[EAS] List of EAS State Plans

[Dave Kline]

Clay,

In Nebraska, and Rod Ziegler can speak better to this than can I, we have a pretty reliable legacy EAS system that is distributed statewide via the FM stations of Nebraska Educational Telecommunications aka NET. In Omaha, the largest population center in the state, I take care of the FM station owned and operated by the University of Nebraska Omaha, different licensees but very much connected when it comes to EAS. We have a direct line to the state primary feed as does all of NET stations. My station serves as the SR for the Omaha Metro area.

Now my understanding is that the FCC requires a secondary path for EAN?
The primary path is the FEMA's IPAWS. Right?
We are already using the statewide system of interconnected non-comm FM stations as a statewide network. 
We don't have a satellite system in place that can be used, or would be practical for all stations.
NET has long since abandoned their Sat distribution network for IP distribution.
Rod's station is the PEP for Nebraska. It is a 50KW AM directional/night station.

It seems that the Nebraska path to anointment would be for ALL stations in the state to include monitoring the PEP directly.
This is one of the plans that I've heard getting a lot of love from someone at the FCC.
And while on paper it may be doable at some expense and considerable trouble to stations, it seems that the only reason we are being asked to jump through this hoop is to satisfy the FCC need for a secondary EAS path without much regard to it being practical. I am not, in any way condemning Rod or the rest of the SECC. It just seems that if the fed wants a backup path for the right reasons rather than to just dangle the carrot of officialness, they should be bringing something to the table to help that happen.

The FCC does not like the idea of using the internet for that back door path. They are already using it for our connection to FEMA. Therefore any state cap system seems out of the question. I get that. But here is what I've been harping about in other recent emails. The fed wants to put everything on the backs of the broadcaster and shoulder none of the burden. It just seems wrong to require all of this for a secondary path for legacy system just to satisfy the desire of someone in DC, at broadcasters expense, for a plan that arguably is not even required, and certainly not enforceable against an entity such as an SECC.

A couple of times a year, our RMTs are originated and distributed via NWS.
Unless I am wrong, it seems that we already have a secondary path for EANs that everyone is already monitoring.
If the fed wants this then why can't the fed take a stronger role in it and utilize what is already in place and proven to work.

Here is what I see actually happening if all NE stations are required to monitor the PEP.
Rather than engineer a proper AM receive antenna system and hope to get a usable signal from up to hundreds of miles away, many stations will just plug into the PEP station's web stream. And guess what? The very internet that the FCC didn't want us to use will be the primary receive mode for a secondary path for a legacy system.

----------------------------------------
Dave Kline
----------------------------------------

On Aug 21, 2017, at 8:35 PM, Clay Freinwald wrote:

>Rod - A couple of thoughts from the PNW Peanut Gallery -

>>There are a number of sources for EAN's -

>>>PEP Station
>>>Affiliated NPR Station
>>>Premier Satellite Network
>(We use them all in WaState)