Is The FCC About To Change EAS Alerts In Montana?

The FCC is taking a look at modernizing the Emergency Alert System, or EAS.  You know, those alerts on radio and TV with the automated voice that override whatever is on.

The current system hasn't changed much since the '90s.

According to an official notice, EAS has not had a comprehensive, nationwide overhaul in 30 years, and much of the core technology supporting the system reflects that.  As you can imagine, a lot has changed in that time, such as the rise of the Internet and cell phones.

It's been over 10 years since the last big change to EAS.

The last really major upgrade to EAS was in 2012, when they added Wireless Emergency Alerts, or WEA, the ability to get EAS messages on cell phone networks.

Now, the FCC is investigating what the future needs are for EAS as technology continues to change.

Specifically, they're looking for public comment on:

• What groups need to be able to trigger the alert process, such as the National Weather Service, US Geological Survey, law enforcement, and others.
• How to improve the abilities of the system, such as geographic targeting, resilience and security.
• Determine if the current system is satisfactory and if not, what needs to be changed to make it so.
• Types of information and distribution methods to make full use of the system's capabilities.  One example provided in the notice is exploring the possibility of video messages on TVs and smartphones for certain alerts instead of text and audio.

So think about it for yourself.

Is there something that needs to be considered an EAS alert-worthy event that isn't at present?  If so, consider dropping a comment to the FCC, either by mail or online.  Information on how to do that can be found here.