Copyright ©1997, RF Specialties Group.
There was cause for alarm, for example, when several National Weather Service's Weather Radio Specific Area Message Encoders (WRSAMEs) failed to fire off the correct EOM packets. Vern Killion, chief engineer for KRVN (AM) in Lexington, Nebraska, and the State Emergency Communications Committee Chairman (SECC) for that state, said he heard of one station that was off the air for three hours because of the problem. Engineers from Ohio also reported a similar experience, according to Bill Glasser, the state's SECC and director of engineering for WHBC (AM) in Canton, Ohio.
The WRSAME encoders, fortunately, have been fixed. But EAS complaints abound from all parts of the country. Marvin Collins, the director of engineering for KOST (FM)/KFI (AM), an LP1, and KACE (FM) near Los Angeles, California, recounted a recent test in which the county's office failed to send the broadcaster's digital activation tones along with Sheriff Sherman Block's voice message on at least two occasions. And, on a third occasion the county left test origination up to the local stations. Something similar happened in Pennsylvania, except there the overnight origination is being done by KDKA (AM), Pittsburgh, because none of the state authorities work at night.
Apparently, all EAS equipment manufacturers are busily rewriting software for their units, as the first real-world tests of the system uncovered flaws not foreseen by the programmers. One frustrated Alaska engineer e-mailed the RF Specialties Group, inquiring why the unit he bought wasn't able to program in Alaska Standard Time. "Are we forced to live in the wrong time zone, or can this be fixed?" he asked. The manufacturer responded that the problem originated with the F.C.C., whose original regulations did not recognize the separate time zones for Alaska and Hawaii.
Complicating these problems are all the station ownership changes, which spun out of control about the time EAS came into being. For example, two ownership changes occurred at KUGN (AM/FM), Eugene, Oregon, between the time EAS equipment was ordered and installed. Then too, television stations are having a real time of it trying to get the new system to work with their character generators.
The crux of the problem seems to be EAS' incredible complexity. Most state plans call for a web-like infrastructure for disseminating to stations a variety of emergency messages originated by government authorities. Some, like the state of Pennsylvania, which has two metropolitan areas on opposite sides of the state, use existing microwave links operated by public broadcast networks. Others have found more unconventional methods. For some areas of Oregon, for example, the state finagled a VHF link from gear donated by local two-way companies who had a surplus. If the state's governor approves the plan, the system will be used to link entry points to broadcast facilities. Washington state is doing something similar, but using the state police microwave infrastructure to get emergency messages to stations. One of the most complex plans going is for the state of Wisconsin, which is being used as a model, according to FCC Director of Emergency Communications Frank Lucia, who has received 39 state plans to date.
With all this going on, station programming has suffered. "It's a programming headache, especially at a time when we're using more automation," said James Kaplan, chief engineer for KUGN (FM). His station gladly relinquished its old EBS primary alert role and declined to become an LP1 for this reason. Of major concern is that EAS, as it stands, requires its data bursts to be audible on the main program channel. "I think in this day and age with the speed with which we can do things on data networks, wireless and the Internet, it's ridiculous to send the information along with our program," said Kaplan. Is there hope for reform? "We're always hopeful that as we get into the system, we'll be able to make improvements. And one of the big improvements that would be very helpful is if we could do this digital signaling under programming," replied the FCC's Lucia. (Reform comments can be posted on SBE's Web site, www.sbe.org.)
Nonetheless, operator error is being compounded by equipment problems. "It's a very complex system in that it's all software driven and can be set up to filter different alerts and to pass on other alerts. One of the problems we're having is, some of the stations are missing certain alerts because they're missing something in the programming in the box," commented Glasser. As a result, equipment manufacturers are coming up with the new software changes, almost on a weekly basis. But KDKA, the LP1 in Pittsburgh that is originating overnight tests, can't wait for manufacturers. Said KDKA Chief Engineer Vic Pastorelli, "We're working on computer software where they just push a button and the computer will take care of it for the operators, because they got enough going on. It's not like the old days where we had 15 operators sitting around all the time."
Even with all the bugs worked out, will EAS ever gain the full acceptance of broadcasters? Some say no, others say perhaps. In the meantime, direct your inquiries and frustrations to your state EAS coordinator, the manufacturer of your encoder/decoder, or as a last resort, Frank Lucia at the FCC (phone number, 202-418-1226).