WASHINGTON, DC (CelebrityAccess) The U.S. Senate is considering a bill that would incorporate emergency alerts into streaming services.
The READI act (Reliable Emergency Alert Distribution Improvement) seeks to increase the methods to reach the public in case of emergency across many platforms, with streaming services such as Pandora and Spotify being a part of the consideration. Current alerts – for inclement weather, kidnappings, etc. – are currently broadcast over television and radio (and texted through cell phones), but fewer people are tuned into those outlets, with an increasing number streaming television programs like Netflix, or listening to music on their Amazon Echos or through their smartphones.
Senator Brian Schatz, co-sponsor of the act, citing the false alarm in Hawaii earlier this year, said, “Some people never got the message on their phone, while others missed it on their TVs and radios.”
The READI act has bipartisan support.
Streaming services currently have a user penetration of 49.7 percent and is expected to elevate to more than half the population in 2022, according to IQ magazine.