WASHINGTION—In a filing with the Federal Communications Commission, America's Public Television Stations (APTS) and PBS have come out strongly in support of the agency’s push to make alerting system even more effective and efficient.
“In particular, [public television] supports the Commission’s proposal to permit, but not require, EAS Participants to use software-based EAS encoder/decoder technology, instead of dedicated EAS hardware, to process EAS alerts, with rigorous certification and safeguards to assure the continuing strength and integrity of the EAS,” the filing says.
“In addition, PTV supports other FCC proposals to improve the EAS system, including permitting enhanced EAS geotargeting, allowing the voluntary incorporation of standardized threat-identification symbols into EAS alerts, and, if feasible, implementing a universal alert ID for EAS, WEA and NOAA Weather Radio.”
But the joint filing by the two groups also encouraged “the Commission not to require the installation of this software-based EAS technology within a station’s local service area or at its transmitter site.”
It also argued that the FCC should “ensure that EAS Software security updates do not require a costly subscription or impose other hurdles” on the deployment of software-based systems.
More specifically the filing noted that “[t]he most immediate benefit of the proposed rule change would be giving EAS Participants the flexibility to select the technology that best enables them to streamline their operations and take advantage of certain technological advances. As the Commission has recognized in other proceedings, broadcast technology is changing rapidly, increasingly making possible a model in which much of the signal chain is deployed remotely, distant from either transmission facilities, a production studio, or both. Software-based EAS systems would fit well into this paradigm, as they would be easy to integrate into virtualized system components or to otherwise operate remotely…Elimination of a device-based EAS requirement could enable broadcasters to further benefit from these technological innovations in remote operations and to reinvest conserved resources into serving their local communities."
"Some public television stations, however, may determine that EAS hardware remains the best solution for their operations and they should be able to continue using this hardware based on their local determinations," the filing by APTS and PBS explained.
“The proposed rule change also would allow additional entrants into the market to supply EAS encoder/decoder technology,” PBS and APTS argued. “Additional competition in this space is likely to lower prices as various vendors, new and old, compete for market share. A more competitive market would allow resource-constrained EAS Participants, including public television stations, to incorporate the EAS systems that are most efficient, cost-effective, and appropriate for their broadcast operations.”
“Local public television stations serve as a backbone of EAS, broadcast additional local public safety information, and provide a reliable redundant path for WEAs through PBS WARN,” APTS and PBS concluded. “They continue to innovate in public safety communications, including through the use of datacasting in ATSC 1.0 and 3.0 as well as through partnerships with federal, state and local emergency response agencies, to protect and serve their local communities. Accordingly, as discussed in these Comments, PTV supports efforts to enhance EAS that will help local public television stations best serve the public safety needs of their local communities.”
The full filing is available here.
Other filings on the topic can be accessed here.
