FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
June 14,2011
..JULIUS GENACHOWSKI
CHAIRMAN
The Honorable Albio Sires
U.S. House of Representatives
2342 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Congressman Sires:
Thank you for your letter supporting the expansion ofthe role oftravelers information
stations (TIS) to include the broadcast of Amber alerts, public health warnings, terror threat
levels, weather reports, and other helpful information. This is an important issue and I appreciate
your contribution to the discussion.
As you may know, in December, the Commission adopted an Order and otice of
Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that seeks public comment on whether the role oftravelers
information stations (TIS) should be expanded in the manner you suggest. The Order and
PRM comes as a direct result from petitions filed by the Highway Information Systems, Inc.
(HIS), the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and
the American Association of Information Radio Operators (AAIRO). That order requested that
the FCC expand the role ofTIS nationwide by allowing regional broadcasts of more types of
potential life-saving emergency information to travelers.
Generally, the Order and PRM seeks public comment on whether the FCC should
significantly expand the scope ofpermitted communications and alerts by local governments on
TIS stations and what limits if, in any, should be placed on those noncommercial messages. The
FCC is also seeking comment on whether TIS power limits should be modified to reach a larger
listening audience in their coverage area and to what extent TIS broadcast locations should be
expanded without resulting in harmful interference to the communications ofother licensed
broadcasters.
The comment cycle on this matter concluded in March and the Commission's staff is
currently reviewing the record. We are committed to working through these issues expeditiously
as we consider these proposed changes to Commission policy and rules governing TIS.
I welcome your continued interest in this matter. Please let me know if I can be ofany
further assistance.
Julius Genachowski
445 12n-1 STREET S.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554 • 202-418-1000