Below is a formula to
help information radio
station operators
determine what content
is appropriate to
broadcast on their
ALERT
AM, Information Station,
RadioSTAT or
VoiceStar stations. The
FCC has designated all
these stations to be
forms of Travelers'
Information Stations.
(For more detail
regarding TIS
parameters, please see
the
"TIS Background"
section at the bottom of
this page.) |
What am I allowed to
broadcast? |
When planning
broadcasts, it helps to remember the
acronym
TIDE;
because, according to
the FCC, broadcast
content is permitted to relate to
Travel,
Imminent
Danger or
Emergencies.
Following are examples
of each with FCC references.
The FCC qualifies all
examples below by
stating that local
public safety officials
are charged with
determining what content
on their stations
describes situations of
imminent danger. |
Travel
Operator Discretion
The Federal Communications Commission affords public safety
officials “…discretion regarding the …service. Given their intimate knowledge of local
conditions and considering the limited area of operation of TIS base stations, TIS licensees
are in the best position to determine what constitutes an “imminent [threat to]
safety-of-life or property, as well as when emergency conditions reach the level of a
hurricane, flood, earthquake or similar disaster” (****)
|
Imminent Danger
(Mouse over
here to see note.)
Operator Discretion
The Federal Communications Commission affords public safety
officials “…discretion regarding the …service. Given their intimate knowledge of local
conditions and considering the limited area of operation of TIS base stations, TIS licensees
are in the best position to determine what constitutes an “imminent [threat to]
safety-of-life or property, as well as when emergency conditions reach the level of a
hurricane, flood, earthquake or similar disaster” (****)
|
Traffic and Road
Conditions (*)
Traffic Hazards
(*)
Travel
Advisories (*)
Directions (*)
Availability of
Lodging (*)
Rest Stops &
Service Stations
(*)
Descriptions of
Local Points of
Interest (*)
511
Information (*)
(****)
Such as:
→ Road Closures
and Construction
(*)(****)
→ Parking
(*)(****)
→ Current
Driving Travel
Times (*)(****)
→ Air Flight
Status (*)(****)
→ Truck Weigh
Stations
(*)(****)
→ Driver Rest
Areas (*)(****)
→ Location of
Truck Services
(*)(****)
→
Interpretation,
Historic,
Cultural Info
(*)
→ Event
Schedules and
Live Events (*) |
Content Directly Related
to Safety of Life &
Property (**)
Such as:
→ Weather
Alerts (*)(****)
→ Difficult or
Hazardous
Conditions (****)
→ Vehicle
Crashes (*)(****)
→ NOAA Weather Radio
Rebroadcasts Relating to
Potential
or Existing Hazards (****)
Emergencies
(Mouse over
here to see note.)
Operator Discretion
The Federal Communications Commission affords public safety
officials “…discretion regarding the …service. Given their intimate knowledge of local
conditions and considering the limited area of operation of TIS base stations, TIS licensees
are in the best position to determine what constitutes an “imminent [threat to]
safety-of-life or property, as well as when emergency conditions reach the level of a
hurricane, flood, earthquake or similar disaster” (****)
During Emergency Periods
in which Normal
Communications Are
Disrupted as a Result of
Disasters (***)
Such as:
→ Emergency Points of
Assembly (*)(****)
→ Evacuation
Routes (*)(****)
→ Location of
Shelters (*)(****)
→ Health Care (*)(****)
→ Emergency
Facilities (*)(****)
→ NOAA Weather Radio
Rebroadcasts Relating
to Potential or Existing Hazards (****)
|
What am I REQUIRED to
broadcast? |
What content is NEVER
allowed? |
Your Station's
7-Character Call Sign,
at Least Every 30
Minutes. (++)
Such as:
→ This WQUK589,
your information radio
station on AM 1610." |
Music, Business Names
or other Commercial
Information. |
Related Links
For more info about call
signs, see #13 on
our FAQs webpage here
linked.
Listen to sample
broadcasts available
from this link, our
Recording Services
webpage. |
What content IS ALLOWED
when deemed important by safety
officials? |
→ Routine Weather
Forecasts (****)
→ General Safety and
Emergency Preparedness
Messages,
Health and Terrorist
Information during
Non-Emergency
Periods (****)
|
What exactly is a
TIS station?
|
We often refer to the
Travelers' Information
Stations in general
terms as “information
radio stations.” For
specifically outfitted
stations used in
emergency applications,
we use the phrase
“emergency advisory
radio.” For traffic
applications and station
setups, we apply the
term “highway advisory
radio." All these
information radio
stations are formally
considered to be
Travelers' Information
Stations by the FCC.
To qualify as a TIS under
the
FCC Part 90.242 Rules
umbrella, stations must
operate at no more than 10 watts on
the AM-band frequencies
530-1700 kHz. Signal
coverage is limited to
2.0 mV/m at 1.5 km,
which typically yields a
signal radius of 3-5
miles.
Motorists are notified
to tune to the stations
via road signs, which may incorporate
flashing beacons. See
also the
FCC TIS Compliance Guide,
published in 2014.
Federal agencies and
state/local governments
may license the stations
through the NTIA and FCC,
respectively. (NTIA is
an acronym for National
Telecommunications &
Information
Administration.) Some of
those entities acquire
funding for station
purchases through grants
and/or partnerships with
constituencies.
|
Footnotes
|
(*) FCC Rules
§ 90.242 (a)(7)
"Travelers'
Information Stations
shall transmit only
noncommercial voice
information pertaining
to traffic and road
conditions, traffic
hazard and travel
advisories, directions,
availability of lodging,
rest stops and service
stations, and
descriptions of local
points of interest. It
is not permissible to
identify the commercial
name of any business
establishment whose
service may be available
within or outside the
coverage area of a
Travelers' Information
Station. However, to
facilitate announcements
concerning
departures/arrivals and
parking areas at air,
train, and bus
terminals, the trade
name identification of
carriers is permitted.
Travelers' Information
Stations may also
transmit information in
accordance with the
provisions of §§90.405
and 90.407...."
(**) FCC Rules
§ 90.405(a)(1)
"Stations
licensed under this part
may transmit...any
communication related
directly to the imminent
safety of life or
property."
(***) FCC Rules
§ 90.407
"The licensee of any
station authorized under
this part may, during a
period of emergency in
which the normal
communication facilities
are disrupted as a
result of hurricane,
flood, earthquake or
similar disaster,
utilize such station for
emergency communications
in a manner other than
that specified in the
station authorization or
in the rules and
regulations governing
the operation of such
stations. The Commission
may at any time order
the discontinuance of
such special use of the
authorized facilities."
(****)
FCC Report & Order (13-98)
(++) FCC Rule
§ 90.425 (a)
"...each
station or system shall
be identified by the
transmission of the
assigned call sign
during each transmission
or exchange of
transmissions, or once
each 15 minutes (30
minutes in the Public
Safety Pool) during
periods of continuous
operation...."
|
Disclaimer:
Information Station
Specialists, Inc.,
assumes no direct or
implied responsibility
for the content of radio
station broadcasts. The
licensee operator, with
guidance from FCC TIS
Part 90.242 Rules
(including, but not
limited to those
linked above) assumes full
responsibility for the
content of station
broadcasts. |