In a letter to the FCC, NCTA – The Internet & Television Association told the agency that recent efforts to expand the number of non-English languages used in emergency alerts will produce technical and logistical challenges for cable operators. “The Draft NPRM [Notice of Proposed Rulemaking] does not accurately reflect the enormous technical and logistical challenges that its proposals would present for cable operators," the NCTA said.
In January the FCC announced that it would vote in February on a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that seeks to remove technical and logistical barriers associated with the translation of EAS alerts by creating templates or pre-scripted alert messages that have been pre-translated into non-English languages and prerecorded audio files. These messages can then be initiated by alert originators for distribution to the public by the TV and radio broadcasters, cable service providers, and other “EAS Participant” services that make up the EAS public alert distribution system.
