Alert and Warning California Cable Industry Perspective

1. Alert and WarningCalifornia Cable Industry Perspective Jerome F Candelaria September 2008

2. Cable In California – about our Industry… • Invested 12 billion dollars in California since 1996 to build out a two-way interactive network with fiber optic technology. • Pass 96% of California homes with access to high speed broadband. • Provides Voice Services To almost 2 million California customers. • CCTA members include cable television systems and cable program networks.

3. Cable’s Alert and Warning Milestones • Cable’s role in providing emergency information to the public dates back to the early 1960s, when warnings were distributed to customers via electronic links to radio and television stations and federal, state, and local agencies that participated in the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS). • In 1992 the FCC formally proposed extending the reach of the EBS (now Emergency Alert System or EAS) to cable television as part of a larger modernization of the EAS system.

4. Milestones continued • In1992 Congress enacted the Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act, requiring cable systems to “comply with such standards as the [FCC] shall prescribe to ensure that viewers of video programming on cable systems are afforded the same emergency information as is afforded by the emergency broadcasting system pursuant to Commission regulations…47 U.S. C. Section 544(g). • In October, 2005, the FCC expanded the EAS rules to require EAS participation by digital television (DTV) broadcasters, digital cable television providers, and digital broadcast radio, Digital Audio Radio Service (DARS), and satellite (DBS) systems.

5. Cable and EAS • Cable operators are required to provide the national EAS message (signaled by the Emergency Action Notification event code) and are encouraged to use their EAS equipment to disseminate information about state and local emergencies. • Participation in national EAS alerts is mandatory for these providers. Dissemination of other EAS messages are done in accordance with the state and local plans required at Section 11.21 of the FCC rules.

6. FCC Review of EAS • The FCC is currently engaged in a review of the EAS to determine how to help expedite the development of a more comprehensive, next generation digitally-based public alert and warning system, building on the existing EAS (EB Docket No. 04-296).

7. Cable Recommendations • The next generation alert and warning system should consist of one fully-integrated nationwide system that builds on the existing EAS infrastructure and enables simultaneous distribution across media platforms. • Cable supports the concept of a Common Alert Protocol (“CAP”).

8. Recommendations Continued • The FCC should mandate that telephone companies providing video programming be part of the EAS regime and have the same responsibilities of other cable operators.

9. EAS For Persons With Vision and Hearing Disabilities • As new technologies develop, the cable industry will continue to work with the disability community and others involved in public safety efforts to improve access to vital emergency information under EAS for persons with vision and hearing disabilities. • EAS message originators should be urged to provide detailed information in both audio and visual format so that individuals with hearing and visual disabilities receive the same information.

10. Multilingual Delivery of Emergency Information under the EAS • The best means to provide EAS messages in a second language to cable customers is for the originator of the audio message to issue it in both languages, such as English and Spanish. The cable system would pass-through the bi-lingual audio message within the 2-minute EAS window. • Cable systems have no capability to reformat or translate the messages. • Regarding text messages, some systems have installed EAS equipment that is capable of supporting English and/or Spanish • The affect of “next generation “ EAS and the Common Alert Protocol (CAP) on the delivery of emergency messages to non-English speakers can not be determined until there is more information on the standard being developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

11. Beyond EASCable as Voice Service Provider • As providers of voice services, Cable operators have made E911 service a component of their voice services and comply fully with the FCC’s requirement to provide Registered Location information to the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) on 911 calls.

12. Beyond EASCable as Video Service Provider • Created by the Cable Industry, the California Channel expanded hours to cover legislative action and emergency relief efforts in the aftermath of the Oakland Hills fire, the Ferndale earthquake, and Los Angeles Riots. • C-SPAN serves as a national public information platform in times of national emergency. • The Weather Channel, CNN, and other Cable Networks also pass on alerts and warnings.

13. Beyond EASCable as Internet Service Provider • With 35,600,000 high-speed Internet customers nationwide, Cable is a leading platform for the “Internet Ecosystem”.