FCC Got Some Complaints After Nationwide EAS Test
Emergency alert system participants reported some problems after a nationwide EAS test in September, Gregory Cooke, an associate division chief in the FCC Public Safety Bureau, told the FCC Consumer Advisory Committee Friday. The test was the second nationwide of…
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the EAS and, according to the early analysis, it mostly went smoothly (see 1609280074). But problems were detected, Cooke said. One-third of those who provided feedback to the FCC after the test indicated there was no problem, Cooke said. Others reported receiving audio, but not a text crawl and vice versa, he said. “In some cases, participants ran the text crawl too quickly or did not supply sufficient contrast so the text crawl could be read easily," he said. “This is a problem we have been aware of for quite a while. It’s one that is not built into the architecture. This is how individual TV and radio stations set up their system.” The FCC is working on best practices for stations so they can ensure they don't run the crawl too quickly and it's presented with proper contrast, he said. “That’s going to be an ongoing issue.” Another nationwide EAS test is likely, but hasn't been scheduled, Cooke said.