[EAS] Why we need Text-To-Speech

[Richard_Rudman]

Joe Mauk, Chair of California's San Joaquin Valley SECC, sent the BWWG the following RMT sound file recorded  off the air on 9/27/2011 on KMGV. We have just posted this audio file on the EAS Forum website. If anyone needs proof that Text-To-Speech is needed overcome audio quality issues that can compromise aural EAS messages, this not untypical National Weather Service NOAA Weather Radio transmission is that proof. This posting is not meant to embarrass NOAA/NWS in any way. As we know, compromised audio and high noise are not uncommon on low band VHF. 

That said, we readily admit that TTS is still not perfect. We believe that the quest for "perfect" should not stand in the way of a CAP IPAWS OPEN feature that is certainly, even with inevitable pronunciation issues, better than a noisy and barely intelligible audio file.

Posting this does demonstrate why we need TTS in the Rules. 

Please read (and hear) more at:

http://eas.radiolists.net/