[EAS] Need new excuses for multilingual support with, global supply chain

[Ed Czarnecki]

Hi Rod,

The DASDEC constructs EAS warnings in a number of languages - major and "exotic" - supporting just for example English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Polish, Lithuanian, Hmong, Somali, Creole and others.  Where TTS engines did not exist (Hmong and Somali) we built them.  

As you noted, the Minnesota project encountered a few warning phrases for which there we no native words in Hmong or Somali.  The Minnesota Echo project worked with the communities to figure out the best words to use to communicate an issue.

In part, I agree that it would be optimal for an alert originator to send the warning message in all the desired languages.  Primary source is always preferable, if feasible.  

HOWEVER, the real world is rarely optimal.  It may not be reasonable to expect an originator to have language capability for every constituency (or broadcast audience) in a market.  Which is why we built the Omnilingual an auto-translate option both into the DASDEC EAS device, and the DASEOC CAP/EAS origination platform.

If you are a broadcaster targeting an audience that uses a language not likely to be known by an originator, our thought was that it would be useful to have some basic language support for those kinds of broadcasters to use on a voluntary basis.

EAS may be "the trucking company", but broadcasters are the last mile delivery service ... and sometimes that delivery service might need to be customized for a specific target.

Edward Czarnecki | Senior Director - Strategy & Government Affairs | ext. 122
Digital Alert Systems
100 Housel Ave., P.O. Box 535, Lyndonville, NY 14098
p (585)765-2254   f (585)765-9330
www.digitalalertsystems.com

-----Original Message-----
From: EAS <eas-bounces at radiolists.net> On Behalf Of Rod Zeigler

Watching this thread with interest since I live in a town of 10K that has over 20 different languages spoken here. I agree with Clay, EAS is the trucking company and it is up to the originator to make sure his freight is correct before being shipped.
One other thing to take into consideration is that some languages do not have words for some alert situations.
Case in point, when Minnesota started their multilingual project they found that the Hmong language does not have any word for Snow. They have never had snow where they come from! They had to work with the Hmong community to create an analog.
In truth this is an opportunity for an entrepreneur to create a program that translates alerts in some of the more obscure languages. DASDEC's are able to do this already with common languages.
(If you do this, send me 10% when you monetize it) Rod

--
R. V. Zeigler, Dir. of Eng.
Nebraska Rural Radio Assn.
KRVN AM & FM  KAMI
Chairman, Ne. SECC
Exec. Dir. NEBA
www.krvn.com

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