[EAS] : Fallout Over False Alert Continues

[Dave Kline]

No brainer... small fine.
But Strict Time ON would not filter a bogus EAN that was current in time and date.
If Strict Time is somehow in opposition to regulations why is it built into the machines?
Or why hasn't the fed told us not to use it?

And despite how an inspector might interpret something at the time, I just don't see how the FCC would ultimately get away with dinging downstream stations that did an automatic, immediate relay of an EAN as the rules say and as the boxes are set to do.
At least not without taking a major hit to their own credibility.

How can it be willful, (the FCC definition of willful notwithstanding) when it is a requirement?
How can it be repeated when you only relayed it once?

Strict Time is a carry over from when the clocks in EAS boxes were free running.
It gave some wiggle room to allow for clock's not all being on the same exact time.
(Minutes & seconds, not time zone, aka UTC).
EAS clocks are (or should be) sync'd to a standard time reference.
If you are able to receive FEMA alerts from the internet, you can sync the clock to the internet.

It will still filter out old alerts that are outside of the window of Strict Time, even EAN's.
At least that was the case for the Gray SAGE units.
And I know very well that strict time on those boxes worked quite well in filtering old alerts.
With Strict Time OFF alerts could be at least a day, or more old and still relay.

Dave
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Dave Kline   UNO-TV / KVNO
University of Nebraska at Omaha
6001 Dodge St. Omaha, NE  68182  CPACS 200