[AMRadio] Ebs Test failure

[Paul Christensen]

> "As a follow up, the test WAS a success in that it pointed out how flawed 
> the
system is."

In the future, the flaws will only mutate and reappear in different forms. 
All a national test shows is performance at a point in time.  System 
operability among U.S. stations is not static.  Equipment is moved 
periodically with studio upgrades, people change jobs leaving internal 
systems undocumented, procedures-training isn't a high priority -- *until* 
the station is cited for non-compliance, equipment is not maintained at 
periodic intervals, etc.  A departure from this is the emphasis and priority 
that public stations (i.e., your NPR & PBS member stations) place on 
notification as they generally take EAS much more seriously than that of 
commercial stations.

I think we're expecting too much from what will always be a non-cohesive 
system among thousands of individual stations and their owners, each of whom 
place greater or lesser degrees of interest in EAS as time moves on.  The 
way I see it, far too much emphasis today is placed in the hands of 
broadcasters.  Radio and TV is now facing declining listener/viewership as 
wide-area, network-distributed IP wireless technology marches on. 
Notification to the public should be driven toward portable devices like 
cell/smart phones, with broadcasters remaining involved, but the public 
should not have to depend on its fractured "system" for emergency 
notification.  In its present form it's a system in name only.

The telco industry was one of the first to embrace standardization 
practices.  Broadcasters have been dragged into standardization and they 
don't cope well.  I was DOE for a multi-station group in the '80s and early 
'90s.  To me, the logical choice is to give the wireless/cell industry the 
opportunity to lead and succeed.  They have the wherewithal and resources to 
standardize on equipment, maintenance, training, procedures and the "know 
how" to deliver reliably.  While the wireless industry does not yet have 
100% penetration across America, nor 100% reliability, the broadcasters' 
involvement should be limited to filling in the gaps.

Paul, W9AC