[EAS] FCC EAS rulemaking

[Tom Taggart]

Look at paragraph 74-75 (page 31):  Appears the objection to
the CAP converters is that they cannot display "enhanced
text" from the CAP message on a video crawl.
Therefore, after 2015 the converters would need to have this
capability to be compliant.

As a radio station I am going to have a hard time displaying
a video crawl. So, as a practical matter, this doesn't seem
to rule out CAP converters--unless the glorified clerks the
FCC sends out to inspect are carrying a list of type
accepted  equipment & will go crawling around in the racks
to see if the station has the proper box.  Not likely.

Also earlier Commission seems to indicate that they won't
require text-to-speech conversion. Which would seem to
relegate the CAP system to a FEMA toy. 99% of our real
traffic comes from NWS--and I don't see them sending a CAP
message with an attached audio file.  They want to type up
the warning and let perfect Paul read it for them. 

Waivers/ ED radio nets:  Look at page 55--if no internet
availability waivers  on request, must be renewed every 6
months.  For Ed. radio /TV nets with EAS equipment at main
studio, no requirement to install equipment at the satellite
transmitters (no change from current practice).

Still reading 80 pages to go....