[EAS] [BC] What's the point of LP-1s anymore?

[Botterell, Arthur@CalOES]

Dan, you're right... let me remove the evaluative part of my earlier claim and just say that broadcasters are no longer perceived as local partners, period.  Pretty much everybody on my side of the fence is painfully aware that their hometown radio station is most likely being run from somewhere in Kentucky.  So who should we partner with, locally?  A contract engineer who services half a dozen stations?  Or the regional sales rep?

That's what I was alluding to when I launched this thread, as I'm afraid the death of the main studio rule is going to be the last nail in the coffin of public safety perceptions of the broadcasters.  The evolving topology of the business is a fit for national alerting, but not so much for regional, state, or local.  And I don't hear anyone saying they think the current trend will pause, much less reverse.

Art

-----Original Message-----
From: EAS [mailto:eas-bounces at radiolists.net] On Behalf Of Dan Kelley

I don't think its a question of being "local reliable partners."  Here in Michigan, from my vantage point, we're trying to let the local Emergency Managers know that they need to be the ones originating messages.  That said, and having been in radio since 1970, but I still believe broadcast AM/FM/TV are their best mass-messaging option, but in today's world, with so many media choices, it certainly is not the only one.

Our state Homeland Security division of the Michigan State Police is going through each region of the state, fact-gathering with groups of EMs, Broadcasters (primarily LPs) and other interested parties to understand what is working, what isn't and what we should be doing looking forward.  Having attended 5 of the last 6 meetings so far, I'm very encouraged by the comments from all the stakeholders.

Once information is gathered....and will be by the end of November, a week will be devoted to dissecting and making recommendations.  These will be a 40-hour week with the primary parties making their recommendations.  And then we move forward.

Dan

Dan Kelley
Director of Technical Services/Digital Communications Manager Michigan Association of Broadcasters
819 N. Washington Avenue
Lansing, MI 48906
(517) 484-7444
dkelley at michmab.com