In a filing delivered to the FCC last Friday, the Association for Maximum Service Television provided letters from the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, the co-state chair of the Emergency Communications Committee for the State of Arizona and the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency emphasizing the important role broadcasters play in delivering real-time emergency information to the public.
The Maryland Emergency Management Agency asserted that Maryland's AMBER Alert system relied on the ability of the state's radio and television broadcasters to provide "interference-free access" to bulletins and other information presented, and that being able to "quickly and accurately inform residents throughout Maryland" about child abductions was a very important matter.
The letters raise concerns that interference to TV reception from white space devices and interference to ENG operations from "Trucker TV" would mean the public won't be able to depend on local broadcasters for critical information.
Although white space devices have been the focus of broadcasters' concerns recently, the MSTV letter also mentioned the "Trucker TV" plan by Clarity Media (Flying J truck stops) to use all of the 2 GHz ENG band to distribute TV programming to trucks and RVs parked at Flying J truck stops. After the Media Bureau rejected its request for waivers of FCC rules, Clarity Media has attempted to obtain more experimental licenses and has appealed to the Commission to reverse the Media Bureau's decision.
