TV Group Owners Back Advanced Emergency Alerting

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AWARN_LogoMajor television groups have joined each other and tech companies to support the rapid deployment of the Advanced Warning and Response Network.


They’ve formed the AWARN Alliance to implement the advanced alerting capabilities of the ATSC 3.0 next-generation television broadcast standard being finalized by the Advanced Television Systems Committee.

NAB, CTA, APTS and the alliance have asked the FCC to allow television stations and receiver manufacturers to adopt the new transmission standard on a voluntary, market-driven basis.

AWARN can deliver rich media, multilingual, and geo-targeted content – including video, storm tracks, evacuation routes, flood maps, and earthquake early warnings – to millions of consumer devices simultaneously. Delivered over broadcast spectrum from TV stations equipped with back-up generators, AWARN will function even when cellular networks overload or the electric grid goes down.

Joining the Alliance are Pearl TV, Sinclair Broadcast Group and PILOT, formerly NAB Labs. Other members are: Capitol Broadcasting Company, Digital Alert Systems/Monroe Electronics, Gates Air, LG Electronics/Zenith and Triveni Digital.

Pearl TV is a partnership of television broadcast groups. Members are: Cox Media Group, the E.W. Scripps Company, Graham Media Group, Hearst Television Inc., Media General Inc., Meredith Local Media Group, Raycom Media, and TEGNA, Inc. Sinclair Broadcast Group owns or operates 171 TV stations and, through its affiliate, ONE Media, also has been a major contributor to the development of next generation television.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is currently testing initial AWARN-related technologies at the FEMA Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Lab in Indian Head, Md.

The AWARN Alliance officially launches at the NAB Show next week.