WASHINGTON, D.C. -- NAB Executive Vice President Dennis Wharton issued the following statement in response to the Personal Localized Alerting Network (PLAN) unveiled today in New York. The PLAN initiative is designed to allow customers with an enabled mobile device to receive geographically-targeted text messages alerting them of threats to safety.
"We're pleased that cellphone carriers plan to live up to their promise to Congress five years ago to implement an emergency alert messaging system. However, when a cellular network goes down, customers will still be unable to access these 90-character warnings. As was evidenced in Alabama and other parts of the South just two weeks ago, there is no communications system that matches the life-saving immediacy of a local broadcast signal."
About NAB
The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy association for America's broadcasters. NAB advances radio and television interests in legislative, regulatory and public affairs. Through advocacy, education and innovation, NAB enables broadcasters to best serve their communities, strengthen their businesses and seize new opportunities in the digital age. Learn more at www.nab.org.
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