[SBE] Fwd: NAB FM chip proposal

[Henry M. Seiden]

For some reason not everyone on the list gets attached files. Why?
On Mar 31, 2009, at 17:31 , Richard Rudman wrote:


> Greetings from Washington:

>

> NAB has launched a major initiative to mandate FM radio chips in all  

> cellphones.

>

> Attached is an Adobe Reader presentation given by NAB at the EAS  

> Summit yesterday.

>

> They are marketing this idea as an enhancement to EAS.  Obviously  

> there are other benefits that would accrue to FM broadcasters. The  

> EAS benefits may not be as clear cut as they think at this point.

>

> Obviously NAB is looking for other industry entities to back their  

> proposal. I recommend talking to NAB about this if the Board thinks  

> the idea has SBE member benefits. One could say that anything that  

> gets more radios in the hands of audience is a good thing for SBE  

> members. I think SBE could make some constructive suggestions to NAB  

> to make it more likely their proposal would have merit for emergency  

> public information and EAS.

>

> Here's my take on what they presented. Clay and Gary and Art were  

> there and can chime in with their takes.

>

> Advantages:

> 1. Users can tune to an FM station after getting a CMAS warning  

> (coming to you cellphone no sooner than 2010-2012 by some accounts)

> 2. FM is added universally to cellphones as an option

> 3. FM/RDS can display warning messages

> 4. Value added for cell phone users

> 5. Cost to add the chip is low - some phones already have them

>

> Disadvantages:

> 1. AM is left out in the cold

> 2. No recognition in existing cell FM chipsets for either SAME or CAP.

> 3. Not as many FM stations have news departments as AM stations and/ 

> or have prepared for severe emergency operations.

> 4. RDS data rate is only 1187.5 bit per second and has other uses  

> now at RDS-capable stations.

> 5. Cellphone displays of RDS date would be restricted so EAS CAP  

> messages would require a lot of scrolling to read.

>

>

> FYI, the CTIA representative on the panel, Brian Joseph, Dir. of  

> Public Affairs for CTIA,  was cool to the idea -- possibly icy.

>

> Regards,

>

> Richard

>>

>

>

> _______________________________________________

> The SBE Roundtable, SBE at sbe.org

> To unsubscribe, go to http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/options/sbe

>

> http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/sbe


--
Henry M. Seiden
henry<at>techworkspro<dot>com



-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://seven.pairlist.net/pipermail/sbe/attachments/20090401/445a40c2/attachment.html>