For the fourth consecutive year, the FCC, in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”), will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (“EAS”) on August 7, 2019. While the detailsof the test will be similar to years past, EAS Participants, which includes all cable television systems, TV stations, radio stations and low power TV stations, should start making testing preparations because this year’s test is occurring much earlier than tests in previous years.
Requirements for EAS Participants
EAS Participants must complete several action items prior to the August 7, 2019, nationwide EAS test. EAS Participants must file EAS Test Reporting System (“ETRS”) Form One by July 3, 2019. If an EAS Participant participated in the nationwide EAS test last year or the year before, it should have already registered with ETRS and completed Form One, which requires EAS Participants to supply identifying and background information. This year EAS Participants will need to renew their identifying information in Form One and file an additional Form One for any new facilities. Each EAS Participant should file a separate copy of Form One for each of its EAS decoders, EAS encoders, and units combining such decoder and encoder functions.
