[sbe-eas] FCC Report and Order draft provides time to comply

[Sean Donelan]

The FCC (NAB, SBE, NCTA, etc) have no recent data about how many 
broadcasters, cable systems, IPTV, satellite operators actually forward 
any voluntary EAS codes.

Amber alerts?  Tornado warnings?  Civil emergency?

My limited monitoring of EAS in 4 major metro areas over the decades, 
other than the designated LP-1/LP-2 stations, almost none carried 
voluntary EAS codes. NPR/PBS and other non-commercial systems carry more 
than commercial systems, but I doubt it reached 30% of the systems.

It might vary by state and how active the SECC/State Broadcast Association 
is.

More likely, it will lead to more late-night WEA cell phone alerts.  And 
consumers learning how to disable WEA alerts on their phones.

On Tue, 23 Jul 2024, Lowell Kiesow wrote:
> States can choose which of the non-mandatory, civil and weather alert codes
> to use, and which ones are not for use. And, broadcasters have the choice of
> which event codes to relay. That makes adding this new code a minor thing. 
> The only mandatory event codes are EAN, NPT, RMT, and RWT.