The FCC issued a rulemaking that would revise rules governing the...

The FCC issued a rulemaking that would revise rules governing the Emergency Alert System (EAS) to allow wireless cable TV systems to provide EAS alerts to their subscribers in a “more efficient and less burdensome manner.” The proposal, which came in a petition from the Wireless Cable Assn., would change the rules to allow wireless cable operators to “force tune” subscriber equipment to a system channel dedicated to EAS alerts and messages instead of providing an EAS decoder for every channel. The rules currently say wireless cable providers with more than 5,000 subscribers must install special equipment to display the audio and video EAS message on every channel. Systems with fewer than 5,000 must display the audio and video EAS message only on one channel, but must provide a video interrupt and an audio alert on every channel. Under the proposal, the operator would install EAS equipment for one channel only at the headend of the system. If there were an alert, the system would automatically force each subscriber’s set-top box to tune to the channel carrying the EAS alert. Comments are due 30 days after the notice is published in the Federal Register and replies 45 days later.