FCC Postpones EAS Action

The FCC won’t vote on EAS today. The agency dropped the issue off its agenda before the meeting. This action came after the public meeting was delayed several times.
The commission has been gathering information since 2004 on how to improve the EAS system, including how much control to cede to local governments and how to incorporate the digital transition into the rules.
The Senate Commerce Committee recently passed a bill that updates the devices and services that can send EAS alerts, such as satellite radio, cell phones and PDAS, coinciding with recommendations of an advisory committee on maintaining and restoring broadcast operations in the wake of a natural disaster or future terrorist actions in this country.