[grc] "First Informers" Radio, Post-Disaster

[Jim Ellinger]

*Distributed as a Public Service of Austin Airwaves

*To our East Coast Friends, and those attending the
'Emergency Radio' Panel at this weekend's
Grassroots Radio Conference in Hot Springs.

_Source_: Communications Law [excerpted]


      New Post: Keep Calm and Broadcast On: Broadcasters as Hurricane
      First Responders
      <http://commlawcenter.us5.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=4f14ef7a2c46d0102e5909480&id=825571cebd&e=5c7e03712d>


Posted October 5, 2016

By Scott R. Flick 
<http://commlawcenter.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4f14ef7a2c46d0102e5909480&id=7e2a7e49b8&e=5c7e03712d>

While some debate endlessly which content best serves the public 
interest, there is universal agreement that the content broadcasters air 
during emergencies is vital to their communities.  Whether it comes in 
the form of tracking a developing storm so the public can prepare, or 
disseminating evacuation orders and alerts, broadcasters continue to 
serve as the bedrock of the nation’s warning system in emergencies.  As 
Hurricane Matthew approaches the East Coast, TV and radio stations are 
hurrying to make sure they are in position to warn and inform their 
audiences of new developments.

Curiously, the growth of alternative information sources has only served 
to emphasize that in a true emergency, there is no substitute for local 
broadcasts.  While the last decade has brought progress in making 
communications infrastructure more resilient in emergencies, cable and 
Internet service is often disrupted in disasters, and cell phone 
networks, where they don’t fail outright, become overwhelmed by 
increased usage during a disaster.

That is why nearly a dozen states have laws on the books granting 
broadcast personnel *First Responder/First Informer *status. These laws 
allow broadcasters access to crisis areas, both for reporting on a 
disaster and maintaining station operations throughout.  This includes 
granting priority to broadcasters for scarce fuel supplies (and 
emergency access for vehicles transporting fuel to stations).  That fuel 
keeps stations’ emergency generators, and the transmitters they power, 
running during emergencies.

Unlike communications infrastructure that requires wired connections 
over a broad area, or numerous short-range towers and repeaters, 
broadcast stations just need an upright tower or tall building for their 
antenna, fuel for their generator, and access for their employees to be 
able to reach the station’s facilities. That resilience in extreme 
conditions is, however, only part of the reason local broadcast stations 
are critical in emergencies. Also important is the fact that broadcast 
receivers are ubiquitous and easy to power.  Some estimates place *the 
number of radios in the U.S. at nearly 600,000,000,* almost double the 
population of the U.S.  Many of those radios are powered by replaceable 
batteries.  As a result, they don’t need access to the power grid for 
recharging like smartphones do.  A box full of batteries will bring 
radio service for the duration of most any emergency.

Speaking of smartphones, in part because of the importance of accessing 
local broadcast signals during emergencies, the *big 4 wireless 
providers have now activated the FM chip* in at least *some* of their 
smartphones.  While there are a lot of radios out there, people aren’t 
generally walking around with a transistor radio in their hand at all 
times.  Being able to access emergency broadcast information via the 
smartphone in your pocket ensures that even when the cell phone network 
has ceased to function, you still have immediate access to important 
local information.  In fact, even where the cell phone system is still 
operating and not overwhelmed by traffic, there are two good reasons for 
utilizing a phone’s FM receiving capability.  First, it consumes a 
fraction of the battery power that streaming data does, ensuring the 
longest battery life possible—an important factor if you don’t know 
where your next charge is coming from. Second, and taking a broader 
perspective, utilizing the FM capability is helpful to the community at 
large, as the more individuals that are obtaining information by radio, 
the less likely the wireless network will become overwhelmed, ensuring 
it is available for coordination of relief efforts and other vital 
functions.

[TV section deleted]

To help stations simplify that process when preparing for last year’s 
hurricane season, we drafted a detailed summary of the *FCC’s emergency 
information accessibility rules* titled Keep Calm and Broadcast On: A 
Guide for Television Stations on Airing Captions and Audible Crawls in 
an Emergency 
<http://commlawcenter.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4f14ef7a2c46d0102e5909480&id=8c48601c4c&e=5c7e03712d>.  
Stations whose communities will be affected by Hurricane Matthew should 
review it, both as a refresher on what they will need to do in the next 
few days, and on how best to do it.

While these rules add to a station’s challenges during an already 
challenging time, the FCC is doing its part as well.  Earlier today, the 
FCC released a Public Notice 
<http://commlawcenter.us5.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=4f14ef7a2c46d0102e5909480&id=baf70a5105&e=5c7e03712d> 
reminding broadcasters, among others, that:

    The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will be available to
    address emergency communications needs twenty-four hours a day
    throughout the weekend, especially relating to the effects that
    Hurricane Matthew may have on the Southeastern United States.

    The FCC reminds emergency communications providers, including
    broadcasters, cable service providers, wireless and wireline service
    providers, satellite service providers, emergency response managers
    and first responders, and others needing assistance to initiate,
    resume, or maintain communications operations during the weekend, to
    contact the *FCC Operations Center for assistance at 202-418-1122*
    or by e-mail at FCCOPCenter at fcc.gov <mailto:FCCOPCenter at fcc.gov>.

*Here’s hoping that the FCC’s phone doesn’t ring much in the coming days.*