Author(s):
Prof. Marian Mustoe - Eastern Oregon University
Abstract:
Changes in broadcasting regulation and newly emerging technologies have contributed to a shift in the way commercial AM and FM radio stations can be operated and managed. Once the backbone of a cold war emergency alert network and strategic deterrent system, commercial radio stations still act as a part of a public emergency messaging system; now known as the Emergency Alert System. But given the present new era of de-regulatory broadcasting, some suggest that commercial radio has lost its edge as a part of a viable public emergency alert network. This research attempts to identify issues surrounding the break down of the EAS system during a train derailment of hazardous materials near Minot, North Dakota, in January 2003. Using the Minot event as a model, this derailment is compared to a derailment and hazardous spill that occurred in Macdona, Texas June 2004. Through interviews with representatives of the EPA, NOAA, state and local emergency managers as well as with radio station engineers, an analysis is constructed around the use of the EAS during these emergencies. This study also includes a series of empirical inquiries that include: the monitoring of specific stations for air quality, tracing the filing of a formal FCC complaint, and a survey of a sample of EAS local primary AM and FM stations nationwide. Finally, recommendations are provided that consider the role of commercial radio as a viable emergency messaging system in the context of homeland security and the ideals of localism.
