[EAS] Should digital audio files be prohibited in CAP?

[Clay Freinwald]

Sean -

Think you are missing the point - 

It's not that digital audio voice messages are bad etc  ...it's the same
problem we had here in Washington start with -analog- voice messages - 

On the sending end - 

> The sources of these messages are largely those that do not wish to voice
announcements due to mic-fright, lack of proper technique etc.
> Most equipment lacks means of monitoring recording level, AGC systems etc
etc.
> There are serious issues in the distribution of messages with greater
through-put requirements.

In the receiving end - 

> Broadcasters have made it clear - they won't tolerate poorly produced
audio pieces.
> Broadcasters participate with the EAS on a - voluntary - basis and it has
to pass muster with these folks if they are going to volunteer to run the
messages.

We fought this battle for 10 years in Washington State and the solution was
to go to TTS.

I am not saying that digital audio should be banned, as there are cases when
it would be a good idea, ie, Presidential voiced messages etc.    What I am
saying is the TTS should be permitted where the stakeholders clearly wish to
use that method..

Again, please think of a TV station or Cable System - If we cannot use TTS,
then Fred Frump, Emergency Manager, will be forced to create TWO messages,
one is the Text Message for the Crawl and the other would be the Voice
Message for the Aural portion of the EAS message.   This requires a great
deal more time in the message creation mode, often time they simply don't
have.    EAS does not have to be used as it is only one of the tools in the
public warning tool-box.  To make it more restrictive or cumbersome, in my
view, is a step in the wrong direction.

Clay Freinwald

Sean Donelan wrote - 

In the zeal to get text-to-speech back, it seems like most of the comments
being prepared for the FCC are how bad digital audio voice messages are and
how much better it is for the emergency community to use text to speech.  A
logical conclusion may be that only text-to-speech is necessary, and that
digital audio messages should be eliminated from CAP.

If that isn't people's intent, it may be better to consider the entire range
of how CAP could be used when submitting comments.