Groups Push FCC on Multingual EAS

On the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, more than 25 consumer and civil rights groups are pushing the Federal Communications Commission to require multilingual emergency alerts in markets where there are sizable populations that don’t speak English.

Katyonthehill.com reports a letter to the FCC isled by the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council, and the groups propose that the FCC tie station license renewals to providing alerts in multiple languages. The MMTC, along with three other groups filed the original “Katrina petition” with the FCC in 2005.

“It is profoundly unfortunate that the commission cannot rely on voluntary action to solve this problem. Since the Katrina Petition was filed, not a single state broadcast association – not one – has come up with a plan to ensure emergency service to non-English language minorities,” the groups wrote.

The original petition suggested the FCC adopt a “designated hitter” system, where in each radio market, the state EAS would designate which station or stations to provide multilingual information if there was no other station broadcasting in that language on the air.