The Assn. of Public TV Stations—which recently completed digit...
The Assn. of Public TV Stations -- which recently completed digital emergency alert system (DEAS) trials with the Dept. of Homeland Security -- urged Congress to pass the Warn Act to ensure a “reliable” system that would avoid communications…
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bottlenecks from last year’s natural disasters. The trials demonstrated that public TV stations could act as a wireless network capable of datacasting public alert and warnings, it said. APTS is planning a national rollout of DEAS soon. The Warn Act, which passed the Senate Commerce Committee, helps deal with communications problems exposed during Hurricane Katrina by establishing a national alert system that can provide national, regional or local alerts, APTS said. The measure recognizes public TV’s digital transmitters as the backbone for the reception, relay and retransmission of national alert system messages, said APTS Pres. John Lawson. The APTS-DHS pilots showed that digital broadcasting to media and telecom service providers “improves and enhances” the ability of federal, state and local govts. to provide critical emergency messages, he said.