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Re: Broadcast bulletins to alert Mainers to child abductions
At 11:46 AM 8/22/2002, Dave Faneuf wrote:
>On Thu, 22 Aug 2002 02:39:52 +0000 (/etc/localtime) Jeremy Mixer
><mixer@zoso.net> writes:
> >major league snip>
> > We have the capability to do EAS alerts, and with all this
> > automation, I
> > fully beleive that if it was used to it's fullest potential, it
> > would
> > accomplish a lot more.
> >
> > Jeremy Mixer
>
>That would be the flaw in the system. I don't think today's "music"
>radio stations would activate the EAS and interrupt their programming.
>It might occur the first few times the Amber Alert system was activated,
>but I don't see programmers allowing it to happen beyond the initial
>"good will" press coverage they will get. -df
Not to mention that recently the NAB fought like hell, and got, the FCC to
authorize the delay in forwarding RMT's from 15 minutes to 60
minutes. That means basically they're training people to take their sweet
damn time to get EAS information on the air. Usually, if something
requires an EAS alert, 60 minutes from now is too late.
For that matter, not airing the EAS data tones defeats the entire purpose
of the system, which was to allow radios that had been so equipped to turn
themselves on and tune to an appropriate frequency by themselves to get the
EAS information. Problem is, said radios were never built. Nothing has
EVER been built to take advantage of EAS data tones except EAS
encoders/decoders at the radio stations. Fat lot of good that does.
And to throw in my $0.02...unless AMBER alerts are aired on EVERY radio
station immediately after being issued, then they're useless. And that
underscores the problem - you have a system that is fraught with risk of
misinformation, but yet depends on fast response and total cooperation.
____________________________________________
Aaron "Bishop" Read aread@speakeasy.net
FriedBagels.com Technical Consulting
www.friedbagels.com AOL-IM: ReadAaron