FCC Expands Post-Hurricane Matthew Status Reports

The FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau has expanded the Hurricane Matthew-affected areas from which it wants status reports from communications networks.

The FCC activated the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) Friday in various counties in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

DIRS is a voluntary web-based reporting system.

Related: Local TV's Hurricane Coverage Blanketed TV, Digital

Following the reports of dangerous flooding in other areas that could extend into Monday or even Tuesday, the FCC has added new counties in North Carolina, Virginia and South Carolina to the list. Broadcasters, cable operators and others in the areas below were asked to start filing reports on the status of equipment, power, restoration efforts and access to fuel starting at 10 a.m. Monday and each subsequent day by 10 a.m. until the DIRS is deactivated.

North Carolina: Brunswick, Carteret, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Dare, Hoke, Hyde, Johnston, Moore, New Hanover, Onslow, Pender, Robeson, Tyrrell, Wake

Related: FCC Makes It Easier for Hurricane Matthew-Related Emergency Operations

South Carolina: Horry

Virginia: Chesapeake City, Hampton City, Norfolk City, Portsmouth City, Virginia Beach City.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.