[EAS] Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way

[Skinner, Jim]

Adrienne:

That is a very good point.  We procured 50% funding for CAP/EAS
equipment for every broadcast and cable facility in Nebraska.  Once all
the equipment is installed, we will be almost totally CAP ready without
Intermediary Devices.  The few dollar savings to use old equipment that
is at end of life is crazy.  Some cable companies might be upgrading
their Trilithic, but that is about it.

Like you say any facility that cannot afford it should just ask for
help.  Get 'er done!

  --
Jim Skinner CPBE CBNT
NE EAS SECC Chair
 

-----Original Message-----
From: eas-bounces at radiolists.net [mailto:eas-bounces at radiolists.net] On
Behalf Of Adrienne Abbott

So basically, we--broadcasters, emergency managers and our
communities--are being held hostage in the last century by equipment
that was designed in the early '90's while most of us have the
technology that fixes the problems that came with legacy EAS. It's
interesting to me that all the posts here voice our concerns with the
FCC rules that prevent us from fully utilizing CAP. As near as I can
tell, the only advantage to a certain add-on converter box is price and
nothing more. No one is writing in to claim any reason for using that
equipment other than money. My advice to those apparently few
broadcasters who can't afford the cost of new EAS equipment is that you
contact your state or local emergency manager and ask them to fund your
new equipment through a Community Development grant. It's been done in
many communities. There are plenty of sales reps who are only too
willing to help you. While you're wringing your hands and crying over
costs, you're holding the rest of us back.
Adrienne