FCC Can Help Stations Stay On-Air During Emergencies

Hurricane season is coming soon and as first informers it is critical that broadcasters prepare. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security administer programs that can help broadcast stations stay on-air during times of emergencies. NAB encourages you to take full advantage of these programs.

DIRS: All broadcasters should check their status in the FCC’s Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS). The DIRS program allows radio and television stations to keep the FCC and other government agencies informed about their operational status during a disaster. Enrolling in DIRS will allow automated updates instead of phone calls from government officials soliciting information on your status. The DIRS program allows stations to enlist government help in locating fuel, a generator or other vital supplies during and after a disaster. For more information, please click here.

Stations that have already registered in DIRS should access the website to update their contact information. For stations not yet enrolled in DIRS, there is a link on the DIRS login page which will allow you to get a user ID and password. If you have a user ID (it is usually the characters before the @ sign in your e-mail address and is case-sensitive), but do not remember your password, please use the “forgotten password” link on the login page. You will be asked to provide the phone numbers and email address that the FCC can use to notify you when information about the status of your equipment is needed. You may contact John Healy at the FCC at john.healy@fcc.gov or (202) 418 2448 with any questions.

CDBS and ULS: Broadcasters should also ensure that their station’s contact information is correct and up to date in the FCC’s Consolidated Database System (CDBS) and Universal Licensing System (ULS). The FCC relies on the information in these systems to contact broadcasters that have been knocked off-air and may need assistance during times of emergency.

Priority Communications Services: The FCC and the National Communications System administer three priority services that help registered users receive priority access to telecommunications services during emergencies:

(1) the Wireless Priority Service program can facilitate your station personnel’s priority access to cellular networks that become congested during emergencies;
(2) the Government Emergency Telecommunications Services program facilitates a similar function for congested landline networks; and
(3) the Telecommunications Services Priority is an FCC program that directs telecommunications service providers (both wireline and wireless) to give preferential treatment to enrolled users when they need to add new lines or have their lines restored following a disruption of service, regardless of the cause.

Information on all three of these programs is available here.

These programs can help minimize the time you are disconnected from telecommunications services during emergencies. NAB strongly encourages broadcasters to take advantage of these opportunities and enroll in all of these programs to help you stay on-air during emergency situations.

The May 20, 2013 TV TechCheck is also available in an Adobe Acrobat file. Please click here to read the Adobe Acrobat version of Radio TechCheck.