[EAS] National Test, 3.5 minute 'audio' suggestions - cross posting

[Rich Parker]

Keying off a suggestion made during the Webinar (I believe it was
Suzanne Goucher?) who mentioned that stations should make use of the
opportunity we have every week (RWT/RMT) to 'promo' EAS more effectively.

Since we are taking the time out of our broadcast day anyway, the
suggestion was that cogent and informative short messages about EAS,
what it does for people, and how the station is cooperating to provide
emergency information could go a long way towards bringing
user/listeners into a better understanding and appreciation of EAS every
week.

So, along that line, it would be wonderful if FEMA/FCC/et al would
simply craft a 'well done', broadcast quality, 3.5 minute segment that
would play during the national test. It would talk about EAS, past
present and future, highlight the importance of EAS, give snippets of
examples where it has been used successfully, etc. (and having an
actuality by President Obama himself about the importance of EAS would
be a very nice touch...)

This is something broadcasters do all the time - and maybe someone like
NAB (who do their own fair amount of educational/promotional content) or
an NPR station (whose news folks do in depth, long form stories all the
time) could offer to provide technical assistance and talent for.

My fear is that we'll get long monologue, haltingly read, by some or
other government official which will greatly annoy both listeners and PDs.

Not sure who is in 'charge' of that part of the process, but it would
certainly be nice to know that something like that was either in the
works, or could be done.

-rp

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