With hurricane season approaching and more frequent extreme weather, television and radio stations face a significant challenge: maintaining operations during communication network failures. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) provides a crucial guide, "10 Steps to Disaster Preparation and Recovery," to help broadcast facilities prepare for disasters impacting infrastructure and communities. The guide highlights the vital role of broadcasting as a lifeline during emergencies, especially when cellular and internet services fail.
The guide emphasizes a cross-departmental approach, involving engineers, news directors, general managers, and station owners. “Broadcasting is never more important than during an emergency,” the guide states, highlighting its critical infrastructure role. The framework covers natural and human-made threats, including floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, equipment failure, cyberattacks, and infrastructure disruptions. It stresses identifying single points of failure and implementing backup systems such as auxiliary transmitters, alternative studio locations, and satellite communication systems.
Cybersecurity preparedness is paramount, with recommendations including firewalls, multi-factor authentication, secure data backups, and staff training. The guide cites resources from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Staff safety is also detailed, including shelter-in-place plans, emergency supplies, evacuation procedures, and personal emergency kits.
The NAB recommends cross-training staff, regular drills testing various failure scenarios, and maintaining programming continuity through partnerships and online streaming. Insurance considerations are outlined, covering property damage, flood insurance, business interruption, and cybersecurity threats. The guide’s systematic approach balances the technical complexities of broadcast operations with their crucial public service role. Preparation, the guide stresses, is key to ensuring stations can function during emergencies.