[EAS] Best and Worst of New CAP EAS Rules

[Tom Taggart]

Let me start out by saying I like my Sage units, despite the
nearly useless manual. Once I decoded the software, I was
actually able to get them programmed and talking to our
network without having to recruit a fifth grader.

However....

Having read this 130 page Report and Order I still have the
fundamental question of why-in-hell do I need a new box
since it won't do anything!

Here's the relevant part of amended section 11.56:

§ 11.56 Obligation to Process CAP-Formatted EAS Messages.
(a) On or by June 30, 2012, EAS Participants must have
deployed operational equipment that is capable of the
following:

(1) Acquiring EAS alert messages in accordance with the
monitoring requirements in §11.52(d)(2);
(2) Converting EAS alert messages that have been formatted
pursuant to the (i) Organization for the Advancement of
Structured Information Standards (OASIS) Common Alerting
Protocol Version 1.2 (July 1, 2010), and (ii) Common
Alerting Protocol, v. 1.2 USA Integrated Public Alert and
Warning System Profile Version 1.0 (Oct. 13, 2009), into EAS
alert messages that comply with the EAS Protocol, such that
the Preamble and EAS Header Codes, audio Attention Signal,
audio message, and Preamble and EAS End of Message (EOM)
Codes of such messages are rendered equivalent to the EAS
Protocol (set forth in §11.31), in accordance with the
technical specifications governing such conversion process
set forth in the EAS-CAP Industry Group’s (ECIG)
Recommendations for a CAP EAS implementation Guide, Version
1.0 (May 17, 2010) (except that any and all specifications
set forth therein related to using text-to-speech technology
and gubernatorial “must carry” shall not be followed).
The Director of the Federal Register approves this
incorporation by reference in accordance with 5 U.S.C.
552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. 

I assume for text-to-speech to work there must be a flag of
some sort in the message, e.g. "start converting text here."
 So, unless there is an audio file attached, and the message
is not encoded with such a flag, the decoder will simply
generate duck farts, tone, then EOM, right?

Given the FCC's disapproval of text-to-speech, then the rest
of the U.S. government establishment will then only send
"compliant" messages, if at all.
Since it is unlikely that the NWS will compose messages with
audio files attached, then it's likely they won't use the
system at all. So I have this wonderful box that is good
only if the world comes to the end...?

Believe Clay or Rudman wondered about the Washington state
system which is already using text-to-speech.  An out might
be if the Washington state plan speaks to text to speech and
is approved by the FCC, then 11.55(d)(2) would prevail, or
at least counteract 11.56.  At least until some officious
FCC compliance specialist makes an issue about a Washington
state station using "non-compliant" equipment.  Then we just
make sure the body can't be found...

Practical question: For the new equipment already out in the
field, assuming we actually get a CAP message what will it
do with it?

Am I correct in assuming that there needs to be a "flag"
starting text to speech conversion? If there isn't, just
text, what happens? Does the unit just generate SAME duck
farts & and EOM (which, of course, is worthless for radio)?