FCC Updates TIS
Rules to Benefit
Public Safety
|
Proposing More
Operator
Discretion &
Emergency
Content;
Technical
Improvements |
WASHINGTON,
DC: On Tuesday,
July 23rd, the
FCC released a
long-awaited
Report & Order,
intended to
“clarify and
amend our TIS
rules in order
to promote a
more efficient
and effective
service.” The
clarifications
were requested
four years ago
in a petition by
AAIRO
(American
Association of
Information
Radio Operators)
as a result of
the confusion
caused by the
FCC’s citation
of certain
operators
regarding
broadcast
content.
According to
AAIRO president
Bill Baker, "The
proposed rule
changes
[summarized
immediately
below] are a
major victory
for public
safety and
emergency
managers
everywhere." He
encourages every
public safety
official who
reads this
article to send
AAIRO an email
or letter in
support of these
new rules by
August 19 [see
an easy way to
do this in the
'Call to Action'
below]. "We want
to encourage the
Commission to
finalize the
effort without
delay." AAIRO
will add
comments
received to its
own response to
the Report &
Order Docket PS
09-19. It is
evident in the
FCC's Report &
Order (full text
linked below)
that the large
number of
letters and
personal
contacts already
received from
the public
safety community
regarding this
issue has thus
far 'carried the
day.' |
Report &
Order
Summary
|
Operator
Discretion |
The FCC
agrees
with
AAIRO’s
position
that
station
licensees/operators,
“given
their
intimate
knowledge
of local
conditions,”
are in
the best
position
to
determine
what
constitutes
an
imminent
threat
or
emergency
for each
area and
therefore
to
determine
what
qualifies
(within
the
following
FCC
constraints)
as
allowable
content
on radio
stations.
This
affords
wide
latitude
and
responsibility
on the
part of
public
safety
officials
in the
choice
of
content
for
broadcast. |
Broadcast
Content
|
"TIDE
Test," a
Way to
Analyze
Content
before
Broadcasting |
In the
Report &
Order,
the FCC
clarified
that
broadcast
content
for
stations
may now
relate
to three
distinct
topic
areas:
“[1]
travel,
[2]
imminent
threat
of
danger
or [3]
an
emergency.”
AAIRO
has
developed
the
mnemonic
"TIDE"
to help
operators
remember
this
when
planning
broadcasts:
T for
Travel,
ID for
Imminent
Danger
and
E
for
Emergency
information.
Examples
of newly
allowed
emergency
and
imminent
danger
content
are
AMBER
and
Silver
alerts,
evacuation
routes,
emergency
points
of
assembly,
locations
of
shelters,
health
care and
other
emergency
facilities.
The new
rules
also now
directly
cross
reference
existing
Part 90
Rule
sections
that do
allow
emergency
content,
so there
is no
confusion
that TIS
stations
may be
used to
broadcast
emergency
messages.
The FCC
further
clarifies
that the
existing
rules
already
include
a
category
called
"travel
advisories"
that
allow
some
"imminent
danger"
content
and
could
include
notices
about
hazardous
weather
conditions
or
"motor
vehicle
crashes."
They
also
state
that
"travel
advisories"
could be
travel-related
content,
such as
"511
travel
information,
parking,
current
driving
travel
times,
air
flight
status,
truck
weigh
stations,
driver
rest
areas,
and the
location
of truck
services,
road
closures
and
construction." |
NOAA
Allowed |
It is
noteworthy
that
nowhere
in the
document
is any
suggestion
of a
blanket
prohibition
on the
rebroadcast
of NOAA
Weather
Radio
programming
on
Travelers
Information
Stations.
The
Report
and
Order,
instead,
focuses
squarely
on
content.
Regarding
Weather
Radio,
the
document
clearly
encourages
the
rebroadcast
of
NOAA’s
'All
Hazard
Alerts'
since
they
presumably
meet the
TIDE
Test
(affect
T
Travel,
speak of
ID
Imminent
Danger
or
potential
of an
E
Emergency)
and even
less
extreme
weather
advisories
that
meet
that
test but
do not
rise to
the
level of
a
NOAA/All
Hazard
activation.
One is
left to
conclude
that the
FCC’s
previous
objection
to the
rebroadcast
of NOAA
Weather
Radio is
because
of stray
NOAA
content
that the
Commission
deems
not
descriptive
of any
imminent
danger
and not
relevant
to
travelers,
e.g.:
weather
statistics
and
general
forecast
info*,
etc.
FAQ: I
am
confused
regarding
the
rebroadcast
of NOAA
weather.
In the
proposed
new
rules,
the FCC
nowhere
precludes
the
rebroadcast
of NOAA
Weather
Radio
content,
per se.
In fact,
the
Commission
specifically
states
that
much of
NOAA’s
content
does
constitute
a
"Travel
Advisory"
under
the
current
rules.
It also
says
that
NOAA
'All
Hazard'
messages
and even
lower
level
advisories
that
describe
"imminent
threats
of
danger"
or
relate
to
"emergencies"
are
clearly
allowable.
Curiously,
the
Commission
continues
to
believe
that
regular
daily
weather
forecasts
generally
are not
allowable.
Yet,
above
all
that,
the FCC
states
clearly
that
public
safety
officials
have
much
discretion
with
regard
to
content
and what
constitutes,
in each
area,
the
definition
of a
"travel
advisory,"
"imminent
danger
threat"
and
"emergency
information."
The FCC
does not
wish to
(nor can
they)
make
these
definitional
calls in
every
community
across
the US
24/7 –
hence,
the
stated
latitude
Public
Safety
now has
to
decide
what
these
definitions
mean in
local
areas. AAIRO
expects
that
some
emergency
managers
will
conclude
that in
their
areas,
all NOAA
Weather
Radio
content
fits
squarely
into one
or more
of the
above
categories.
Others
will
not. |
Not Allowed |
General
background
content
such as
terror
threat
levels,
preparedness,
conservation,
forecasts,*
health
or
safety
information
that is
not
imminent
in
nature
or
travel-related. |
Note |
* It is
clear
from the
context
of the
Report
and
Order
that the
FCC does
not deem
general
daily
weather
forecasts
useful
“travel
advisories”
to
motorists,
and they
would
not be
allowed
unless
they
contain
elements
of an
“imminent
threat
of
danger.”
AAIRO
took the
opposite
position
in
previous
filings,
since
even
fair-weather
forecasts
allow
motorists
to plan
travel
dates
and
times
that
allow
them to
avoid
hazards
such as
rain,
wind and
snow,
etc.
that
adversely
affect
travel
efficiency
and
safety.
|
Technical
Issues |
Regarding
Multiple
Transmitters
&
Content |
The
rules
also
clarify
that
multiple
simulcast
TIS
transmitters
may be
operated
as long
as
content
being
broadcast
by each
transmitter
is
relevant
in the
coverage
area
served.
Again,
the FCC
leaves
it to
operators
to
determine
the
relevancy
of
content
in
broadcast
areas. |
Filters
Coming
Off? |
The FCC
also
agrees
with
AAIRO
that the
filtering
of TIS
transmitters
should
be
removed,
because
it
“significantly
decreases
audibility
of TIS
broadcasts.”
AAIRO
believes
that
removal
of the
output
filter
has the
potential
to
improve
the
broadcast
quality
of every
station
on the
air
today –
as well
as those
to come
– and
will
result
in an
overall
improvement
in the
service.
But due
to the
costs
and the
resulting
coordination
involved,
the FCC
would
have to
specify
that
once
removed,
the TIS
transmitters
would
not need
to be
recertified,
and
operators
who
chose
not to
remove
the
filters
could
continue
to
operate
with the
filter(s)
in
place,
as they
now do.
FAQ:
Does my
AM
Transmitter
have an
output
filter?
All AM
transmitters
for the
TIS
service
currently
have the
output
filters,
which
makes
them
sound
rather
dull,
unless
the
audio is
"equalized
bright"
when it
is
produced.
Removing
the
filters
makes
the
program
much
easier
to
listen
to and
the
audio
then no
longer
requires
equalization. AAIRO
would
like to
see the
use of
the
filters
made
optional
and, for
those
who opt
to
remove
them,
AAIRO
doesn't
want
such
transmitters
to be
required
to go
back
through
some
sort of
recertification
process. |
Call to Action |
Send
your
comments
to AAIRO
by
August
19 to be
added to
the
Organization's
own
filing.
Suggested
topics
for you
to
include
in your
message:
-
Congratulate
the
FCC
on
their
work
to
update
TIS
Part
90
Rules,
especially
with
regard
to
giving
licensees
more
discretion
in
emergency
information
that
can
be
broadcast.
-
Mention
how
helpful
you
think
it
is
that
they've
clarified
the
public
safety
aspect
(name
any
in
particular
you
support
for
your
geographic
area,
such
as
evacuations
for
hurricanes).
-
Support
the
removal
of
the
filters
but
ask
that
it
be
optional
and
that
recertification
not
be
required.
-
Mention
disappointment,
if
you
feel
it,
that
weather
forecasts,
useful
to
travelers,
as
they
determine
which
routes
to
take,
are
not
allowed
unless
they
contain
travel
advisories
or
content
describing
imminent
danger
threats.
Send
to
info at
aairo
dot org
or AAIRO,
PO Box
41,
Zeeland,
MI
49464-0041.
|
Related Links |
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|
Information Radio Stations is a generic term
synonymous with Travelers Information Stations (TIS), Highway
Advisory Radio Stations (HAR) / Highway Information Systems &
Low Power Radio Stations (LPR). Operation of the stations is
governed by FCC Part 90.242 Rules. A FCC license is required.
Information Radio Stations may be fixed or portable.
Subcomponents may include transmitter, antenna and ground
system, digital voice player, wattmeter, cabinet with
conventional or Corbin locks, lightning arrestors for RF, power
and telephone lines, coaxial cable. Most stations employ black
maximized antennas to discourage ice accumulation and security
measures to prevent unauthorized program access. Options include
synchronization, battery backup, solar power, remote programming
by local, network or telco, multi-station audio distribution via
RF or LAN / WAN or wireless network. |