Getting tough on emergency alerts.

Broadcasting & Cable, March, 1999 by Albiniak, Paige

The FCC's decision to step up enforcement of emergency alert system rules is paying off, the agency's chief compliance officer said last week. Thanks to a tougher inspection process launched last month, fewer stations are ignoring 1994 rules requiring TV and radio stations to replace the old Emergency Broadcast System with a digital version.

"It's been reported to me that there are stations that haven't taken the equipment out of the box," Compliance and Information Bureau Chief Richard Lee told delegates at the NAB's State Leadership Conference in Washington last week. FCC officials, however, said they have not yet compiled figures on how many stations they have brought in line. A survey conducted last fall found 15% of stations failed to meet various EAS requirements.