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Comment and Reply Comment Deadlines Established in EAS Proceeding

 

November 6, 2007

Comments Due: December 3, 2007
Reply Comments Due: December 17, 2007

In July 2007, the FCC issued a Second Report and Order (“Order”)extending application of the Emergency Alert System (“EAS”) requirements to wireline video providers and revising its EAS rules to facilitate the deployment of a “Next Generation EAS” network (see our “Memorandum to Clients” dated July 18, 2007).  Under the revised rules, all EAS participants will be required to accommodate any Next Generation EAS system approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) within 180 days after its adoption, use a common EAS messaging protocol, and transmit certain statewide or geographically-targeted EAS messages that were previously transmitted on a voluntary basis.

In the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking released with the Order, the FCC explores accessibility of EAS messages to persons who do not speak English and those with hearing and vision disabilities.  Among other things, the FCC seeks comment on the delivery of multilingual translations and whether these types of EAS messages should be targeted to specific markets.  The FCC also asks whether EAS transmissions should be provided to the hearing and visually impaired in multiple formats (e.g., presenting the audio feed in text format, and vice-versa) or be made available on the various devices commonly used by such persons.  In addition, the FCC seeks comment on potential mechanisms for monitoring the effectiveness of the EAS network, including requirements for additional testing, certifications of compliance, or performance assessments after alerts are issued.

The FCC has now announced that comments in this proceeding will be due December 3, 2007, and that reply comments will be due December 17, 2007.

We would be pleased to respond to any questions regarding this matter.

 

 

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