Title: Wednesday, May 28, 2003
1- Wednesday, May 28, 2003
- Federal Communications Commission
2- Communications, Infrastructure Security, Access
and Restoration Working Group
Bruce Allan, Chairman
3Communications Infrastructure Charter of the
Working Group
- Address the risks and vulnerabilities of our
nation's television, radio, multi-channel video,
microwave, and satellite infrastructure in the
event of terrorist attack,natural disaster or
other manmade catastrophe - Assess current security and restoration
capabilitiesto identify best practices, needed
enhancements,and recommended changes - Review current media infrastructure
redundancywithin and between each industry
segment - Evaluate the impact of digital technology on
security, infrastructure redundancy, and service
restoration
4Working Group Organization
Task Forces Chair Prevention Glenn Reitmeier,
NBC Restoration Bob Seidel, CBS Future
Technologies/ Ira Goldstone, Tribune Digital
Solutions
5Working Group Calendar
6Prevention Task Force Gathering Data
Survey through industry associations
Directly contact organizations
Local
National
Regional
Broadcast TV
Cable TV
Radio
DBS
SatelliteRadio
7Prevention Task Force
- Industry Surveys
- Created with substantial industry
associationinput and cooperation - Survey conducted and tabulated by industry
associations - SBCA April, 2003 distributed
- NCTA April, 2003 distributed
- APTS May, 2003 distributed
- NAB May, 2003 distributed
- Next step result tabulation assessment
8Prevention Task Force
- Recommendations
- Media companies vulnerability assessments should
include - The possibility of deliberate attacks
- Natural disasters
- Equipment failures and take appropriate measures
toprevent loss of service and to expedite rapid
recovery - System redundancies and their geographic
distribution should be considered as response
elements in media vulnerability assessments - During government-declared emergency
conditions,news networks should consider the
possibility of abackup carriage plan with other
non-news networksto gain cost-effective
additional geographic diversity
9Prevention Task Force
- Recommendations
- The role of commercial communications satellites
as the predominant means of national signal
distribution suggests that the security practices
for these facilities be examined - Local media should have a vulnerability
assessment and disaster recovery plan and subject
it to periodic review, update and practice - The scenario of widespread power outages should
be considered a element of vulnerability
assessments and cooperative response plans. In
such a scenario, the importance of radio
increases because of its ability to reach battery
powered and automotive receivers
10Restoration Task Force
- Capability Assessments
- Surveys designed to determine restoration
timelines for different sectors - Develop a cost-benefit analysis for
short,medium and long term recovery plans - Validate restoration best practices
11Future Technologies / Digital Solutions Task
Force
- MCAP Rationale
- Digital technology offers inherent enhancements
in speed, robustnessand flexibility in delivery
of content - These enhancements should be embraced and enabled
as the current EAS system or other new emergency
information systems evolve - A standards-based protocol that serves asa
common technical platform for all digitalsystems
is an important first step
12- MCAP Key Attributes
- Addressability national, regional and local
- Scaleability support variable and dynamically
changing bit rates - Interoperability easily transported
withinexisting digital media systems - Prioritizing automatic based on alert level
13(No Transcript)
14- Once the MCAP is defined, industry organizations
and companies will havean important role in
progressing to implementation, by developing
standardsand specifications for carriage of
MCAPon various media - We will continue to identify organizationsto add
to the following list that will be helpfulin
advancing the MCAP
15(No Transcript)
16- Recommendation
- Government should coordinate developmentof a
Media Common Alert Protocol (MCAP) - MCAP defined as
- Protocol to deliver emergency messagesvia
digital networks - Protocol that flows over all methods of digital
transport and can be received by all digital
receivers - Protocol that is optimized for point-to-multi-poin
t networks and devices only
17- Public Communications Safety
- Working Group
John Eck, Chairman
18Outline
- Working Group
- Mission
- Organization
- Membership
- Best Practice Recommendations
19Public Communications SafetyCharter of the
Working Group
- Address issues relating to public communications
and safety in response to physical attacks and
natural disasters. - Means by which government and media communicate
emergency and public safety information to the
general population, including but not limited to
the Emergency Alert System. - Consider any special requirements needed to
communicate such information to the hearing and
visually impaired.
Ensure consistent, reliable and accurate
communication among the Media, Government and the
Public When a Public Safety Emergency is Declared
20Top-Level Issues
- Who is the public? Everyone, including
- Visually Impaired
- Hearing Impaired
- Non-English speaking
- Many key decisions are Government responsibility
(weather/natural disaster alerts provide some
best practices) - Need for a message
- What the message is
- Who it needs to be delivered to
- When it needs to be delivered (perhaps in
prioritized order) - Effective execution requires pre-planning and
training of Government, Media and Public
21PCS Working Group Organization
GovtMedia
GovtPublic
MediaMedia
MediaPublic
What is govts message to the public?
How does govt get its message to the media?
How do media cooperate?
How does media reach all people?
Broadcast TV
new alternatives
Cable TV
EAS
message
Radio
Radio TV Sound Visual
Web
22Working Group Leadership
Chairs
Sub-Committee
Govt Public Thomas Fitzpatrick (Giuliani
Partners) Govt Media Ann Arnold (Texas
Assoc. of Broadcasters) Media Media Dave
Barrett / Fred Young (Hearst-Argyle) Media
Public Mike Starling (NPR) Joe Bruns
(WETA)
Organized Around Process Stakeholders
23Broad Working Group Participation
- Leading Media Companies
- ABC/Disney, CBS/Viacom, Fox, NBC, PBS
- Radio One, Clear Channel radio, NPR
- Hearst-Argyle, Tribune, Telemundo, Univision,
WETA, WNET - DirecTV, EchoStar, Time-Warner Cable
- Industry Associations
- NAB, APTS, NCTA, CTIA, CEA, TAB
- Government and Emergency Responders
- FCC, FEMA, NWS/NOAA
- Fire Chiefs, Police Chiefs, Natl Sheriffs
Assoc, Intl Assoc of Emergency Mgrs - California OES, Florida Emergency Mgmt
- Public Interest Groups
- Partnership for Public Warning, Org of Chinese
Americans - Am. Found for the Blind, National Captioning
Inst., League for Hard of Hearing - Technology Process Experts
24Introduction
- Timely delivery of warnings and public safety
information can save lives - Media production and delivery companies
- play a major role in delivering risk
communications - and warnings to citizens at risk
- Capability to educate and inform the public
- Ongoing real time coverage of events
- Critical role in the Emergency Alert System
25Best Practices Framework
- Establishing Responsibility
- Public / Private Partnership
- Joint Plans and Processes
- Coordinated Industry Action
- Emergency Alert System (EAS)
- New Technology
- Promoting Best Practices
26Establishing Responsibility
- 1. A single Federal entity should be responsible
- effective public communications capabilities and
procedures - lead responsibilities established
- national, uniform, all-hazard risk communication
process - Language diversity
- People with Disabilities (incl. sensory)
Implement a National, Uniform, All-Hazard Risk
Communication Warning Process From a Public and
Private Consensus
27Public / Private Partnership
- 2. A public / private partnership should make
coordinated use of mass media and other
dissemination systems.
Best Use of All Available Resources
28- Thanks
- Working Group chairpersons
- Working Group members
- FCC staff
- This is only a beginning
- Framework for future best practices
Challenge Going Forward energizing state and
local level collaboration among media and
government
29Joint Plans Processes
- Â 3. Local and State governments and the media
should cooperate to create, review and update
emergency communications procedures - 3.1 Effective use of current, emerging, and
legacy systems - 3.2 Local media - key participants in
communications and warning plans - Â 3.3 Federal and local agencies - work with the
media - 3.4 Local media - assist government - create and
deliver public education - 3.5 Presentation guidelines be sure that all
emergency delivery systems work well together - 3.6 Regular testing and rehearsals
Joint Planning Execution
30Coordinated Industry Action
- 4. Local media should form cooperatives to
deliver government emergency messages in a
coordinated way to all constituencies in the
community. - 4.1 Local media pools for risk communication and
warning - 4.1.1 Consider a single media point of contact
- 4.2 Media and government should agree to take
pre-planned actions upon authenticated notice - 4.2.1 Local and state emergency communication
committees should plan well coordinated community
responses - 4.2.2 Local media should coordinate activities
to reach multiple language and disabled
constituencies - 4.3 Activities / roles appropriate to local
conditions under various failure scenarios should
be created, developed, rehearsed and tested - 4.3.1 Plans should account for widespread power
outages, when radio can communicate to battery
powered receivers
Coordinated media actions amplify government
messages
31EAS
- The Emergency Alert System should be periodically
tested, upgraded as necessary, implemented and
maintained. - 5.1 Uniformly implemented with the latest EAS
codes - 5.2 Update State and local EAS plans - with
broadcasters and cable operators - 5.3 Wired and wireless paths to EAS entry points
should be in good working order - 5.4 Primary Entry Point system should be in good
working order
EAS Can Be Used Effectively
32New Technology
- Research into alternative, redundant and/or
supplemental means of communicating emergency
information to the public should be accelerated. -
- 6.1 Expand government partnership with media,
consumer electronics and computer industries - 6.1.1 Explore emerging technologies existing
infrastructures and new ones -
New Technology Can Improve Capabilities
33Promoting Best Practices
- 7. Local jurisdiction/market cooperatives should
be encouraged to share their locally developed
best practices
Significant Gains achieved through People
Process
34Concluding Remarks
- Thanks
- Working Group chairpersons
- Working Group members
- FCC staff
- This is only a beginning
- Framework for future best practices
Challenge Going Forward energizing state and
local level collaboration among media and
government
35- Wednesday, May 28, 2003
- Federal Communications Commission