[EAS] CAP Converters

[Mike McCarthy]

I don't for a second discount the role of any GMC.  In fact, I believe 
it can be just as useful in regional situations as generic warnings. 
However, one must bear in mind that some stations still carry news and 
breaking events and the must carry might cover up a live broadcast 
covering the event in question or another of equal or greater impact. 
It's the same argument for carrying call to action messages such as 
Tornado, Flash Flood, Tidal Wave and other life preserving warning grade 
messages.  The GMC needs to be very carefully handled or the whole 
conceptual confidence will be lost on broadcast and cable stakes holders.

MM

On 11/16/2011 6:40 PM, Adrienne Abbott wrote:
> Let's not lose sight of the reason for the Governor's Must Carry
> message...it was proposed in response to the complaint from emergency
> managers who felt EAS was a waste of their time because broadcasters
> wouldn't carry their activations. By adding the GMC, the FCC hoped to bring
> more emergency managers to the EAS table and make it easier for the SECC's
> to "sell" them on the benefits of adding CAP equipment.
>
> You can argue the practicality of the GMC, but the intent was a good one. It
> got the attention of many state and local emergency managers and helped
> bring them into the EAS-CAP fold. At this point, the GMC doesn't matter
> nearly as much as the final CAP product--a warning message that is complete,
> accurate and consistent. No matter how much you want to argue in favour of
> converter boxes, the output is exactly what you have now and what we have
> lived with for 15 years. And the incomplete, arcane and confusing text
> produced by the SAME protocol will keep broadcasters in the back seat of the
> Public Warning business.
>
> It reminds me of the story of the farmer who was trying to decide whether to
> buy his livestock the fresh, nutritious oats that were expensive or save a
> few pennies by getting oats that were a little cheaper because they had
> already been through horse...do we want to be carrying a wagonload of used
> oats with us into the battle over broadcast spectrum?
>
> Adrienne
>
> "Radio burps, it cries, it needs to be fed all the time, it requires
> constant attention, but we love it." Jim Aaron WGLN
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: eas-bounces at radiolists.net [mailto:eas-bounces at radiolists.net] On
> Behalf Of Mike McCarthy
>
> The problem with the converters has to do with must-carry governor's
> messages which can be any message type except an EAN.  There is a
> separate flag indicating that status.  I looked long and hard at the
> converters and have thus far not bought anything for this very reason.
> While my 1822's are growing long in the tooth, they still work and I
> want to see what next year's NAB brings to the market.
>
> MM
>
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