NAB Gains Support For Software EAS Plan As Legacy Equipment Faces Uncertainty.

The National Association of Broadcasters has picked up support from engineers and several operators in its effort to allow stations to use software-based Emergency Alert System technology instead of legacy physical hardware devices to process messages. NAB has been advocating for the change for the past several years, and in March it filed a formal petition for rulemaking (PS Docket No. 22-329). By giving stations the option of using a software-based approach, NAB says it would improve EAS reliability and security, without compromising the system’s effectiveness.

NAB developed this proposal with the advice of chief technology officers and senior engineers from several radio and TV groups. It says giving radio and television stations the option of using software-based EAS encoder/decoder technology in place of physical hardware would reduce or eliminate the downtime needed to repair malfunctioning equipment and install security-related software patches.

The proposal was first submitted in December 2022 and NAB has sought “expedited consideration” pointing to recent market developments. That includes the announcement by Sage Alerting Systems that it has ceased manufacturing its Sage Digital ENDEC encoder. Sage said its decision was based in part on the fact that some parts are no longer available for production of new devices.

“Sage’s exit is a clear indicator that the current legacy ecosystem is not sustainable and that the Commission needs to permit more modern approaches to support a long-term, robust emergency alerting system,” NAB said in its petition. Under NAB’s proposed approach, manufacturing issues will not be a significant concern because the software will be able to operate on multiple existing hardware appliances or software processes already in use within broadcasting.

The biggest vote of support — and a warning — comes from the Society of Broadcast Engineers, which tells the FCC that it “wholeheartedly supports” the idea. “Permitting the utilization of software-based EAS processing makes eminent sense given the huge extent to which today’s radio broadcasters employ virtualized components in nearly all other elements of their air chains,” says SBE.

The engineering trade group is raising alarm bells over potential inaction. It tells the FCC the issue could become critical, because it believes that a majority of radio stations currently rely on Sage hardware for EAS reception and distribution. It warns that “raises meaningful concerns” for the EAS system as a whole, given that the nationwide daisy-chain method of alerting overwhelmingly relies on radio stations as local primaries — and has its complement of Primary Entry Point stations made up entirely of radio stations. “By providing more diverse EAS equipment development and deployment solutions,” it says, “would not risk disabling the EAS infrastructure of so many of the key distribution points in the daisy-chain.”

Time To Move

Cox Media Group and New York Public Radio, which have been joined by pubcasters WVTF Roanoke-Lynchburg, VA (89.1) and WFAE Charlotte, NC (90.7), are among the operators that have been advocating for software-based encoder/decoder technology in place of physical hardware. Both filed comments in support of moving ahead.

“The Commission’s nearly three-year delay in taking any concrete action on NAB’s proposal has strained the operations and jeopardized the security of EAS participants,” says Cox, which operates three Primary Entry Point stations and operates several Local Primary EAS stations in its markets. Cox warns that continuing to restrict software-based EAS could ultimately “cause real harm to the public” if broadcasters cannot get their equipment repaired in time before a natural disaster where people need to receive EAS messages.

It’s not just the big companies that are looking to embrace the software approach. Consultant Aldon Caron, who works with several community and LPFM stations, says it will take some time for broadcasters to adapt and agrees the FCC needs to get moving. He says public stations “need clarity” on product selection and conversion timelines given their “minimal budgets.”

Big Unanswered Questions

Not everyone is onboard with the idea, however. Digital Alert Systems — which has advocated for a software-based approach with Telos Alliance and Nautel — supports the spirit of what NAB is proposing, but says it is premature. The emergency information solutions provider says there remains a “significant number of unresolved fundamental issues and unanswered foundational questions” about the software-based approach.

“We believe further clarification and detail are necessary before a well-informed determination can be made,” Digital Alert Systems tells the FCC. It points to issues such as cybersecurity safeguards, a compliance framework, and risk of operational inconsistency. The company says there has also been little to no substantive engagement with EAS manufacturers or developers to date, telling the FCC its attempts to initiate discussions have so far been rebuffed.