[EAS] backhoe fade kills 911, cells, etc

[Tom Taggart]

Therein lies the basic problem.
Wireless systems would be nice--but expensive. And states
like WV are not going to build them.

The Feds want an emergency alert program.  But they don't
want to pay for it. Even to pay for training the emergency
center folks how to run the system.
So they force the broadcasters to do it for free...then dump
on us when it doesn't work precisely the way they think it
should--and when the point of failure--is on the government
side.

I am all for improving the system by having more options for
relaying messages.
So long as the FCC understands this is a matter of having a
redundant system.
I am not enthused about building their house of cards
system, then risk getting fined when it collapses because of
their design flaws.

Just wait. Some Dutch teenager will figure out how to spoof
an internet-based system to run an emergency message at 7 PM
some evening when most of our stations are on auto-pilot. 
The next day the Congress critters will be fuming, & the FCC
will threaten fines,etc.