The Federal Communications Commission has rejected a request to extend the comment period for the agency’s inquiry into how broadcast outlets and communications networks withstood the most recent hurricane season, and how the federal government responded to the resulting disasters. Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau chief Lisa Fowlkes says the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) failed to provide “good cause” to extend the comment window. “We are concerned that granting the lengthy extension of time that NHMC requests would unduly limit the Bureau’s ability to assess the record, develop lessons learned and implement enhancements prior to the June 1 commencement of the 2018 hurricane season,” Fowlkes wrote in the two-page order.
NHMC had requested the FCC add at least eight weeks to the current Feb. 21 deadline for when reply comments are due. It said Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are “still reeling and recovering” from the devastating impact of the 2017 hurricane season and many haven’t had time to assess and file comments. NHMC said an extended deadline would help the FCC “better understand” how well radio, TV and other telecom services handled the disaster by allowing those affected to build a “more complete docket.”
But Fowlkes said with time short, several comments have already been filed with the Commission. “It would be helpful to get their input, and that of others, in reply comments as soon as possible,” she said.
The Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau opened a formal comment period (PS Docket No. 17-344) on the Atlantic hurricane season in December, saying it was looking for feedback to “better understand how well such access was provided during these hurricanes in order to assess what lessons may be learned for the future.” Among the areas where the FCC is looking for specific input are what actions the agency could have taken to be more helpful, whether its response to Special Temporary Authority (STA) requests was effective, how accurate its automated scans to determine operational status were, and whether there are industry best practices that operators in high-risk areas could implement to help prevent similar outages in the future. The Bureau is also looking for feedback on to what degree local government agencies issued Emergency Alert System messages—especially through new wireless networks. And the FCC wants to know how many alerts were sent in languages other than English.
As Inside Radio reported last month, the first round of comments brought stories from broadcasters such as Virgin Islands Public Broadcasting System, which said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided little assistance when Hurricane Irma’s category 5 winds blew across St. Thomas and St. John. VIPBS, which struggled to get WTJX-FM, Charlotte Amalie back on the air and continue broadcasting, said it got no response from FEMA when it needed help with its back-up generator. VIPBS has also been critical of the FCC’s voluntary Disaster Information Reporting System or DIRS, explaining that not only were people focused on their families and homes, but the widespread devastation meant finding an internet connection was impractical.
The latest tally from the FCC and the Puerto Rican Broadcast Association shows 48 FMs and 24 AMs in Puerto Rico are suspected or confirmed to be off the air. And in the U.S. Virgin Islands 21 FMs and three AMs are also dark, according to the FCC’s count. The agency says 6% of cell phone towers in Puerto Rico are still offline compared to 15% in the Virgin Islands. And nearly half a million people are still without power in Puerto Rico, and some reports indicate that areas will not have power until next spring.
