[EAS] Multiple encoders

[Clay Freinwald]

Let me add a couple of elements to this discussion and Tom's comments - 

More reasons to have an endec per station - 

1- Often the coverage area of stations within a cluster are NOT the
same...Perhaps some counties are covered by one station and not the other
etc. The outgoing programming of a stations endec should be compatible with
that coverage.    In many cases of clustering the COL of a station or
stations may be different.  You don't want EAS messages going out for
locations where a station does not carry etc.   One of my clients has an
AM/FM combo whose coverage and COL is radically different - They each have
their own endec.

2- Monitoring assignment differences - As in the example of the AM/FM combo
above - The FM (64kw at 3400 feet) covers territory and counties that the AM
does not.   In this case the FM has different monitoring assignments.

3- Coordination of sending tests is going to be really difficult where you
have multiple stations.   No station wants to run a test where it will
create programming issues.    With separate endecs, test transmissions can
be adjusted to fit the schedule of each station.

4 - Format differences make separate EAS boxes desirable in many cases.
Some formats (news/talk etc) will perhaps wish to run more EAS messages than
another.

5- Redundancy - Putting all your eggs in any one basket is not good
engineering practice.

6- EAS is, and should be, a critical element in our Public Warning structure
- To what to do it on the cheap seems to me to be not the best decision.
    Sure, as State EAS Chair, I have a bit of a bias.

7 - If you have no choice - I fully understand !!!!

And finally - 

 (This will get me in trouble)  As time goes by and the ability to
profitably operate a broadcast station becomes increasingly difficult, there
comes a time when one has to question the wisdom of continuing any business
in this situation.    This is not just a broadcast station issue - ANY -
business that cannot sustain itself due to changes in the economy, customer
habits etc etc. will face the day when closing the doors is a preferred
tactic.   No one wants to see a business owner go to the 'poor house' just
because he is trying to keep the doors open.  This is a natural process in a
free enterprise based economy.    This goes for me too - If the day comes
that my services are no longer in demand - I will understand that the time
has come for me to move on to something else.    

Clay Freinwald