[EAS] Multilingual support for CAP messages

[Ed Czarnecki]

I think one of the misunderstandings in this discussion is that the
broadcaster or cable operator would have to spout out of stream of any
number of conceivable languages.

The FCC rules currently require broadcasters to issue alerts in their
primary language.  That's one core basic requirement we were looking to
address.

More community minded EAS Participants may possibly  want to issue alerts in
one or two additional languages, particular to their market ... *** and
their specific audiences***  Broadcasters generally have a decent idea who
is listening to them, and in what languages.  You're not going to hit
everyone, but you can strive for the major groups. 

Other broadcasters may not want to do more than the are absolutely required
to, may simply desire to broadcast the alert in their primary language of
operation (which is English in most cases).

One solution is not going to fit every circumstance, every broadcaster or
every market.

My simple point, however, is that we should not assume that a broadcaster is
going to play 5 or 10 languages of an alert back to back.  That is a bad
premise.  However, if a broadcaster has a substantive bilingual audience, or
is providing language-specific channels/streams, then considering support
for the relevant language is serving the audience.

-----Original Message-----
From: eas-bounces at radiolists.net [mailto:eas-bounces at radiolists.net] On
Behalf Of Rod Zeigler

Let me throw something out here that I have proposed to the FCC.
First, broadcast EAS is the wrong technology to use for multilingual alerts,
especially when it gets past 2 different languages.
Those that do not speak English are probably not listening to the English
speaking station that is sending the alert, so why are we alerting an almost