Public Safety Bureau Grants GCI EAS Waiver

The FCC Public Safety Bureau granted GCI Cable’s request for a temporary waiver of the requirement -- enacted in September 2022 -- that emergency alert system participants update their equipment to be able to prioritize alerts delivered by common alerting protocol by Tuesday, said an order in that day’s Daily Digest. Alerts delivered via the internet-based CAP can provide richer text information and are more accessible than those delivered via the legacy EAS system. GCI said it discovered that several of its EAS encoders are unable to process the required software update and that supply chain issues have delayed delivery of new encoders. “We conclude there is good cause to provide an extension of time until March 11, 2024, to accommodate the anticipated hardware delivery and installation estimated by GCI,” the bureau order said. Paramount Global requested a similar 30-day extension of the deadline for three of its 29 stations for similar reasons, a petition for temporary waiver posted Tuesday in docket 15-94 said. “The Paramount Global Licensees are fully committed to the expeditious installation and operation of their new EAS equipment well within the 30-day period requested.”