The FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau has released a public notice asking the public to refresh the record in EB Docket No. 04-296. Specifically, the Commission seeks comment on issues raised in a 2005 Petition for Immediate Interim Relief filed by the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council (MMTC) and other organizations in their attempt to have the FCC mandate that Emergency Alert System (EAS) messages be broadcast in more than the English language. The FCC has twice before solicited comment on this very topic in the same docket, the first time in 2005 and the second time in 2007. However, according to the FCC, since 2007, “there have been a number of developments, including technological and regulatory changes to the EAS, which may impact the Commission’s consideration of these issues.” Comments are due 30 days after the public notice is public in the Federal Register and reply comments are due 45 days after publication of the public notice in the Federal Register.
