[EAS] BLU Alert Comments.

[Bill Ruck]

Please keep in mind that the FCC is forbidden to censor programming 
by the Communications Act of 1934.  This means that the FCC _MAY_NOT_ 
require any programming and that is why state and local EAS is 
_voluntary_.  The President signs a "finding" each year giving him 
the authority to issue mandatory national alerts.  One very good 
friend, both PE and Esq, admitted to the Federal bar, retired from 
the FCC, advises me that if someone really wanted to go the route 
this finding would be determined to be unlawful.

With that in mind, and at this time I have no responsibility at any 
Part 73 station, I will continue to recommend that stations comply 
with the minimum FCC "mandated" RWT, RMT, National Test, and when the 
President tells us to kiss our ... goodbye.  And to ignore the rest 
since there is little local interest and the state plan is so out of 
date that following it is impossible.

If having a rainbow of alerts makes someone happy they can always 
send them but stations do not have to interrupt programming to carry 
them.  There are many ways today to quickly send information to the 
public.  Our President these days finds Twitter to be his choice . . .

Bill Ruck
Curmudgeon
San Francisco