version 5.1 requires a DASDEC or One-Net unit with a 64-bit processor to install and operate the latest code. All units shipped since 2016 have a 32-/64-bit processor, so owners of those devices can simply install Version 5.1 using Digital Alert Systems' secure field upgrade server. Once on Version 5.1, all in-version upgrades will be available at no charge, it said.

More information is available on the company’s website. 

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y., and PRINCETON, N.J.—Digital Alert Systems, a provider of emergency communications solutions for media providers, and igolgi, a provider of  compression, encoding, and transcoding solutions for the broadcast, cable, LPTV, and PEG markets, today announced a new IP interface from Digital Alert Systems' DASDEC flexible emergency messaging platform to the igolgi product line. Anyone who uses igolgi iLux ATSC 1.0, iLux ATSC 3.0, and iLux XScale ATSC 1.0 encoders can now connect them to any DASDEC model with the Digital Alert Systems EAS-Net software interface over IP.

"With over 350 iLux ATSC encoders installed, the new EAS-Net connection will greatly simplify the EAS interface," said Jeff Zhu, iLux encoder product manager at igolgi. "Most of our users already use DASDEC, so this will be an easily installed upgrade."

igolgi encoders have been deployed with DASDEC Emergency Alert System (EAS) generators for 10 years with traditional physical interfaces. Previously there were four different ways of linking the DASDEC and igolgi products to provide an EAS interface. Each of those modes required either colocation of the equipment or additional third-party hardware to implement. Adding EAS-Net to the mix adds a new fifth mode to support hybrid virtualization and at a lower cost than the previous modes—especially important in the low-power market, according to the companies.

The configuration between the devices is greatly simplified because it requires only a network connection. There is no colocation requirement and no need for additional hardware or software to provide full EAS text crawl and audio through the igolgi platform. Moreover, this single interface works across all the streams in the igolgi units, eliminating the need to have one unit per stream or multiple DASDEC clients.

Using EAS-NET reduces equipment footprint, saving money, simplifying the design, and providing support for hybrid virtualization that further distinguishes unique forms of centralcasting and IP-based workflows. With EAS-NET, igolgi can now offer customers more flexibility in igolgi remote encoding or igolgi cloud encoding solutions for low- and full-power stations, and for both ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0 encoding with remote DASDEC systems, the company said. And the seamless IP interface with EAS-Net means igolgi customers can take a hands-off approach to ensure all EAS warnings are displayed promptly and properly.

"EAS-Net is widely regarded as the de facto standard for linking equipment together for EAS information exchange. The alliance between Digital Alert Systems and igolgi ensures customers can use igolgi advanced encoders with the most reliable and flexible EAS system. This alliance also shows how broadcasters can use this standard around the facility and across multiple platforms for playout, automation, and direct encoder support," said Bill Robertson, vice president of business development, Digital Alert Systems. "This level of flexibility is important because it means they can select and fit newer, higher-performance equipment, usually at a lower overall price."

LYONDONVILLE, N.Y. and SAN JOSE, Calif.—Digital Alert Systems and Harmonic today announced a new technology partnership under which the former’s DASDEC Flexible Emergency Messaging Platform and EAS-Net IP communications protocol integrate with Harmonic’s XOS Advanced Media Processor.

The move, which benefits OTA, broadcasters, cable TV operators and streaming providers, makes it possible for those using both companies’ systems—whether used in an ATSC 1.0, 3.0 or joint environment—to include emergency information in their programming in an efficient manner, Digital Alert Systems said.

The integration means users can provide emergency alerting information, including text crawls and audio, using a single, simple IP communications connection, thereby eliminating the need to have one or more separate media keyers and switchers as well as a number of cables and connectors. It also eliminates the need for full-screen replacement for emergency messaging, it said.

As a result, the installation becomes clean, eliminates clutter and costs less. It also enables the DASDEC to be placed in a remote market and connected via an IP network directly to the Harmonic XOS process, a capability that would not be possible without EAS-NET, it said.

The EAS-Net communication protocol enables emergency alert text and audio message transfers to remote devices and includes many other features, such as flexible event scheduling, simultaneous multi-station alerts and multilingual support. EAS-Net also features expansion options, like EAS-Net AEA, which supports the Advanced Emergency Information (AEI) elements in the ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV) standard. This means the same equipment supports both ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0 standards and future developments, Digital Alert Systems said.

Harmonic's XOS is the only tier-one media processor that has successfully integrated with Digital Alert Systems' advanced IP-based EAS-Net protocol, it said.

"This partnership marks two best-in-class companies coming together to streamline the emergency message requirements for broadcasters and Multiple Video Programming Distributors," said Bill Robertson, vice president of business development at Digital Alert Systems.

"Both the DASDEC system and the Harmonic XOS media processor offer the dual-platform benefit of supporting ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0. Also, EAS-NET saves customers money by reducing equipment footprint, and it packs many revolutionary features that further distinguish ATSC 3.0 from ATSC 1.0," he said.

Many Harmonic customers have deployed the integration into their daily workflows, said Jing Zhou, ATSC solutions manager at Harmonic. "Our collaboration with Digital Alert Systems is another example of Harmonic's continued investment and commitment to ATSC and the entire broadcast community."

More information is available on the Digital Alert Systems and Harmonic websites.

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y.—Digital Alert Systems has launched the DASDEC-III, the third generation of its award-winning DASDEC flexible emergency messaging platform. 

The solution, which comes equipped with the DASDEC Version 5 software, combines all the features of the previous DASDEC series plus capabilities that were once only available in the company's One-Net products, originally sold to cable and IPTV operators, the company said. 

With the DASDEC-III, the company has unified the two product families — DASDEC and One-Net — into a single product line. The DASDEC-III also has a more modular design, allowing for even more hardware and software customization to create tailored solutions for different messaging requirements, DAS explained.  

"Emergency messaging is continuously evolving, and we must follow this ever-changing environment," said Bill Robertson, vice president of business development, Digital Alert Systems. "The DASDEC-III's more modular approach is very appealing to customers as they can more easily craft the solution to their exact situation without being locked into a configuration that is more or less than what they really need. This customization is born from the truth that one size does not fit all."

Designed to fit roles in traditional broadcast radio and television, including the latest NEXTGEN TV, CATV, IPTV, campus, industrial, and emergency operation centers, the DASDEC-III has many features capable of transforming the old ways of doing emergency messaging. For example, with Digital Alert Systems' EAS-Net communications bundle, the DASDEC-III can eliminate all the complex wiring and logic associated with serial ports, audio wiring, and contact closures to multiple media keyers and switches. Linking a DASDEC-III to EAS-Net-compatible devices eliminates all those connections and devices and moves critical communications to a simple IP-based network. Using these more modern devices, facilities can eliminate a host of equipment and connections, thereby saving space, power, and, most of all, the headache of supporting multiple devices.

With the DASDEC-III, Digital Alert Systems has changed several wiring options, adopting the StudioHub wiring standard for audio connections in and out of the unit.  This makes DASDEC-III the only Emergency Alert System/common alerting protocol device to use StudioHub wiring, the company said. 

Using this method of wiring creates a quick and easy connection to many other audio devices with simple Cat 5/6 wires with RJ45 terminations. This creates a mechanically solid and dense wiring method without resorting to old, bulky XLR connections. The new unit also provides an HDMI output with scalable resolutions and embeds the emergency audio in the same output, DAS reported. 

The company also stressed that DASDEC-III with Version 5 software has a significantly improved user interface with an easier-to-follow menu structure and much less visual clutter. At the same time, the interface retains the basic operational outline so new users are less intimidated and previous users are instantly familiar. The new Version 5 represents the next phase of product development, where the company will continue to streamline the user interface well into the future.

Under the hood, the DASDEC-III features a newer, faster quad-core processor and a full 64-bit operating system, the company said. 

These qualities combine to create a more robust platform with a snappier response in addition to being more compatible with modern development tools and continued security enhancements.

"The DASDEC-III represents the latest in Digital Alert Systems' innovative design and dedication to our customers — and ultimately, to their customers," Robertson said. "With this new platform, we'll be able to continue supporting and developing more features and functions that are critical to today's emergency messaging workflows."

DASDEC-III with Version 5 is shipping now. Since the product is highly tailored to customer requirements, DAS encourages customers to contact the factory or a dealer to determine the best configuration. The unit will come fully assembled and ready to place into operation. Version 5 will be released for other customers later in the year.

More information about Digital Alert Systems is available at www.digitalalertsystems.com.

WASHINGTON—FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel is proposing action to bolster the security of the nation’s public alert and warning systems, the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts delivered to the public through alerts on their televisions, radios, and wireless phones.

“The Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts are used every day across the country to warn the public about severe weather, missing children, and other crises — and to help save lives,” said Chairwoman Rosenworcel.  “It is critical that these public safety systems are secure against cyber threats, which means that we must be proactive.  The draft proposals shared today will help ensure that our national alerting systems work as intended during emergencies and the public can trust the warnings they receive.”

If adopted by a vote of the full Commission, this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking would seek comment on:

• Ways to improve the operational readiness of the Emergency Alert System, including the amount of time that broadcasters, cable providers, and other EAS participants may operate before repairing defective EAS equipment;
• Requiring EAS participants to report compromises of their EAS equipment;
• Requiring EAS participants and the wireless providers that participate in Wireless Emergency Alerts to annually certify to having a cybersecurity risk management plan in place, and to employ sufficient security measures to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of their respective alerting systems; and
• Requiring wireless providers to take steps to ensure that only valid alerts are displayed on consumer devices.

The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking would seek public comment on these matters and related questions about improving alerting security.

The commission’s action comes after the Department of Homeland Security issued a warning to states in August to update and secure their EAS systems, particularly those that provide connection to proprietary devices. Ken Pyle, a partner at security firm Cybir, told KrebsOnSecurity that he had purchased used EAS equipment from ebay and found security holes in a device manufactured by Digital Alert Systems, which said it issued a security advisory in August to customers still using the EAS encoder to update the firmware. 

EAS hacks have occurred with frightening regularity over the past decade, including a zombie attack warning in Montana and Michigan in 2013—which was rerun in Indiana in 2017—a radiological hazard warning in 2020 and perhaps the most famous false alert, the warning of a nuclear attack in Hawaii in 2018.  

LYDONVILLE, N.Y.—Digital Alert Systems will unveil the third generation of its DASDEC emergency messaging platform and preview Version 5.0 of its Emergency Alert System (EAS) software at the NAB Show, April 23-27, in Las Vegas. 

"Visitors to the 2022 NAB Show will see two new introductions: our latest generation of DASDEC hardware and a preview of the upcoming Version 5.0 software, both offering full 64-bit support,” said Bill Robertson, vice president of business development at the company. “We've consolidated several customer requests that stem from idiosyncrasies that have bothered them for years. DASDEC Version 5.0 is the start of a transformative change. We've been looking to do this for a long time, and now we can showcase how it is coming to fruition."

The new version of EAS software improves the user interface, making it more user-friendly, intuitive and easier for operators to interact with the software. The interface streamlines operations, reducing many of the multi-tab configurations into single pages that are easier to manage and reduce clutter, the company said. 

Version 5.0 will serve as a springboard for moving to a more contemporary and consistent user interface and for improving security, it said.

The company also will spotlight Visually Integrated Display Symbology (VIDS) developed by the NextGen Video Information Systems Alliance (NVISA). The recommended practices represent an industry breakthrough, offering a powerful and impactful new way to display emergency alerts based on easy-to-discern graphical elements, the company said.

See Digital Alert Systems at NAB Show booth W8617.

More information is available on the company’s website.

LARGO, Fla.—The Christian Television Network (CTN) is a nonprofit broadcast television network which owns and operates 23 stations that broadcast religious programming in multiple U.S. markets. We also offer Christian family education, entertainment, and lifestyle programming on our CTN Lifestyle digital channel and international streaming via the Christian Television Network International (CTNI) website.

Because CTN has grown over the years through various acquisitions, we’ve had to deal with different equipment across many of our stations. When we took on an encoder upgrade project earlier this year, it gave us the opportunity to standardize and unify not just our encoders, but also our antiquated emergency alert system (EAS). 

STANDARDIZING ON DAS

We had developed quite a convoluted workflow to accommodate our aging EAS devices. Replacing these systems with the Digital Alert Systems’ (DAS) DASDEC emergency messaging platform, which we integrated with our new Hitachi-Comark LEX-2000 encoders, we were able to simplify our workflow tremendously. We’ve now got two boxes doing what once took four or more.

We purchased the encoders through Media Transport Solutions, where the team there told us we could use Digital Alert Systems EAS-Net software to connect the DASDEC units to the LEX-2000 encoders using a single network connection. This integration allows EAS messages to come from the DASDEC unit to the encoder over IP, which embeds the message and the audio/video on each of the channels. 

Better still, instead of interrupting the video, as our old systems did, this approach conveniently displays a banner over ongoing programming and switches the audio to the alert. It’s a huge improvement for us and a nice change for our viewers. 

SIMPLIFIED WORKFLOWS

In upgrading to the DASDEC platform and LEX-2000 encoders, we’ve also been able to shift to a centralcast model for many stations. We’ve brought our program encoders back in house at our Largo facility, where the systems receive signals from DASDEC units out at remote sites. Now we enjoy a much more streamlined process for handling emergency messaging across numerous stations, more robust monitoring capabilities, and more consistent and reliable performance.

Both Media Transport Solutions and Digital Alert Systems have been helpful throughout this process, from designing our workflow to getting each system configured properly for each station and its particular region. We’ve been rolling out the units’ station by station, and we took the first DASDEC unit live last March in Nashville at WHTN-TV. It passed the national EAS test this past August, so it’s working great. We made an early commitment to work with the DASDEC and LEX-2000 encoders, and we’re glad we did. 

For more information visit www.digitalalertsystems.com.

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y.—Digital Alert Systems has announced the availability of an important update of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) digital certificates used to authenticate messaging from the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS).

The company has released updated IPAWS Certificate Authority (CA) credentials for the DASDEC and One-Net series of Emergency Alert System/Common Alerting Protocol (EAS/CAP) encoder/decoders to replace a certificate in the current certification chain that will expire on Aug. 21. 

All U.S. DASDEC and One-Net users are advised to replace the soon-to-expire certificate to ensure the required message authentication continues to operate properly, the company stressed. 

Digital Alert Systems also reminded all EAS participants that the FCC requires them to "configure their systems to reject all CAP-formatted EAS messages that include an invalid digital signature."

"With just a few weeks to go, we urge DASDEC and One-Net customers to update their certificate files before Aug. 21 to prevent any disruptions," said Adam Jones, senior sales engineer for Digital Alert Systems. "While this seems like an annual occurrence, our customers will be pleased to know this new certificate is good until April of 2024!"

Digital certificates, called CAs, are used by FEMA to create a chain of trust between an EAS device and the IPAWS servers. The DASDEC and One-Net EAS/CAP devices use these special digital certificates to validate the authenticity of IPAWS-sourced CAP alerts. These certificates are designed to expire on a specific date and time, requiring the issuing authority to publish new certificates as replacements.

All DASDEC and One-Net customers using the IPAWS system must have the latest certificates in place so only messages authenticated through IPAWS are processed. IPAWS users who do not update their equipment before Aug. 21 could see this error message: "Event Log: Digital Signature VERIFICATION ERROR: Signer UNTRUSTED! Check for correct CAP decoder CA file." Alternatively, the device might simply ignore valid IPAWS alerts.

The new field service bulletin and CA file are now available from the Digital Alert Systems website at www.digitalalertsystems.com/DAS_pages/resources_fsb.html.

DASDEC and One-Net customers should go to the website, download the field service bulletin for instructions, and link to the new CA file.

Further information about Digital Alert Systems and its products is available at www.digitalalertsystems.com.

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y.—Digital Alert Systems has announced the release of the latest version of its software for the DASDEC II and One-Net SE EAS devices offering expanded security measures and the addition of support for single sign-on (SSO) systems, such as TACACS+.

Version 4.3 EAS software’s support for SSO capabilities brings powerful new efficiencies to enterprise users of Digital Alert Systems’ EAS devices, the company said. 

With SSO, EAS administrators can manage the access of users uniformly and grant or deny access to select individuals with the same tools used for the rest of the enterprise—a more convenient process than having to maintain different names and passwords for each device as was required prior to support for single sign-on, it said.

“The new SSO capabilities in Version 4.3 are the answer to a direct request from our enterprise DASDEC-II and One-Net SE customers, especially those who need to administer dozens—and sometimes hundreds—of EAS devices,” said Bill Robertson, vice president of business development, Digital Alert Systems. “The ability to control access across all of those users and devices offers a tremendous time savings and security advantage, in keeping with the overall security theme of Version 4.” 

Version 4.3 also offers users of DASDEOC, the company’s system for emergency operations centers, improved connectivity and support for new changes to the FEMA Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) Cloud server. 

Under the Digital Alert Systems Software Assurance Plan, any DASDEC-II or One-Net SE customer running Version 4.0, 4.1 or 4.2 can now download the Version 4.3 upgrade at no charge.

Registered customers will receive an email with credentials; customers not yet upgraded to Version 4 can contact their Digital Alert Systems representative for more information, the company said.

More information is available by emailing the company or calling 1-585-765-1155. 

SHREVEPORT, La.—As the Shreveport affiliate for the Daystar Television network, KADO-CD TV 40 offers family and spiritually oriented programming. We take pride in serving our community, and also recognize the important role local broadcasters play in emergency communications. We view relaying potentially life-saving messages through the U.S. Emergency Alert System (EAS) our sacred duty as a “first informer.”

We used to rely on older EAS equipment that was functional but highly outdated and becoming unstable. It was time to upgrade to more reliable EAS and Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) equipment that would be properly secured, fully compliant and up to date. We also needed an SDI-based solution that would be easier to manage and update to meet the FCC’s latest EAS/CAP requirements. Additionally, we needed a better way to display our station ID.

A MODERN SOLUTION

To meet these requirements, we have adopted Digital Alert Systems’ DASDEC EAS/CAP encoder/decoder platform working in concert with a ChyTV computer graphics and display solution from DigIT Signage Technologies. DASDEC is a reliable, secure, all-in-one EAS system that can be easily updated to the latest FCC standards as required.

The DASDEC and ChyTV unit features seamless SDI and embedded audio capabilities. With other EAS systems, creating audio alerts is a manual process that requires de-embedding the audio, connecting to analog, dropping in the EAS alert audio, reconverting to digital and then finally re-embedding the audio. DASDEC handles the entire process, removing points of failure and saving us from having to jump through six different conversion devices.

We found the combination of DASDEC and ChyTV gear extremely fast and easy to install and deploy, and both solutions checked off all my boxes for EAS and graphics capabilities. We only encountered one small computer-related issue with the install, and the Digital Alert Systems and ChyTV teams gave us outstanding support. They not only fixed the issue, but they showed me how it happened, how to test for it and how to fix it if it should ever occur again.

VISUAL DISPLAY OF EAS MESSAGES

We’re proud to say that KADO-CD TV40 is the first-ever deployment of the Visually Integrated Display Symbology (VIDS) recommended practice developed by the NextGen Video Information Systems Alliance (NVISA), whose members include Digital Alert Systems and DigIT/ChyTV.

VIDS was created with the goal of improving the visual presentation of emergency alerting information on video displays, with the system guiding the implementation of emergency warning graphic interfaces, including the addition of dynamic elements. When used with Digital Alert Systems’ EAS-Net communications protocol, VIDS displays both a text crawl and symbolic element corresponding with the current alert state. In addition, icons for specific types of alerts can remain after the text has completed its required display cycle.

VIDS gives us seamless station ID schedules and also the ability to display clear, highly readable emergency messages that meet all FCC requirements. Even better, we’re able to present the messages in ways that are especially compelling to our local audience. The visual icon representing the alert type helps communicate the information clearly to viewers who may not be able to understand a text-only alert.

By collaborating to create a highly effective new EAS protocol, Digital Alert Systems and ChyTV are plotting the future course of emergency alerting. They have sent a strong signal that they are committed to their customers and, by extension, the future of the industry. We could not be more pleased with our choice of these companies to take KADO into the next generation of emergency alerting. 

Chad Giddens has worked for Life United, the owner of KADO, for 25 years. He manages all of the audio, video and lighting for the station. He can be contacted at wolmedia@mac.com.

For more information, visit www.digitalalertsystems.com.

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y.—Digital Alert Systems has announced an update to its Federal Emergency Management Agency digital certificates that are used to authenticate messages from the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS). The company’s previous certificates were set to expire on Oct. 28.

Digital Alert Systems’ new IPAWS Certificate Authority credentials are for the One-Net and DASDEC Emergency Alert System/Common Alerting Protocol (EAS/CAP) encoder/decoders. CAs are designed to create a chain of trust between and EAS device and the IPAWS server. 

DAS encourages One-Net and DASDEC users in the U.S. to replace the expiring certificates to ensure devices continue to operate properly. All EAS participants are required by the FCC to configure their systems to reject all CAP-formatted EAS messages that include an invalid digital signature. In the event that the certificate is not updated, users could either receive an error message or the device might ignore valid IPAWS alerts.

DAS says that it is working with IPAWS on a process that would automate these kinds of updates in the future.

The new CA is available on the Digital Alert Systems website. 

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y.—Digital Alert Systems has made available the latest version, v4.2, of its Emergency Alert System software that supports its DASDEC-II and One-Net SE EAS devices.

The new version of the software offers features and improvements that are designed to expand the security measures already built into the software. This includes additional communications protocols for EAS-Net, the DAS communications protocol software that enables EAS data and audio transmissions over a TCP/IP network for up to eight EAS-Net compatible platforms.

Another new feature is the software Secure Socket Layer HTTPS certificate management functions, which allow users to perform things like selecting the web server certificate, adding new cert and key certificates, selecting different certificates and deleting a certificate. Users can also load and/or delete their own key/cert pairs.

There are also separate control toggles as part of v4.2 that enable users to control digital signatures selectively from various Common Alerting Protocol servers, with improved logging between servers for more information about CAP files. In addition, communication improvements for users of DAS’ Homogenous Alert Overseer are also available.

Any DASDEC-II or One-Net SE customer running v4.0 or v4.1 can download v4.2 for free. For customers not yet upgraded to v4, DAS has a price relief program that offers a discount on the normal upgrade fee, ranging from 20% to 60% through Sept. 7.

For more information, visit www.digitalalertsystems.com.  

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y.—Digital Alert Systems has unveiled a Price Relief Program that will be available for its Version 4 software upgrade of DASDEC-II and One-Net SE EAS devices so that emergency communications can be as up to date as possible during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Through June 2020, the Price Relief Program will enable DAS customers with older, noncompliant software to upgrade to the latest Version 4 at a flat rate of $396 per device. 

Version 4 includes all current FCC EAS compliance requirements and required changes for national alert handling. Version 4 also provides new features like Triggered CAP Polling and the Alert Agent, as well as security and operational upgrades and an upgrade of the underlying operational system.

For more information, visit www.digitalalertsystems.com.  

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y.—Digital Alert Systems is now offering a Software Assurance Plan for its line of emergency alert system devices. This plan will allow customers to ensure they are in compliance with current requirements via automatic notifications when new software is available.

The Software Assurance Plan is available to all customers running Version 4.0 software. With the plan, customers can immediately update to Version 4.1, with strengthened EAS/CAP security and compliance management, as well as new features in line with FCC compliance requirements. Future software releases will be automatically provided at no extra charge, including Version 4.2, which is expected to be available upon the release of Software Assurance Plan.

Additionally, Software Assurance Plan members will be able to receive discounts on repairs and additional software license keys. If a member’s current hardware is no longer supported, Digital Alert Systems says it will replace the hardware at a discount.

For more information, visit www.digitalalertsystems.com.  

Digital Alert Systems announces its DASDEC Version 4.2 software upgrade for advanced Emergency Alert Systems/Common Alerting Protocol (EAS/CAP) compliance. Further advancing the security theme embodied throughout Version 4, the latest software update includes new tools for managing digital security certificates as well as expanding two additional secure interfaces under EAS-Net. In addition, several improvements, customer requests and modifications are included in this release.

Digital Alert Systems will have a handful of new products to showcase this spring, plus a couple of programs that are designed to boost customer experience.

Highlighting DAS’ offering at the show will be Visually Integrated Display Symbology, which was developed in collaboration with DigIt Signage Technologies/ChyTV. The goal of this VIDS technology is to improve the visual presentation of emergency alerting information on video displays, with the system guiding the implementation of emergency warning graphic interfaces, including the addition of dynamic elements. When used with DAS’ EAS-Net communications protocol, VIDS displays both a text crawl and symbolic element corresponding with the current alert state. In addition, icons for specific type of alerts can remain after the text has completed its required display cycle.

DAS also has a new version of its DASDEC software, v4.2, that it will display at the show. The upgrade is for the system to meet advanced Emergency Alert Systems/Common Alerting Protocol compliance. The latest features of this upgrade include new tools for managing digital security certificates, as well as expanding two additional secure interfaces under EAS-Net.

The latest version of the HALO specialized management system is also part of DAS’ plans. HALO combines engineering, operations and compliance functions into a single user interface and now features the Advanced Authentication Module, which supports integration with several single sign-on systems for monitoring EAS device status, gathering consolidated alert reporting and maintaining insight and control of an EAS infrastructure.

DAS will also tout a pair of customer service plans for attendees, a Software Assurance Plan and the UP-TRADE Program. The Software Assurance Plan provides all software updates in exchange for an annual fee ($200 per unit), as well as discounts on repairs and any software license keys. The UP-TRADE program, meanwhile, enables customers to upgrade their existing hardware at standard cost while transferring all license keys, configurations files, hardware options and EAS logs to a new platform for a labor charge.

For more information, visit www.digitalalertsystems.com. 

WASHINGTON—A collaboration between Digital Alert Systems and DigIt Signage Technologies, the ChyTV HD-EAS is an advanced emergency information display system that will be showcased during the 2019 Video Show.

The ChyTV HD-EAS integrates key technologies from both companies for flexible emergency messaging across a variety of sources, distribution formats and delivery infrastructure. Among these integrations is Digital Alert Systems’ DASDEC series of Emergency Alert System/Common Alerting Protocol encoder/decoders and DigIt's ChyTV digital signage capabilities like the crawl feature and integrated digital audio switching. The technology also allows users to utilize other Digital Alert Systems emergency information content partners.

Another feature of the ChyTV HD-EAS is its support of many video distribution formats, including NTSC, PAL, HDM, HD-SDI, IP, ATSC, ISDB, DVB and more. It can also work with live or recorded video sources and a variety of architecture (in-house cable, enterprise/campus video or broadcast TV).

“We look forward to showcasing this versatile new solution at the Video Show, as its unique capabilities align well with the requirements of government/military users, as well as organizations in the corporate and education sectors,” said Ed Czarnecki, senior director of strategy and regulatory affairs at Digital Alert Systems. “ChyTV HD-EAS makes it easy for organizations worldwide to bring their audiences sophisticated emergency information.”

The Video Show takes place Dec. 4-5 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The ChyTV HD-EAS system will be on display at DigIt’s booth, 312.

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y.—When Digital Alert Systems’ Jim Heminway, the company’s general manager, vice president and chief operating officer, retires at the end of the year, the company has officially announced that Anne L. Wakeman, currently the chief financial officer, will transition into the role of COO. With guidance from Heminway, Wakeman began taking on COO responsibilities from Heminway late last year in preparation for her new role.

“In addition to having deep experience in finance and a record of robust business, marketing and management experience, Anne is an outstanding leader,” said Heminway. “Working with her over the past three years, and particularly during her transition to COO, I’ve seen her remarkable business acumen and how adeptly she has integrated herself into our dynamic group as the new team leader. In short, I can move into retirement knowing she’ll help the company build on our success and rise to new heights.”

Wakeman joined DAS in February 2016 as its CFO, leading the company’s efforts to modernize its manufacturing and financial systems, as well as its IT infrastructure. Her previous experience has included 16 years at a major manufacturer with its sales team and seven years in market research. She began her career in banking.

As COO, Wakeman will oversee DAS’ manufacturing, ongoing development, sales and support of the company’s emergency messaging platforms.

Heminway will retire after having been with DAS for 21 years.

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y.—Digital Alert Systems last week reached out to users of its DASDEC EAS encoder-decoder to assure them that units using v3.0x or v.4.0 DASDEC software require no action to accommodate an update to IPAWS Transport Layer Security (TLS).

Both DASDEC v3.0x and v4.0 follow FCC requirements for the National Periodic Test, the company said.

This year’s National Periodic Test is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 7, at 2:20 p.m. EDT. In the event of inclement weather, Wednesday, Aug. 21, has been chosen as a backup date.

Writing to DASDEC users, Ed Czarnecki, senior director of strategy and government affairs at the company, said Digital Alert Systems has never released a fee-based software update solely to accommodate a regulatory requirement or for compliance purposes. Nor does the company charge for support.

The company released v4.0 of DASDEC software as an optional, although “strongly recommended,” upgrade, he added.

Version 3.0 will function properly for the NPT test and the FEMA TLS update to IPAWs. It also will accept a certificate upgrade for FEMA IPAWS when that becomes available in November, he said.

Digital Alert Systems has released a document for broadcasters, cable TV operators and others to use to prepare for the National Periodic Test.

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y.—There is less than a month before the mandatory, nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, and Digital Alert Systems is aiming to help its customers with a free online preparation document.

The brief, as described by Ed Czarnecki, senior director of strategy and government affairs for Monroe Electronics and Digital Alert Systems, provides the steps needed and additional recommendations to ensure a successful test. Noting that failures during the 2018 test were primarily due to audio quality issues, equipment misconfigurations, out-of-date software and device failure, Czarnecki says “our readiness document can help operators avoid those pitfalls.”

Things that are covered in the document include the filing procedures through the FCC’s EAS Test Reporting System; Form One was due July 3, but Forms Two and Three will be due on Aug. 7 and Sept. 23, respectively. It also provides information on how to check EAS equipment is properly powered and operated, as well as being up to date.

The national EAS Test is set for Aug. 7 at 2:20 p.m. EDT.

Read DAS’ preparation document here.

DENVER & NEW YORK—EAS alerts have been brought to the cloud by Digital Alert Systems, which has announced that it has integrated its EAS-NET communications protocol to the Kaltura TV Platform, a cloud TV service.

It is a requirement for North American operators and media companies to provide emergency alerts to viewers via their TV service. Through this integration, joint customers can comply with Emergency Alert System/Common Alerting Protocol regulations by providing critical emergency messages within their Cloud TV deployments.

Kaltura was able to support EAS-NET by boosting its push notification and in-app messaging capabilities. The Kaltura platform can now receive alert information over EAS-NET and dispatch the alert in real time to Cloud TV client applications, including mobile devices, managed STBs and unmanaged STBs. Viewers will be able to see the emergency messages as push notifications on connected screens when watching content or browsing on the app.

“We are in the business of helping our customers transform their legacy TV services into next-generation cloud and IP-based TV experiences,” said Gideon Gilboa, Kaltura senior vice president of product and marketing, Media and Telecom. “This includes all of the benefits of OTT—not only personalization, multiscreen apps and improved TCO and agility, but also the ‘nuts and bolts’ of traditional pay TV, such as EAS alerts.”

LAS VEGAS—Digital Alert Systems will unveil its Halo V2 enterprise-wide EAS management system and preview an advanced alerting module for ATSC 3.0 at the 2019 NAB Show, April 8-11, in Las Vegas.

The latest iteration of the product, a web-based enterprise-wide tool, can oversee and facilitate command of all DASDEC devices in an operation, the company said.

Halo V2 forms a single aggregation point for multiple users from different departments with different levels of permission enabling them to oversee the health and status of each EAS device, alert personnel of changes, centralize configuration settings, manage software updates and consolidate FCC-mandated test results to make EAS Test Reporting System (ETRS) filings easier, it said.

The product enables enterprises to better use EAS subject matter experts and decreases how much time and the number of resources spent on EAS matters, Digital Alert Systems added.

The company also will show its new ATSC 3.0-oriented advanced emergency information module, an optional advanced emergency alerting (AEA) upgrade for the DASDEC emergency messaging platform.

The EAS-Net AEA module aggregates content, including messages and multimedia, from outside sources and generates a station’s unique messaging for transmission to AEA-enabled applications on 3.0 receivers, Digital Alert Systems said.

By adding the module to a DASDEC unit, stations can seamlessly integrate AEA capabilities into their Next-Gen TV standard, thus enabling them to reach targeted audiences in new ways with detailed urgent and emergency messages and information, it said.

The EAS-Net AEA module makes it possible for stations to communicate with their audiences via text, graphics, audio and other advanced multimedia, providing a more interactive way to disseminate emergency information that far exceeds what is possible with basic EAS, the company added.

Digital Alert Systems also will feature its new DASDEC Version 4.0 software upgrade for the company’s DASCEC-II platform, offering EAS/Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) compliance. Improvements include Triggered CAP Polling, which, for example, allows the system to de-que an EAS alert when a CAP version of the same alert is available, the company said. The company will also highlight its upgrade and trade-in program.

To learn more visit the company’s website. See Digital Alert Systems at 2019 NAB Show booth N4813.

To register for the NAB Show, visit www.nabshow.com.

RALEIGH, N.C.—WRAL-TV is the Raleigh-Durham, N.C. NBC affiliate owned and operated by Capitol Broadcasting. Our station is known for having achieved a number of technological firsts over the years, including our 2016 launch of an ATSC 3.0 TV station with the first live simulcast of a commercially licensed TV station.

Capitol Broadcasting is a member of ATSC, and we play an active role in the ATSC Technology Group 3 (TG3) responsible for developing the ATSC 3.0 broadcast TV standard.

We’re also part of the Advanced Emergency Alerting (AEA) Implementation Team focused on supporting integration of rich-media alerting into ATSC 3.0. One of our many valuable partners is this work has been Digital Alert Systems (DAS).

MORE THAN JUST AN EAS ENCODER

Digital Alert Systems’ DASDEC Emergency Alert System platform has been the mainstay of our EAS presence for more than a decade, and today it supports all of our call letter stations (WRAL, WRAZ, and WILM) by processing EAS/CAP messages for a total of nine streams leaving our building. Through continual upgrades, our DASDEC platform has evolved into more than just an EAS encoder-decoder; today it also serves as a content management server and middleware for AEA applications.

Enabled by ATSC 3.0, AEA capabilities on the DASDEC platform support delivery of rich media such as live video updates, video clips, escape route maps, images or diagrams, and location-based information. (ATSC 3.0 also enables geo-targeted public alerts and messages to first responders.) Though our EAS capabilities have grown far more robust, none of the existing EAS messaging will go away. We’ll still put banners on screen and play those familiar attention tones, but we have many more options in providing emergency information.

In fact, we’re also working with DAS and other partners within the Advanced Warning and Response Network (AWARN) Alliance to optimize—in a more social sense—the touch, look, and feel of rich media alerts to smartphones, tablets, and fixed television receivers. AWARN members are focusing on the advantages of ATSC 3.0’s higher data throughput, more robust transmission, and improved indoor reception not only to deliver rich media, but also to wake up devices and to deliver alerts even when the cellular network is jammed or the power grid is down.

The broadcast television infrastructure in the U.S. is very robust. We’re prepared to stay on air through natural disasters. We’re not reliant on the internet, but we can leverage connectivity as available to offer the public another level of support, be it additional information or a link by which people can report power outages and so forth. ATSC 3.0 opens the door to a lot of exciting new possibilities, and our DASDEC system gives us the tools we need to realize the next-gen standard’s potential with respect to EAS.

The industry intelligence of the DAS team is evident not only in their contributions to TG3, the AEA Implementation Team, and the AWARN Alliance, but also in the valuable capabilities added to the DASDEC platform over time. Our EAS system has grown increasingly sophisticated through regular software updates—our DASDEC box just keeps on running smoothly through every update.

EAS is near and dear to our hearts at Capitol Broadcasting, and we’re proud to be working with Digital Alert Systems and other industry leaders to bring advanced alerting into the EAS landscape.

Pete Sockett currently serves as Capitol Broadcasting Director of Engineering and Operations at WRALTV in Raleigh-Durham. He can be reached atPSockett@wral.com.

For more information, visitdigitalalertsystems.comor call 585-765-1155.

For a comprehensive source of TV Technology’s ATSC 3.0 coverage, see our ATSC3 silo.

WASHINGTON--This is the first full week that alert originators can begin to issue the new Blue Alert event code. In January 2018, the Federal Communications Commission amended its rules regarding EAS and WEA emergency alert codes and voted to add a new code — known by its moniker B L U. This new alert can be used whenever there is imminent danger to a law enforcement officer, such as when an officer is injured, missing and in cases where there is fear of potential injury to law enforcement officers.

Although the new code is now on the books, it’s not mandatory that alert originators use it.

When the FCC moved to amend EAS rules in December 2017 by adding the new event code, the industry had mixed views on the necessity of such a decision. Many comments in the FCC’s ECFS database were critical, with one individual calling the move a “purely political sop” to police organizations, saying there’s no need for an EAS code that “nobody will use.”

The decision to add the code was led by the Department of Justice after two New York City Police detectives were killed in the line of duty in 2014. The new alert codes were put in place to help protect officers, said Chairman Ajit Pai at the time. “We owe [these detectives] and their brave family members who come here today a tremendous debt of gratitude,” Pai said. “[The] FCC attempts to do that today by adopting rules that police officers across America and the communities they so proudly serve will be better protected.”

The order states that state and local agencies have the option to send warnings to the public via EAS broadcast or through the Wireless Emergency Alert system to consumers’ wireless phones. As with Amber Alerts and weather alerts, usage of this code will be voluntary on a case by case basis.

The official go-date for the delivery of Blue Alerts over EAS was Jan. 18, 2019, and broadcast groups like the Alabama Broadcast Association (ABA) encouraged its members to begin to code their EAS equipment to include the Blue Alert. According to Sharon Tinsley, president of ABA, the state’s main law enforcement group, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, does plan to use the alerts when needed.

In response, EAS software manufacturers have been prepping. Digital Alert Systems DasDec users will be able to access the BLU event code as part of the company’s v4.0 software update. Trilithic/Viavi includes the BLU event code in its v18.10 software update. Gorman-Redlich said it has a update, and requests that stations contact their office for details. Sage Endec users are being told that update firmware will be available this week.

Broadcasters and cable operators are also being asked to watch for additional information updates from their individual state emergency communication committees.

Under the order, state and local agencies have the option to send warnings to the public either through EAS broadcast or through the Wireless Emergency Alert system to consumers’ wireless phones. As with Amber Alerts and weather alerts, usage of this Blue Alert code will be voluntary on a case by case basis. 

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y.—Digital Alert Systems and Monroe Electronics have upgraded the operating system for the Digital Alert Systems DASDEC-II and Monroe One-Net SE emergency alert systems.

Version 4.0 software for the systems is a complete operating system upgrade–with a cybersecurity update and numerous security patches—and software-update management tools. It provides support for new Blue Alert (BLU) Emergency Alert System (EAS) code as well as Triggered Common Alert Protocol (CAP) Polling, which presents more complete alert information to the public, the company said.

With Triggered CAP Polling, the system immediately begins looking for a matching CAP message for every over-the-air EAS event. If one exists, the CAP message is used rather than the EAS alert to ensure better message propagation, it said.

The latest version also supports HALO, the Digital Alert Systems and Monroe Electronics enterprise-level EAS management system.

The release, which provides a new mechanism for faster security updates, includes a new log-in screen designed to prevent hackers from finding devices attached to the internet with no firewall protection, the company said.

Older products, such as DASDEC-I and the original One-Net, cannot be upgraded. An upgrade/exchange program is available for those users, it said.

Customers who have purchased a unit or upgrade since March will receive Version 4.0 at no charge. For Version 3 users, the upgrade costs $495. Those using versions earlier than Version 3.0 will need to upgrade their devices before installing Version 4, the company said.

More information is available on the Digital Alert Systems and Monroe Electronics websites.

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y. — Digital Alert Systems and Monroe Electronics have released updated IPAWS Certificate Authority credentials for the One-Net and DASDEC Emergency Alert System/Common Alerting Protocol encoder/decoders.

The update replaces a Federal Emergency Management Agency digital certificate that will expire Sept. 24, and IPAWS users who fail to update their equipment before the deadline could see this error message: “Event Log:Digital Signature VERIFICATION ERROR : Signer UNTRUSTED! Check for correct CAP decoder CA file.;”

“This is the second such certificate replacement this year, so we are actively working with FEMA IPAWS to look at methods for automating this update process and hope to have such a process in place before the next certificate update occurs in 2019,” said Monroe Electronics and Digital Alert Systems Senior Director of Strategy and Government Affairs Ed Czarnecki.

The field service bulletin and CA file are available now. One-Net and DASDEC customers should go to the website, download the bulletin for instructions, and link to the new file.

Digital Alert Systems provides R&D, manufacturing, sales and customer service for Monroe Electronics, One-Net and Digital Alert Systems brands. In October 2009, Digital Alert Systems merged with Monroe Electronics.

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y. — As providers of Emergency Alert System/Common Alerting Protocol equipment, Monroe Electronics — and its Digital Alert Systems subsidiary — are advising users of their OneNet and DASDEC EAS/CAP systems to download the latest Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Certificate Authority (CA) credentials file.

Users must install these new digital CA credentials, recently issued by The Federal Emergency Management Agency — the administrator of IPAWS — in order to replace the previously issued version, which is set to expire on June 24.

Maintaining the most recent CA credentials is essential to ensuring that OneNet and DASDEC EAS/CAP encoders and decoders continue to operate properly. These devices use these digital certificates to validate the authenticity of IPAWS sourced Common Alerting Protocol alerts.

IPAWS users who fail to update their equipment before June 24 could see the error message: “Event Log: Digital Signature VERIFICATION ERROR : Signer UNTRUSTED! Check for correct CAP decoder CA file.;”

This is because FEMA uses digital CA certificates to create a “chain of trust between Emergency Alert System devices and the IPAWS servers.” According to FEMA IPAWS is an internet-based system that enables federal, state, and local authorities to issue critical public alerts and warnings. It’s accessed through software that meets IPAWS system requirements.

“We have been advised there will be several certificate and policy changes through the end of 2018 that will necessitate some certificate updates during this period,” said Ed Czarnecki, senior director of strategy and government affairs for Monroe Electronics and Digital Alert Systems.

Czarnecki added, “We’re constantly evaluating and updating our systems to stay in step with IPAWS, and since assisting customers is our top priority, we are actively working on new methods of managing government certificates with an improved path forward.”

All OneNet and DASDEC customers using the IPAWS system must have the latest digital certificates in place to assure the validity of the communications chain of trust, which prevents a “man in the middle” attack by only processing the messages that are authenticated through the IPAWS system.

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LAS VEGAS—Digital Alert Systems will unveil HALO, a management system capable of overseeing all encoders and decoders and facilitating command of all connected EAS devices in an enterprise, at this year’s NAB Show.

This web-based, enterprise-wide tool provides a single aggregation point through which multiple users can oversee the health of each EAS device, alert key personnel of critical changes, centralize configuration settings, manage software updates and consolidate FCC-mandated test results for easier EAS Test Result System (ETRS) filings.

HALO combines operations and compliance in one configuration control, for both EAS log reporting and error/alarm-monitoring. The company will also preview its EAS-Net Advanced Emergency Alerting (AEA) module for ATSC 3.0 as an optional advanced emergency alerting (AEA) upgrade for the DASDEC emergency messaging platform.

Other products at the booth include DASDEC v4.0 software upgrade for advanced Emergency Alert Systems/Common Alerting Protocol (EAS/CAP) compliance; the DASEOC M Series Fully Integrated EAS and CAP decoder and encoder; the DASDEC-II Emergency Messaging Platform for managing emergency alert and Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) messages; and the MultiPlayer Four-Channel Audio Player and Program Switcher.

The 2018 NAB Show takes place in Las Vegas, April 9-12. Digital Alert Systems will be in booth N5009. For more information, visit www.nabshow.com.

Read up on all of TVT's NAB Show Sneak Peeks and other 2018 NAB Show news here.

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y.—NVerzion is the latest company to become a Digital Alert Systems (DAS) EAS-NET partner by integrating the DAS EAS-Net communications software with its CloudNine video server platform.

NVerzion joins many other broadcast technology vendors, including Evertz Microsystems, Utah Scientific and Florical, as EAS-Net partners, said Bill Robertson, VP, business development at DAS, Nov. 7 during a telephone interview.

The NVerzion implementation of EAS-Net software gives users of the NVerzion CloudNine video server a direct IP link with the DAS DASDEC emergency messaging platform. No separate audio wiring is necessary, assuring high-quality audio alerting is delivered to the server along with Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) data, he said.

The integration makes it possible for broadcasters and cablecasters using the CloudNine server to meet their mandated EAS/CAP responsibilities from a traditional master control room or other playout environment, the company said.

NVerzion has integrated the DAS EAS/CAP messaging capabilities directly with NVerzion’s graphics overlay and audio playback systems. “It’s not an upstream keyer or a downstream keyer [in the CloudNine server],” said NVerzion President Scott Murphy in a phone interview. “We call it an inter-stream keyer.”

Stations are required to broadcast emergency alerts in text form and as audio, said DAS’s Robertson. “The way NVerzion did it is to provide a background color to represent the severity of the alert.”

NVerzion’s implementation inspects the essence of an incoming alert message and without creating a delay triggers a background color that’s appropriate to the emergency warning to be broadcast—for instance, green for a test, yellow for a watch and red for a warning, said Robertson.

“They [NVerzion] have gone beyond the basic ‘throw a crawl up there’ by understanding the essence of the alert and representing it on screen for viewers in a colorful way,” he added.

The CloudNine server with the EAS/CAP messaging integration is especially well-suited for broadcast operations on tight budgets, such as digital subchannels, Murphy added.

More information is available on the NVerzion website and the DAS website.

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y.—Monroe Electronics, along with its Digital Alert Systems subsidiary, have provided a software upgrade to the One-Net and DASDEC platforms for advanced Emergency Alert Systems and Common Alerting Protocol messaging compliance. The new v3.1 of the One-Net and DASDEC platforms provides the latest compliance mandates, operational improvements and security features.

One of the key new features of the upgrade is the inclusion of MPEG-DASH message playout. Customers can now add MPEG-DASH to One-Net SE and DASDEC-II devices. In addition, the internal MPEG-2 encoder now includes an option switch to provide a constant stream to maintain continuity with downstream encoders and other devices.

The upgrade also features an update for emergency alert authentication to address changes made by U.S. and Canadian authorities. This includes the latest FEMA IPAWS and Pelmorex NAAD digital certificates, which are required to ensure proper validation and authentication of emergency alert messages.

More features that make up v3.1 include a new selector to normalize radio and CAP alert audio output levels; an upgraded Alert Agent with improved handling of rare alert cases; enhancement to the network settings; an addition of a RSYSLOG function; and support for the new upgrades to Custom Message Pro.

Previous users of v3.0 will be able to upgrade to v3.1 for free. Customers upgrading from older versions will need to purchase a v3.0 enabling key before installing v3.1.

PRINCETON, N.J.—The triumvirate of Triveni Digital, Digital Alert Systems and Ohio Educational Television Stations, Inc., recently collaborated on the creation of Ohio Digital EAS (OEAS). This IP-based delivery system distributes emergency information to the public and first responders using datacast technology from Triveni and a software-based emergency messaging delivery platform from DAS. The alerts and government communications are distributed through Ohio’s 12 public television stations.

WOSU-TV Chief Engineer Tim Kelly (right) Shows OETS Project Manager Dave Carwile the Testing Setup for the OEAS System

The OEAS uses DAS’ DASEOC emergency operations center to aggregate all emergency messaging originating from the federal government, state or county authorities, into a single data stream compatible with ATSC broadcasts.

Triveni’s SkyScraper datacast technology is then used as the final step to insert the stream into stations’ digital broadcast signal. SkyScraper allows the stations to organize and target content to receivers, allocate bandwidth and insert content into broadcast streams, and extract content from broadcast streams and have it available for users. The state’s EMA headquarters features SykScraper’s DataFab and DataHub components to create an EAS message stream that is distributed to all Ohio PTV stations by secure fiber into over-the-air broadcast signals.

A digital TV data receiver and an integrated DASLC emergency content management server make messaging content available to any EAS equipment in its native format on the user end.

In addition, the OEAS system features a content-agnostic architecture that can transport digital content, including non-public messaging like data and live video. Any properly formatted digital signal can be delivered using the OEAS system, which will allow it to still be utilized when broadcasters transition to an ATSC 3.0 infrastructure.

The Ohio project was funded by the Corporation of Public Broadcasting.

LYNDONVILLE, N.Y.—Digital Alert Systems has announced that it plans to release a new software upgrade for its DASDEC platforms for advanced EAS and Common Alerting Protocol messaging compliance. Version 3.0 of the software will help DAS be in compliance with the FCC’s new rules that become mandatory in July, the company says.

One of the new features of the software is the Alert Agent, which allows for the selective processing of alert messages from different sources. The tool is able to consolidate settings under Alert Nodes, providing controls for selective message-handling for each source, event and originator. Alert Nodes define specific actions based on event parameters and use a visual stacking order; they are also able to be managed directly within the browser.

The Alert Agent software is able to react to specific conditions to manage and control actions of the EAS system. This allows some alerts to be forward automatically, while others can be held for additional review.

Version 3.0 of Alert Agent supports Triveni Digital’s SkyScraper for data integration; it also features optional PureCAP and OmniLingual alert modules to expand its range of languages and capabilities. Additional features include a new integrated lexicon editor that allows users with premium text-to-speech voice modules to directly edit the lexicon.

DAS, which is a division of Monroe Electronics, will release version 3.0 of the software in April at a price of $495.

LAS VEGAS—Digital Alert Systems will showcase version 3.0 of its DASDEC software for advanced EAS/CAP compliance. It offers functional and operational improvements, including the unique Alert Agent feature for selectively processing EAS messages from a variety of sources. It streamlines menus and reduces compliance complexity, and is fully compliant with upcoming 2016 FCC requirements.

The company will also show version 2.0 of its Audio Management System, which provides new features for greater compliance with the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, including the new auto-recue function that retains original message contents for repeated playout until they’re replaced by new content.

Also at the booth will be the DASEOC M Series EAS/CAP decoder/encoder, an integrated system that simultaneously provides all four EAS and CAP functions, including CAP message origination, EAS encoding, CAP monitoring and EAS decoding, from just one device.

Digital Alert Systems will also show the DASDEC II flexible platform for emergency alert and CAP message management in an integrated package, with full support for automatic FCC compliance. Flexible packaging allows for various configurations tailored to the most demanding multichannel, multiple-interface applications.

The 2016 NAB Show takes place in Las Vegas, April 18-21. Digital Alert Systems will be in booth N3422. For more information, visit www.nabshow.com.