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Emergency Alerts via HD?

D

dumber than a box of hair

An item in Radio Business Report this morning states that SpectraRep, iBiquity and Sage (maker of the Sage ENDEC EAS box) are teaming up to deliver emergency alerts via HD radio technology. They're expecting to roll this out using digital radios, "personal media devices" (like, presumably, the iPhone), computers and "other communication channels."

As long as they're not relying on digital radios, because if they were the project would be doomed to failure before they even got started.
 
There was also something about that in Radio World yesterday, wouldn't want that for emergency's if my house was burning down, there's a fire down on hissssssssssssssssssssssssssssss, whooooossshhhhhhhhhhhhhh, Got that?
 
HD would be delayed 8 seconds. If they use an HD3 to relay police radio in a way similar to a ham repeater, back and forth communication would take forever. Fires would go out of control, criminals would escape, all sorts of bad stuff will happen.
 
Nick said:
HD would be delayed 8 seconds. If they use an HD3 to relay police radio in a way similar to a ham repeater, back and forth communication would take forever. Fires would go out of control, criminals would escape, all sorts of bad stuff will happen.
Click to expand...

Another HD mark of excellence.
 
HD's last ditch effort to "force an install" into the consumer radios. Good luck on that one. During an emergency relying on some fancy IBOC system is, well, "not recommended."

Monthly consumer store update: Radio Shack, no HD radios on display or working in store.
Best Buy, couple HD radios on display, but not working with any real signals. Salesperson says, "no sales."
BUT the GRACE Internet radios well stocked and hooked up to the store LAN, sounded great. He said "selling well" and actually pointed out that he had one at home and loves it. Mentioned that he can't wait for the car versions! This from a Best Buy salesperson, who I'm sure isn't being "forced" to talk up Internet radios. If you are going digital, might as well hook up to that thing called The Internet! Much like the coming Internet capable HDTV sets that are now appearing. Opens up a whole new world of bypassing sat., cable, off-air.
 
We had one tornado warning and several severe thunderstorm warnings here Thursday PM - checked my HD radio - they did instantly (with HD delay) re-broadcast the NWS audio on the HD-1 channel on both the LP-1 and LP-2 stations, BUT, there was NO EAS on the HD-2 of either station. Is that a requirement for HD-2 to relay the EAS on the LP-1, LP-2 HD-2's?
Also, it would be nice if the PAD info said "Weather Alert" instead of the song titles, but at least I heard the loud distorted audio from the NWR transmission and that was nice to hear it actually activate like it's supposed to.
 
On May 22, Tom Taylor reported (http://radio-info.com/newsletter/html/tri-05222009.html) that Emmis CEO Jeff Smulyan took a morning off from the BIA conference in Washington to do some personal lobbying on the Hill. He was pushing for the inclusion of an FM chip in all cell phones. But he was advocating a 40-cent analog FM chip, not a $10 to $15 HD chip. TR_I quoted Smulyan as explaining, “We don’t want to complicate the issue.” That story must have alarmed “iNiquity” and the Alliance. They can’t have Smulyan, whose company is supposed to be in their camp, running around making sense like that. So now their launching another doomed initiative!
 
Public school and colleges already have emergency protocols in place to send emergency alerts concerning student safety via text to cellphones - the mode of personal communication overwhelmingly preferred by persons under the age of 30. Actually, studies are showing they text more than they talk live.

Local TV stations in our market send school closings and weather alerts via text. It's a free service and anyone with a text-capable cellphone can sign up to get instant alerts.

So, let's see: I think there's gonna be a severe thunderstorm. Or methinks I detect a civil emergency looming, like a riot or something. I can search store shelves and buy an overpriced, poorly performing HD Radio for, say, a hundred bucks. I search out a radio station transmitting in HD, string up the requisite external antennas, and get a useable signal (since I live within 5km of the transmitter) and...hope for the best. Maybe, just maybe, the lone newsperson or PD at the local corporate cluster isn't asleep at the switch or totally overworked and can get the alert out in time to have any validity.

Or: I send a quick e-mail to the TV station and get instant alerts sent free to equipment I already own.

Who needs HD's alert technology??
 
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