[EAS] Blue Alert reply comments due Tuesday, August 29

[Clay Freinwald]

The more I read about Blue Alerts the more I feel that all this effort is a
huge waste of time designed to (as Phil Johnson has stated) give politicians
bragging rights to say they accomplished something good....Even though they
have accomplished little.

Too bad that this much effort could not be put into making EAS more
effective !!

As many have stated, the Blue Alert is one of many Event Codes that are 100%
voluntary...In short, it is yet another Event Code that can and will be
ignored for the simple reason that the majority of EAS Participants feel
there is no financial gain in running them....If anything, they are viewed
as a loss (especially of their competitors don't air them when they do) 

Now granted this does not apply to situations like the recent events with
Harvey....However, for less than epic storms, quakes etc...EAS is something
that all too many participants only do because they are forced to do so.

Examples - 

> Stations that do not, and will not, run a CEM or EVI...or in some cases a
TOR or TSW.
> Translators that reach millions that can ignore local warnings and often
relay warnings for areas a great distance away from where they are heard or
viewed.
(My short list) 

Emergency managers know all too well that EAS has potential but know all too
well that their message may well be ignored by the very participant they
would like to have air it.

Why not put all this effort into making the system work at its full
potential rather than spreading on another layer of frosting?     
Why encourage that famous Roman to play his fiddle while the city burns?

Why not REQURE that participants run alerts were lives could be saved rather
than permitting them to be ignored?
Why not REQURE that translators,  Satellite fed startions and other such
devices be required to install equipment that would enable them to be valid
warning systems for those in the areas they cover?

The answer to this is simple - The Broadcast Industry wishes to be selective
and only participate where they can get the maximum exposure for doing great
things...and avoid helping those smaller local areas have a more valuable
and useful public warning tool.

Broadcasters are eager to see WEA become the only tool for public warning
for the simple reason that can't sell public warnings and are afraid of
losing money.   The Harvey flood get their attention (and they do a hell of
a good job) while the rest of the country has to put up with a warning
system that refuses to live up to its full potential.

Why do EAS Participants eagerly cover a major disaster and yet ignore the
smaller ones?

As Richard Rudman has often said - All Emergencies are Local.   The
Emergency Manager in Podunk Montana...must wonder how big of a disaster must
take place before the radio stations in his down stop running satellite fed
cookie cutter music or talk shows will permit his EVI or CEM .....OR
LEW....to be aired.

Why not invest the time and effort on fixing something that is broken as
opposed to fixing the ego's of those that wish to look good in the eyes of
those they hope will vote for them?

Soap Box Off 

Clay