Spectrarep and Sage Alerting Systems joined forces at CES 2010 to demonstrate HD Radio technology's unique capability to digitally deliver text-based public alerts, warnings and other emergency communications.

Designed to showcase interoperability between the Spectrarep Alert Manager system and the Sage Digital ENDEC platform, the demonstration took place in Ibiquity Digital's exhibition booth. Emergency alert messages were originated and routed using Alert Manager, while Digital ENDEC processed and delivered authenticated alerts into the HD Radio transmission stream. A variety of tabletop and portable receivers decoded the geo-targeted alerts with audio and expanded multi-lingual text displays.

Emergency messages transmitted in the system utilize the Common Alerting Protocol version 1.2 as well as the CAP-to-EAS implementation profile provided by the EAS-CAP Industry Group (ECIG), a coalition of equipment, software and service providers to the Emergency Alert System.

CAP was developed as part of a Homeland Security initiative known as the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) and is designed to overcome many current limitations of the existing EAS. In addition to specific geo-targeting, CAP will expand the text and linguistic flexibility of EAS, add secure Internet technology to the EAS communication infrastructure and allow selective distribution of messages to distinct user groups.

The ECIG released a draft profile for the effective use and translation of the CAP over a year ago, and is now engaged in drafting a CAP EAS implementation guide for broadcasters.

Implementation of the new CAP protocol by broadcasters is scheduled to begin once the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officially adopts CAP v1.2. FEMA says it now expects to move forward with adoption in August this year.