A new optional approach to internal EAS operations is being advocated by the National Association of Broadcasters as a way to help broadcasters secure alerting equipment from cyberattack.
NAB says using software-based encoder/decoder technology would eliminate the need for physical EAS equipment and promote the aims of the FCC.
However, one EAS equipment manufacturer believes that “virtualization” proposals for EAS “would be inherently dangerous” and risk weakening both local and national EAS.
Using software-based tech for EAS is referred to as virtualization in the proponents’ comments. Broadly speaking, virtualization typically means that a particular function is no longer tied to a specific physical piece of equipment.
It’s common now for equipment providers to supply software that can run on a station’s servers. EAS functionality could be added to a piece of…
