Washington - Jan 24, 2011 - The NAB and the National Alliance of State Broadcasters Associations (NASBA) are teaming to launch an outreach campaign to educate broadcasters on a variety of issues surrounding the introduction of the next-generation Emergency Alert System (EAS). The series of live-video presentations and online webinars will kick off with a live virtual town hall on Feb. 3, 2011, from 4-5 p.m. EST, featuring Damon C. Penn, assistant administrator, National Continuity Programs, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and James A. Barnett, chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, Federal Communications Commission. They will provide an update on the current status of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System and the transition to the newly adopted Common Alerting Protocol (CAP).

Pre-registration for the event is not required. Prior to the event start time, go to www.easalert.org and click on "Go To The Town Hall." You will be asked to provide your name, affiliation and e-mail address so the organizers can contact viewers about future events in the series. The presentation will be archived on the website within 72 hours of the live presentation.

The next scheduled presentation will take place March 10 at 4 p.m. EST, and will address the FCC's Part 11 rulemaking proceeding. Future presentations will cover such topics as potential funding sources for CAP-compliant equipment and the upcoming national EAS test.