Editing NOAA Weather Radio (section)

== History ==
The U.S. Weather Bureau first began broadcasting [[Marine weather forecasting|marine weather]] information in Chicago and New York City on two VHF radio stations in 1960 as an experiment.<ref name="wrdirect">{{cite web|url=http://weatherradios.com/blog/the-history-of-noaa-weather-radio|title=The History of NOAA Weather Radio|publisher=Weather Radios Direct|access-date=13 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402093323/http://weatherradios.com/blog/the-history-of-noaa-weather-radio|archive-date=2015-04-02}}</ref><ref name="noaa">{{cite news|url=http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dvn/?n=nwrhistory|title=History of NOAA Weather Radio|publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)}}</ref> Proving to be successful, the broadcasts expanded to serve the general public in coastal regions in the 1960s and early 1970s.<ref name="nelson">{{cite news|url=http://cliffedits.com/thesis/thesis.html|title=American Warning Dissemination and NOAA Weather Radio|author=Nelson, W.C.|year=2002}}</ref> By early 1970, [[Environmental Science Services Administration|ESSA]] listed 20 U.S. cities using 162.55&nbsp;MHz and one using 163.275 "ESSA VHF Radio Weather."<ref name=PI680033>{{cite web|type=Brochure|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=O8gHZbsIc04C|date=1970|title=Marine Weather Services, ESSA/PI 68003|publisher=U.S. Department of Commerce, Environmental Science Services Administration}}</ref> Later, the U.S. Weather Bureau adopted its current name, [[National Weather Service]] (NWS), and was operating 29 VHF-FM weather-radio transmitters under the [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] (NOAA) which replaced ESSA in 1970.<ref name="wrdirect" /> The service was designed with boaters, fishermen, travelers and more in mind, allowing listeners to quickly receive a "life-saving" weather bulletin from their local weather forecast office (WFO), along with routinely updated forecasts and other climatological data in a condensed format at any time of the day or night. The general public could have the latest weather updates when they needed them, and the benefit of more lead-time to prepare during severe conditions. In 1974, NOAA Weather Radio (NWR), as it was now called, reached about 44 percent of the U.S. population over 66 nationwide transmitters.<ref name="nelson" /> NWR grew to over 300 stations by the late 1970s.<ref name="noaa" />

Local NWS staff were the voices heard on NWR stations from its inception until the late 1990s when "Paul" was introduced.<ref name="Voices Used on NOAA Weather Radio">{{cite web|url=http://nws.noaa.gov/nwr/newvoice.htm|title=Voices Used on NOAA Weather Radio|work=National Weather Service|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080206061120/http://nws.noaa.gov/nwr/newvoice.htm|archive-date=2008-02-06}}</ref><ref name="nws">{{cite news|url=http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/VIPstatus.htm|title=Voice Improvement Processor|publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)}}</ref> The messages were recorded on tape, and later by digital means, then placed in the broadcast cycle. This technology limited the programming variability and locked it into a repetitive sequential order. It also slowed down the speed of warning messages when severe weather happened, because each NWS office could have up to eight transmitters.<ref name="Voices Used on NOAA Weather Radio" /> "Paul" was a computerized voice using the [[DECtalk]] text-to-speech system.<ref name="Voices Used on NOAA Weather Radio" /> "Paul's" voice was dissatisfactory and difficult to understand; thus "Craig", "Tom," "Donna" and later "Javier" were introduced in 2002 using the Speechify text-to-speech system from [[SpeechWorks]] (not to be confused with the [[Speechify|iOS app of the same name]]).<ref name="Voices Used on NOAA Weather Radio" /><ref name="nws" /> A completely new voice from the VoiceText text-to-speech system, also named "Paul", was introduced in 2016 and implemented nationwide by late in the year. Live human voices are still used occasionally for weekly tests of the [[Specific Area Message Encoding]] (SAME) and 1,050&nbsp;Hz tone alerting systems, [[Station identification|station IDs]], and in the event of system failure or computer upgrades. They will also be used on some stations for updates on the time and radio frequency.

In the 1990s, the National Weather Service adopted plans to implement SAME technology nationwide; the roll-out moved slowly until 1995, when the U.S. government provided the budget needed to develop the SAME technology across the entire radio network. Nationwide implementation occurred in 1997 when the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) adopted the SAME standard as part of its new [[Emergency Alert System]] (EAS).<ref name="wrdirect" /> NOAA Weather Radio's public alerting responsibilities expanded from hazardous weather-only events to "all hazards" being broadcast.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Kupec, R. J.|date=July–August 2008|title=Tuning in: Weather radios for those most at risk|volume=6|journal=Journal of Emergency Management|page=51|number=4|doi=10.5055/jem.2008.0029}}</ref>

=== Expansion ===
In the wake of the [[1965 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak]], one of the key recommendations from the [[National Weather Service|U.S. Weather Bureau's]] storm survey team, was the establishment of a nationwide radio network that could be used to broadcast weather warnings to the general public, hospitals, key institutions, news media, schools, and the public safety community. Starting in 1966, the [[Environmental Science Services Administration]] (ESSA) started a nationwide program known as "ESSA [[Very high frequency|VHF]] Weather Radio Network." In the early 1970s, this was changed to NOAA Weather Radio.<ref name="BirthNWR">{{cite web |title=Birth of NOAA Weather Radio |url=https://vlab.ncep.noaa.gov/web/nws-heritage/explore-nws-history#event-birth-of-noaa-weather-radio |website=National Weather Service Heritage |access-date=23 January 2020}}</ref><ref name=PI680033/> The service was expanded to coastal locations during the 1970s in the wake of [[Hurricane Camille]] based upon recommendations made by the Department of Commerce after the storm in September 1969.<ref name="CamilleReport">{{cite book|url= ftp://ftp.library.noaa.gov/noaa_documents.lib/NWS/Assessments/Hurricane-Camille.pdf|title=Hurricane Camille: A Report to the Administrator |date= September 1969|publisher=U.S. Department of Commerce, Environmental Science Services Administration  |access-date=January 18, 2020 |quote= "it is further recommended that the VHF-FM Weather Broadcasts, an extremely effective means of communication with the general public and responsible authority, be installed as planned on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts"}}</ref>

Since then, a proliferation of stations have been installed and activated to ensure near-complete geographical coverage and "weather-readiness", many of which have been funded by state [[emergency management]] agencies in cooperation with the NOAA to expand the network, or state public broadcasting networks. To avoid interference and allow for more specific area coverage, the number of frequencies in use by multiple stations grew to two with the addition of 162.400&nbsp;MHz in 1970 followed by the third (162.475) in 1975 with the remaining four (162.425, 162.450, 162.500 & 162.525) coming into use by 1981.<ref name=PI70035/><ref name="162.475MHz">{{cite book|url= https://archive.org/details/federalplanf00unit/page/21|title=The Federal Plan for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research, Fiscal Year 1976|last=Jenson|first=Clayton E.|display-authors=etal|date=April 1975|publisher=U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |pages= 21 & 62|access-date=January 18, 2020|quote=The NOAA Weather Radio, operating at 162.4, 162.475, or 162.55 MHz provides continuous radio broadcasts" & "These broadcasts, transmitted on frequencies of 162.40 MHZ, 162.475 MHz, and 162.55 MHz, provide continuous weather forecasts and warnings}}</ref><ref name=IEEEpaper>{{cite book |title= Conference record of papers presented at the thirty-first annual conference, Washington, DC, April 6, 7, 8, 1981, "Status of NOAA Weather Radio Program" |last= Carnegie |first= Samuel |date= April 1981 |department= National Weather Service |publisher= Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 1981|location= Washington, DC |page= 109 |quote= "FREQUENCY ADDITIONS: In addition to 162.40, 162.475 and 162.55 MHz, NWS has received 4 additional frequencies for use in NWR. These additional frequencies are 162.425, 162.45, 162.5 and 162.525MHz. With these additional frequencies, we are hopeful that Co-channel interference can be eliminated and expansion of NWR can result, but the net effect will be tighter specifications for NWR receiver selectivity." |doi= 10.1109/VTC.1981.1622917 |s2cid= 39769334 |url= https://zenodo.org/record/1282717 }}</ref><ref name=WVbluebook>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=jf3vAAAAMAAJ |title= "West Virginia Blue Book", Volume 67|year= 1981 |publisher= Tribune Company |location= Original from Pennsylvania State University |page= 535 |access-date= January 20, 2020 |quote= "Hinton 162.425 MHz" "Sutton 162.45 MHz" "Flat Top 162.50 MHz" "Gilbert 162.525 MHz"}}</ref>

In the 1950s, the Weather Bureau started with KWO35 in New York City and later added KWO39 in Chicago.<ref name="BirthNWR"/> By 1965 it had added KID77 in Kansas City, home to the [[Storm Prediction Center|Severe Local Storms Center]], as the third continuous VHF radio transmitter with the fourth, KBA99 in Honolulu, operating by January 1967.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TLN8bCSGnrwC |title = A Proposed Nationwide Natural Disaster Warning System (NADWARN): Report with Background Information|year = 1965}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.weather.gov/media/publications/assessments/palmsunday65.pdf|title=Report of Palm Sunday Tornadoes of 1965|date=1965-04-11|access-date=2023-08-20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite FTP |url=ftp://ftp.library.noaa.gov/docs.lib/htdocs/rescue/journals/essa_world/QC851U461967jan.pdf |server=ftp.library.noaa.gov |url-status=dead |title=FTP link }}</ref>

Denver became the 60th NWR station in September 1972 and by December 1976 there were roughly 100 stations transmitting on three channels in December 1976.<ref>{{cite magazine |title= VHF Weather Radio Broadcasts Dedicated at Denver, Sacramento |url= ftp://ftp.library.noaa.gov/docs.lib/htdocs/rescue/journals/noaa_week/GC1N581972v3no43.pdf |access-date= January 17, 2020 |magazine= NOAA Week |publisher= National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |date= October 20, 1972 |volume= 3|issue= 43|quote= "The sixtieth National Weather Service continuous transmission weather radio station was dedicated at Denver, Colo., Sept 28" }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1= Mogil |first1= H. Michael |last2= Groper |first2= Herbert S. |date= April 1977 |title= "NWS's Servere Local Storm Warning and Disaster Preparedness Programs" National Weather Service Headquarters, NOAA |journal= Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society |volume=58 |issue=4 |pages=318–329 |doi= 10.1175/1520-0477(1977)058<0318:NSLSWA>2.0.CO;2 |doi-access= free }}</ref>
Growth accelerated in the mid-1970s with NWR reaching 200 radio stations in May 1978 with WXK49 in Memphis, Tennessee; 300 in September 1979 with WXL45 in Columbia, Missouri; and by 1988, the NWS operated about 380 stations covering approximately 90 percent of the nation's population.<ref>{{cite magazine |title= Weather Radio Network Passes 200 Goal Is 340 |url= ftp://ftp.library.noaa.gov/docs.lib/htdocs/rescue/journals/noaa/QC851U461978jul.pdf |magazine= NOAA Magazine |publisher= National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |date= July 1978 |volume= 8|issue= 3|page= 59|access-date=2020-01-18 |quote= "On 2 May 1978, the WXK84 in Memphis, TN became the 200th NOAA Weather Radio station to go into service followed by WXK47 in Bristol, TN three days later as part of a goal of 340 stations reaching 90 percent of the nation's population by 1979." }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title= 300th Station on the Air |url= ftp://ftp.library.noaa.gov/docs.lib/htdocs/rescue/journals/noaa/QC851U461979oct.pdf |magazine= NOAA Magazine |publisher= National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |date= October 1979 |volume= 9|issue= 4|page= 63 |access-date=2020-01-19 |quote= "The Nation's 300th NOAA Weather Radio station (WXL-S7[invalid station#, is WXL45]) went on the air in September in Columbia, Mo., ... the latest in a 350-station network of NOAA Weather Radios slated to be in operation by the end of the year" }}</ref><ref name="PA76015rev1988">{{citation |mode=cs1 |type=Brochure|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pwU_Ce7B8KwC|title=NOAA Weather Radio, NOAA/PA 76015|date=1988|publisher=U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service |via=Google Books}}</ref> This grew to over 500 radio stations by May 1999, and over 800 by the end of 2001.<ref name=PA96070>{{cite web |type=Brochure |date=May 1999|title=NOAA Weather Radio – The Voice of NOAA's National Weather Service, NOAA/PA 96070, Rev May 1999 |publisher=U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service|url=http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/resources/nwr.pdf|access-date=2020-01-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928035828/http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/resources/nwr.pdf|archive-date=September 28, 2012}}</ref><ref name="wrdirect" /> As of January 2020, there were about 1,032 stations in operation in fifty states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and Saipan, with over 95% effective coverage.<ref name=PA94062>{{cite web|type=Brochure|date=January 2020|title=NOAA Weather Radio – The Voice of NOAA's National Weather Service, NOAA/PA 94062, Rev January 2020 |publisher=U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service|url=https://www.weather.gov/media/nwr/NWR_Brochure_NOAA_PA_94062.pdf|access-date=2020-01-15}}</ref>