[EAS] Analysis of New FCC NPRM

[ray at electronicstheory.com]

I read the article.  I get it.
They want TV stations, in addition to EAS and text to speech, to add a second
audio channel for additional emergency information for those who are blind.

Enough is enough.... we need to stand up and fight this.  Why you might ask
(outside of financial reasons)?  Because it is Ludicrous!!!

My first thoughts - Television is a medium that is designed specifically for
people who can SEE!  The blind can't see a television anyway.  Let them listen
to the medium that is designed for them - RADIO!

Additionally, let me say that IF we must do this, then we also need to require a
VISUAL channel for radio stations, so that the deaf can also see what the radio
is talking about!  This makes equally as much sense as catering a VISUAL medium
to the blind.

Get real people!  This is going to cost broadcasters tons of money, and will
also be impossible in some situations.
Yes, television does have SAP.  In many cases - that SAP is already in use for,
well, a SECOND AUDIO PROGRAM which is typically another language (Think
Telemundo having Spanish on their primary channel, and English on their
secondary one).

TV already has closed captioning for the hearing impaired. (How exactly is RADIO
doing closed captioning?  Why not?  Are they anti-deaf people?)

I know.... let's just throw out both radio and television, and have everyone
carry around braille pagers.  What?  You can't read braille?  How dare you be so
insensitive to special interest groups!!!

On November 27, 2012 at 8:43 AM Gary Timm <gteas at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

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> ___________________________________________________________
>
> As noted here on the listserve, last week the FCC released an NPRM on making
> emergency information more accessible to visually-impaired persons.  For an
> in-depth analysis of this NPRM, see my AWARE post:
> http://www.awareforum.org/2012/11/fcc-making-emergency-info-more-accessible-to-visually-impaired/
> 
> The rules growing out of this NPRM will most likely require TV broadcasters to
> possess new alerting capabilities with possible expanded use of text-to-speech
> (TTS) technology.  Those anticipating filing comments on this NPRM should
> draft their comments right now.  Once this NPRM appears in the Federal
> Register, the Comment Period will be only 20 days, and Reply Comments will be
> due a mere 10 days after that.
> 
> Gary Timm
> WI SECC
>

Ray Dall
Radio Frequency Engineer