Broadcasters: Mandatory DIRS Would Be a Hindrance in Emergencies
Filings for mandatory disaster information reporting and network outage reporting systems would hinder broadcasters during disasters, NAB, Morgan Murphy Media and Beasley Media said in a meeting with Public Safety Bureau staff Wednesday. “Unlike other services, broadcast stations must report…
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timely news and information about a disaster as a situation unfolds,” an ex parte filing posted in docket 21-346 Friday said: “Mandatory reporting would distract station staff from this core duty.” Commenters in the docket who support mandatory reporting for broadcasters “demonstrate a lack of real-world experience in dealing with emergencies or understanding of the competing demands on station staff during a disaster,” the filing said. The FCC’s suggestion that mandatory reporting would lead to more effective allocation of emergency resources doesn’t ring true, the broadcasters said. “With all due respect to emergency responders, filing a DIRS report has rarely, if ever, led to government assistance that helps a station maintain or restore service.”