by Paul J. McLane, 02.02.2010

In an era of instant access to thousands of mass media and personal channels, one might wonder if the concept of a Cold War-style presidential alert capability is outdated.

The Federal Communications Commission’s Emergency Alert System rules are intended to ensure that national activation would enable the president to communicate with the public within 10 minutes from anywhere. Can we doubt that should the president need to reach the public in a crisis, he could do so without activating such an alert?

However, the philosophy among emergency planners is the more channels, the better. Federal authorities believe the idea of national EAS remains relevant and are putting in place plans for an annual national test. It means possible changes for your station including a requirement to provide certain information to the commission.

More at… http://www.radioworld.com/article/94060