Press Release
Digital Alert Systems, the global leader in emergency communications solutions for video services providers, today announced that ARK Multicasting — the largest unencumbered ATSC 3.0 network in the nation — has adopted the DASDEC™ emergency messaging platform for its ATSC 3.0 station rollout across the United States.
"DASDEC is the gold standard for EAS/CAP equipment within the television environment. No other manufacturer has the breadth and depth of knowledge, experience, and support to tackle the varieties of equipment and interfaces ARK encounters," said Joshua Weiss, co-founder and CEO of ARK Multicasting.
ARK Multicasting is a NextGen TV company that is using the power of TV broadcasting, adding an IP multicast extension to the unicast internet. The DASDEC platform gives ARK reliable equipment that can not only be monitored and maintained remotely but also communicate over IP networks with other equipment in the overall solution.
ARK is deploying the model DASTVR units, which include three integrated AM/FM/WX receivers and multiple CAP decode channels. The alert messages are processed and forwarded to network-connected encoders where they present a text crawl and accompanying audio. This all-IP message handling simplifies the wiring and presents an easy to manage interface accessible over ARK’s network management.
"While ARK will primarily operate as a data provider, we must still be committed to meeting the FCC’s current EAS requirements for television broadcasters. ARK believes DASDEC offers the most flexible and robust EAS system on the market," added Weiss.
ARK has an unparalleled nationwide footprint of 300 exclusive Low Power TV FCC spectrum licenses covering more than 100 million people in the U.S. The company’s affiliate relationships double that reach to 66% of the country. ARK has deployed the DASDEC equipment in 10 racks currently and will also be installing Digital Alert Systems’ HALO™ enterprise management system for monitoring Emergency Alert Systems equipment and messages.
"It’s so gratifying to be part of ARK Multicasting’s unique business model, which transforms a traditional low power broadcaster into a key player of the NextGen TV and datacasting ecosystem," said Bill Robertson, vice president of business development for Digital Alert Systems. "There’s almost no better company to showcase all of DASDEC’s capabilities. And with 300 stations around the country, ARK Multicasting represents a big opportunity for Digital Alert Systems as they convert more and more of those stations to ATSC 3.0 with their goal of improving data delivery."
Further information about Digital Alert Systems and its products is available at http://www.digitalalertsystems.com.
