FCC Considering Spanish Version Of E-A-S Announcements

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Thursday said it is reconsidering a rule that would provide Spanish broadcasts of emergency alerts and other important announcements, according to The Hill.

The rule was originally recommended in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Back then, groups including the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council (MMTC) petitioned the FCC to require broadcasters to notify Spanish listeners in the event of an emergency.

The FCC is reopening the comment period for another month as it considers such a rule.

The rule would require certain stations to air all presidential messages in both English and Spanish. To a lesser extent, emergency broadcasts in certain areas may also be aired in other languages, such as French or Mandarin.

Spanish is the primary language for more than 38 million people living in America, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

But many Spanish speakers do not speak English, so the FCC wants to ensure that they can be reached by emergency broadcast.  At least one broadcaster in every market would be required to monitor and rebroadcast emergency information aired by the local primary Spanish stations.

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