[EAS] NWS Alerts and messaging

[Ira Wilner]

Hi Barry,

Funny you should ask.  When I've suggested reducing the types of alerts
my cluster broadcasts I've more often gotten the response from my PD's why reduce them?
We should continue with them as part of our commitment to public service.
Example, the nuclear power plant in the next state was decommissioned.  
So shouldn't
we stop monitoring the other state's local LP-1 or CAP messages now that the nuclear
evacuation zone no longer exists?  Nope, lets keep on monitoring and relaying EAS messages
for out of state locations as a continued service to our listeners in those areas.

We've been taking a very proactive approach to Amber alerts.  Rather than merely following
our state plan and relaying Amber alerts generated or relayed only by our state police, we also monitor our neighboring states and will broadcast their Amber alerts before they are turned around to us by our state.  That saves time and could save a life.

That said, it's mostly the WX alerts I most heavily filter out leaving
only the most critical for immediate broadcast. Most others will be delayed
and eventually vanish.  I leave it to the live show hosts to determine
if and when to release an alert, or better yet get more background on it and
discuss it on air.

One of my FM's is a class-B with coverage in three states!  So we can be quite
busy broadcasting Amber alerts, Flash flood warnings and other alerts that cover
wide areas.  That creates a lot of repetition, covering each area as each alert
comes on line.  So we frown upon NWS sending closely spaced repeat alerts out
because when that happens it might create three or more alerts within ten or
fifteen minutes of air-time.

When you live in the northeast you expect snowstorms, blizzards as part
of the normal winter weather.  So, winter storm warnings are not high priority.
Blizzards don't suddenly develop catching you by surprise. So, again EAS alerts
to that effect seem excessive.  The hourly on air weather reports should suffice.

The only exception I'd make would be for stations that do not do news or weather
and are automated around the clock.  Those should permit more of the EAS WX alerts
to automatically take to air.

How many alerts per hour?  No more than four for worst case scenarios, otherwise no
more than twice and hour.

Messages should be short and to the point, maybe providing where to go for more detailed
information such as on-line.  One minute should be the limit unless more details are urgently
required.

I think we already have enough categories with sufficient degrees of urgency built into the WRSAME codes.  Additional information to be used at the discretion of the broadcaster should be sent with channels other than EAS to air, for example email or SMS messaging to broadcasters.

--Ira