[EAS] Converters or not?

[Edward Ford]

Mike, I don't use the HollyAnne as a primary EAS unit.  I never liked it when it was bought.  I was going to junk it but another station co-located in our facility wanted to get it fixed and use it.  They're gone now so I just let it run as a back-up.  Our main unit is a Gorman-Redlich, purchased new.  It's from 2008.  

Also HollyAnne's and Gorman-Redlich units use generic external printers, not proprietary internal ones.  No ribbons and paper rolls.  My station was CAP compliant before the original deadline, and I didn't whine to the FCC for an extension.  We participated in the national test without any issues on our end.  We monitor the FEMA URL for their weekly test.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, the FCC should have mandated what equipment was acceptable and never allowed the use of converters if they thought the devices would degrade the alert system.  FEMA, the FCC and NOAA should gone before Congress years ago to stress the importance of saving American lives and got a budget to fund rebates for all stations (radio, TV, CATV) that purchased CAP equipment.

We all have monetary decisions to make.  I choose to invest the $800 in to something related to raising more revenue that by 2015 will pay for a new CAP unit if converters are totally banded.  At a big broadcast group, $800 is nothing.  If that's the case, send me $800, and it's tax deductible. 

Edward Ford
KBPK/Fullerton College