At its August Open Meeting, the FCC adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to reexamine the Emergency Alert System. Now the NAB is making its voice heard, warning that modernization must preserve broadcasters’ roles as “first informers” in a crisis.
In its filing, NAB pointed to catastrophic events within the past 365 days where radio and television stayed on the air when other systems failed, including the Texas Hill Country floods, the Los Angeles wildfires, and Hurricanes Helene and Milton, citing Radio Ink coverage of the latter.
In its words, “The only thing that was left standing was AM and FM radio.”
While recognizing shifts in media consumption, NAB is cautious about expanding EAS to streaming and smart platforms if it means pulling audiences away from local broadcasts carrying in-depth emergency coverage. Instead, the group favors solutions that let smart devices relay alerts without disrupting broadcast viewing.
On the structure of EAS, NAB opposes extending alert origination authority to private companies, arguing that accountability must remain with government entities. “Unlike a public safety entity, a private company that experiences a chemical spill or other hazard may be concerned with potential liability or financial impact, which could create an impulse to trigger an unnecessary EAS alert,” the filing submitted by NAB Chief Legal Officer and EVP/Legal and Regulatory Affairs Rick Kaplan notes.
During Hurricane Helene, Canton, N.C., Mayor Zeb Smathers said the loss of cell service “crippled” the town, while local radio continued broadcasting warnings and recovery information.
The filing reiterates that mandatory participation should remain limited to Presidential alerts. For other alerts, NAB says redundancy across many local stations is more effective than new mandates. “Redundancy, not rules, is the best way to attempt to guarantee the delivery of EAS alerts,” the association writes.
On security, NAB supports stronger authentication measures but warns that adding layers of validation must not introduce delays, particularly in severe weather situations. The filing also points to opportunities to improve geotargeting of alerts by refining NWS codes or leveraging receiver-side capabilities in NextGen TV and HD Radio.
The association also mentioned its support for the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act and for permission to use software-based EAS encoders/decoders to strengthen the legacy system.
The EAS review is part of Chairman Brendan Carr’s “Build America” agenda, which he described as essential to “clearing the way for new infrastructure builds” while keeping emergency communications effective and efficient.
