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

[Botterell, Arthur@CalOES]

Mike,

I agree that out-of-band signalling would solve a number of our current problems with message flooding.  

One of the things I've discovered is that the usefulness of a public warning system is almost a direct function of the precision with which alerts can be targeted.  Given the sort of down-to-the-individual-house targeting achievable with "reverse 9-1-1" systems, a whole new class of activations becomes practical... shelter-in-place warnings surrounding a SWAT action, for example, or evacuation around a natural-gas pipeline leak.

Still having a capability isn't the same thing as seeing it implemented.  Much of what's being discussed could be achieved under the current ATSC 1 standard or using HD radio... but there's very little investment in doing so.  Part of that, of course, is that folks are afraid ATSC 3 could obsolete their efforts, and so they sit on their hands.  An example of the best being the enemy of the good, perhaps.

Art