[EAS] About this multilingual order...

[Dave Kline]

Arigato,

I think you are over thinking this.
First, you should contact your SECC about these questions.
If your SECC dropped the ball on this then you should send them the information you think is required along with your letter of complaint about their lack of action and copy it to the FCC Enforcement Branch.

How states handle this is different in each state.
In Nebraska we have a very pro-active SECC and they got on this right away by developing a survey type form for stations to fill out.
The information other than who you are, station call blah blah was:

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What is your Primary Language? (single word answer)

Does your station transmit in other languages? (yes or no answer - didn't ask what languages) 

Do you have multi-lingual EAS? (yes or no answer - didn't ask what languages)

If English only, do you plan to use multilingual in the future? (yes or no answer - didn't ask what languages)

Then there was a space for any additional comments that we may want to include. (which did not require a comment)

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That was it.

See my additional comments below.

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Dave Kline
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On Oct 20, 2017, at 2:44 PM, Paul Campbell wrote:

>I'm starting to get questions from the folks in my market about this latest gift from the Commission, and thought it might help to just get some quick feedback from you (if you'd be so kind) on the following:

>-In a nutshell, the FCC wants all of us to better serve the non-English speaking populace about all things EAS.
Is that actually stated in the order? Or is that what you inferred?

>To that end, we're all required to submit an official document to our respective State Chairs by Nov. 6 that indicates just how we're going to accomplish this task.
That is something your state SECC should be handling.

>Moreover, we're then required to list future steps we're planning on taking to further implement this. Questions:
Again, did you actually read this as a required part of the order? Or did you infer it?

>1) Is there some form template online we should be using (sorta like the ETRS)? If so, is there a link?
No. Our SECC sent out a survey for us to fill out that was generated on a state level.

>2) All it says is "other than English". I'm sure what they mean is Spanish, but I just started working with a new tower crew that's all Russian. It doesn't seem fair to leave them out.
Once again, did you actually read that they mean Spanish in the order? Or did you just assume Spanish?

>3) Would having my RMT script rerecorded first in English and then immediately in the other language be enough to satisfy this latest fiasco? Perhaps for our future steps, we might indicate on our official document that we're planning on adding Japanese to the RMT script, and then a new language every six months.
How ever you handle the content of alerts it is up to you. Just include what languages you are doing now. If that changes submit a new *whatever* to *whomever* to note the change.

>Seriously, are stations going to get fined if this isn't done? You guys are wayyyy more up on this than me, so I'd appreciate the help.
One would have to assume yes. Failure to fill out required FCC information always has the potential of not ending well the station? 

>Arigato. 

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