Multilingual EAS Information Due November 6, 2017

Click below for the link to the form for submitting your response to me –
Roger Herring, rherring@ktul.com:

Multilingual EAS Form for Oklahoma SECC

Background information:

In March 2016, the FCC adopted a new rule that requires all EAS participants, including all radio and television stations, cable systems, wireline video systems, wireless, direct broadcast satellite service providers, and digital audio radio service providers to submit information concerning their efforts to provide EAS alerts in non-English language, to their respective State Emergency Communications Committees (SECCs). The Commission established November 6, 2017, as the deadline for stations to submit this information.

Specifically, by November 6, stations must submit to their SECCs:

1.    A discussion of any actions they have already taken to make EAS alert content available in non-English languages;
2.    A description of any future actions planned by the stations to do so, if any, together with an explanation of the station’s decision to plan or not plan such actions;
3.    Optionally, any other relevant information that the station may want to provide, such as a description of the demographics and languages in your state, or any pilot projects or other efforts to use translation technologies.

Please note that the FCC specifically states that a broadcaster may satisfy this reporting requirement by informing the SECCs that no steps have been taken and why, if that is the case. Going forward, EAS participants must submit a letter describing any material changes relevant to multilingual EAS alerting to their SECC within 60 days, and send a copy of that letter to the FCC.

State Emergency Communications Committees (SECCs) are required to revise State EAS Plans on file with the Commission to reflect this information submitted by May 4, 2018.  My contact information is above.  A listing of other SECCs in other states to which information must be submitted and their contact details can be found here.