CHANTILLY, VA.—SpectraRep, a provider of datacasting technology for homeland security and public safety, has appointed John McCoskey as its new Chief Operating Officer.

McCoskey has more than 30 years of experience in the broadcast technology. Prior to SpectrRep, he headed up the technology, media and entertainment practice at Eagle Hill Consulting, was the first chief technology officer for PBS as well as the CTO and executive Vice President for the Motion Picture Association of America. He is also a contributor to TV Technology.

“John will be responsible for guidance, alignment and prioritization of SpectraRep strategy at a time when we are seeing incredible adoption of datacasting to improve public safety information sharing and as SpectraRep expands into public alerting,” said Mark O’Brien, president of SpectraRep. "His expertise in broadcast technology, coupled with his knowledge of the public television landscape will reinforce our course as law enforcement and first responders recognize the benefits of ATSC digital television transmission.”

[Read: SpectraRep Datacasting System Helps Share Public Safety Info]

“I am very pleased to be joining SpectraRep at this particular time because there’s such a tremendous opportunity to extend the community service mission of public television stations with datacasting,” McCoskey said. “Using my background, experience and relationships in this domain, I will focus on implementing SpectraRep’s vision to pursue new and existing opportunities that help solve problems on the local level. 

WASHINGTON—The latest public safety organization to join the Advanced Warning and Response Network (AWARN) Advisory Committee it the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate. AWARN, which is based on ATSC 3.0, is designed to provide new capabilities for disaster warning and recovery information for the American public.

The AWARN Advisory Committee provides technical and operational input to the AWARN Alliance, a cross-industry coalition that is developing the new alerting system. Homeland Security joins the FEMA, the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children, the National Weather Service and the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials, all of which joined the Advisory Committee last summer.

The AWARN Alliance, using ATSC 3.0, is working on a system that can deliver geo-targeted, rich-media emergency messages to enabled consumer devices, including 4K UHD TVs, tablets, smartphones and connected cars.

DHS S&T conducts basic and applied research, development, demonstration, testing and evaluation activities, which John Lawson, executive director of the AWARN Alliance, said will be used to support research into the social science of alerting and human response to help develop AWARN.

The AWARN Alliance is expected to begin developing an end-to-end AWARN technical solution in 2018, with input from the Advisory Committee. The stated goal is to have a beta version of AWARN alerting available for early adopter television stations that launch Next Gen TV transmission in 2019.

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

WASHINGTON – FCC Chairman Ajit Pai today announced that the agency has chosen Lisa M. Fowlkes to serve as chief of the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, continuing the work she has been doing as acting chief.

“From 911 location accuracy to the resiliency of our communications networks during emergencies, the FCC plays an essential role in promoting public safety, protecting homeland security, and preparing for disasters,” said Chairman Pai. “I’m grateful that Lisa has agreed to continue to lead the team tasked with overseeing the agency’s work in these important areas. We must continue to be forward-looking, focused, and prepared in order to meet our obligations to the American people.”

The Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau manages the FCC’s work pertaining to public safety, homeland security, national security, emergency management and preparedness, and disaster response and recovery. The bureau’s responsibilities include matters related to 911 communications service, public safety communications, network reliability and resiliency, emergency preparedness, and emergency alerting. Bureau staff also work closely with federal partners and local public safety entities.

Prior to serving as acting bureau chief, Fowlkes served as a deputy bureau chief responsible for development and implementation of FCC policies in the areas of network reliability and emergency alerting. She has also served in senior positions in the agency’s Enforcement Bureau, Office of Communications Business Opportunities, Office of General Counsel, the former Public Safety & Private Wireless Division, the former Cable Services Bureau, and as an attorney in the former Mass Media Bureau. Fowlkes has practiced law at a Washington, DC law firm. She earned her undergraduate degree from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania and her law degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.