FCC extends Common Alerting Protocol deadline into 2012

The Federal Communication Commission released an order today (Sept. 16) that extends the deadline for Emergency Alert System (EAS) participating stations to implement the new Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) standard. The order moves the deadline from Sept. 30 to June 30, 2012. The extension may allow the first-ever National EAS Test scheduled by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the FCC, set for Nov. 9, to run more smoothly, notes the CommLaw Center blog of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman.

Media including NPR, the Association of Public Television Stations and PBS joined the National Association of Broadcasters in requesting the extension, reports TV Technology.

National Book Award finalists to be revealed live on pubradio

Finalists for this year's National Book Awards will be revealed live on Oregon Public Broadcasting's Think Out Loud, from the new Literary Arts space in Portland. It's a public-radio first, said Sarah Jane Rothenfluch, the show's executive producer. Beginning at 9 a.m. local time on Oct. 12, host Dave Miller will interview past winners, finalists and judges, who will announce the finalists.

WDUQ sale finalized

Essential Public Media has completed its purchase of Pittsburgh's WDUQ/90.5 FM, reports the local Post-Gazette. The call letters will change to WESA-FM. Under the terms of the agreement, seller Duquesne University will receive $4,004,500 in cash. Essential Public Media also will provide $1 million in underwriting to the university over the next 10 years, along with $500,000 worth of internships to Duquesne students. The deal was announced in January (Current, Jan. 24).

WNET going into international distribution business

WNET will distribute its own content internationally beginning at next month's MIPCOM program marketplace, according to entertainment news site C21. Previously, overseas distribution was handled by PBSd, a partnership between PBS and WGBH in Boston. "We thought we could do better," said Harvey Seslowsky, managing director of sales and global content distribution for WNET in New York City. "What we're trying to do is find ways to kick up our sources of revenue," and perhaps funnel those funds into new programming or expanded seasons of existing shows, he said. PBS will continue to handle domestic distribution of the station's content, while WNET will take over international sales. Seslowsky's team is still working on clearances to WNET's library but he hopes the station will have "a couple of hundred hours" to sell, such as the doc series American Masters, Nature and Great Performances.

Tom Koch, vice president of PBSd, told Current that PBSd did not handle WNET’s entire portfolio internationally. "The number of their programs represents a very tiny fraction of the PBSd international catalog," Koch said.