FCC Extends Comment Deadline for Multilingual EAS

WASHINGTON—The FCC has extended the deadline for public comment on its revised rules addressing multilingual EAS to May 28 and reply comments to June 12. The extension was in response to a request from the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council.

“We have a significant interest in this proceeding,” the MMTC said in its petition to the FCC on April 17, but “the current period is insufficient for MMTC to provide meaningful comments to each of the complex questions raised.” The FCC, in its decision, said that it granted the extension because the MMTC also filed the original petition.

The commission decided to revisit its rules after Hurricane Sandy as well as in response to changes in technology since the first time the MMTC petitioned the commission on multilingual EAS rules in 2005.

Tom has covered the broadcast technology market for the past 25 years, including three years handling member communications for the National Association of Broadcasters followed by a year as editor of Video Technology News and DTV Business executive newsletters for Phillips Publishing. In 1999 he launched digitalbroadcasting.com for internet B2B portal Verticalnet. He is also a charter member of the CTA's Academy of Digital TV Pioneers. Since 2001, he has been editor-in-chief of TV Tech (www.tvtech.com), the leading source of news and information on broadcast and related media technology and is a frequent contributor and moderator to the brand’s Tech Leadership events.