[EAS] NPT at KKNU

[Mike McCarthy]

As a cluster of stations which offers programs in as many as 50 languages
on 5 of those stations, including two which offer straight Polish 14 hours
a day intended for first generation immigrants, this multi-lingual issue
has our attention. While Spanish is the secondary language of interest in
DC, the most major of markets each has over a million, if not two,
speaking a variety of tertiary languages not of Spanish...or English.

There is a "me too" movement from these language interests pressing for
their language to be included in what ever rules changes there will be on
multi-lingual EAS.

Groups like ours which carry programming aimed at non-English ***and***
non-Spanish speaking listeners are in a very awkward position. How
would/do we daypart our EAS boxes? It's not a simple matter by any stretch
of the imagination.  What would such a box and effort cost us if we need
to replace 5 ENDEC's.  Then cost in labor to support programming them
initially and then on an ongoing basis when programs in various languages
change time slots or leave the air? Could operations people effect the
change or would engineering need to be constantly involved.

And for FEMA, how many languages total to encode? The distribution
challenges increases by at least an order of magnitude.

While the Spanish special interests thinks this is a slam dunk matter, it
isn't.  And before any rules changes occur, "me-too" backlash/outrage will
need to be carefully considered from the collective of those tertiary
languages.

MM

On Sat, September 30, 2017 10:12 pm, Gary Glaenzer wrote:
>
> UNDER CURRENT RULES............