Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Are you ready for the Emergency Alert System test tomorrow?

Emergency Alerts happen all the time, on a local level. The need to test equipment, make sure the system works is a common practice. We have all seen the annoying color bars on the TV, or the ear piercing beeps on the radio. But it's never been tested on a national level, as Obama has called for. Why? What is Obama's motivation for this? Should we be expecting a cataclysmic event? Does Obama know something we don't? I reported this story more than 7 months ago, before it was news. Anyways, here's inside information for you about this test... 

(Radio Ink)
The first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) will take place on November 9, 2011 at 2 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time).
Reminder: Stations are prohibited from broadcasting the EAS tones or attention signal except during actual EAS activations, including the Nationwide EAS Test on November 9th and other EAS tests. Broadcasting the tones or signal during news stories or other programming is a violation of the FCC�s rules, and could pose a public danger because rebroadcast of the tones could trigger a false alert from EAS equipment that picks up such a rebroadcast. Please see this FCC Public Notice for further information.
Update, November 3 at 11:20 a.m.: NAB has confirmed with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Communications Commission that the nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System has been shortened to approximately 60 seconds. Please update your communications to reflect this change. Please consult this FCC Public Notice for further information, and please note that the FCC Nationwide EAS Test Handbook linked below has been revised as of November 3rd to reflect this change.  NAB will provide more information to members as it becomes available.

All radio and television stations must participate in the EAS Test.
The test will be conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The test will start at approximately 2 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) and will last approximately 60 seconds.
The purpose of the test is to help government organizations and EAS Participants (radio and TV broadcast stations, cable operators and satellite radio and TV) to determine the reliability of the EAS system. It is not a "pass-fail" exercise. However, the first National EAS Test will serve as a benchmark for measuring the effectiveness of the EAS system, and for improvements in the EAS system going forward. FEMA and the FCC intend to conduct National EAS Tests on an annual basis (although not always on November 9).
Broadcasters are the "backbone" of the EAS system. It is critical that radio and television stations put their best foot forward during the test. Therefore, all radio and television stations should prepare in advance for the National EAS Test.
To that end, here is a simple checklist of useful, important information to assist your station during every phase of the test.

Pre-Test

EAS Test Day

  • Nationwide EAS Test Handbook. The FCC has produced an EAS Handbook designed for use during the nationwide EAS test. The EAS Handbook has been revised on November 3, 2011.

    Please consult the FCC's Public Notice announcing the Handbook for further information. Stations should use this new guide, not the preexisting "EAS Handbook" you already have, for the National EAS Test on November 9, 2011.

    As of November 3, 2011: EAS Test Handbook
  • Television EAS Slide. The text crawl that is automatically generated by your EAS equipment when it receives the live code used for the National EAS Test will not indicate that the November 9 event is only a test. Television stations should insert a background slide behind the crawl clearly indicating that this is only a test. Stations may tailor their own graphic using similar text if desired.

    Therefore, NAB has worked with FEMA and the FCC to design on-screen language for television stations to insert during the nationwide EAS test. Television stations should either insert this slide or tailor their own visual slide using the text indicated on this slide.
  • Television Pre-Test Messaging. Because of the unique nature of this first-ever, federal-level Nationwide EAS Test, television stations are strongly encouraged to provide viewers with an additional last-minute reminder of the test. To that end, all television stations should run a tailored PSA or crawl for at least 30 to 120 seconds immediately preceding the Nationwide EAS Test. Such messaging could contain language such as the following:

    "At 2:00 p.m. Eastern time today, there will be a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System. THIS IS ONLY A TEST. There is no actual emergency. Our programming will resume when the test concludes in approximately 60 seconds."
  • Radio. Sample text of the EAS Test audio message can be found in the FCC's EAS Handbook.

Post-Test

  • Reporting. As mentioned above, all EAS Participants must report to the FCC on the results of their participation in the nationwide EAS test within 45 days after the test, including whether, and from whom, they received the alert message and whether they rebroadcast it. This information will remain confidential.

    Updated October 25, 2011: The FCC has created an online reporting system to simplify compliance with this requirement.

    Please consult the FCC's Public Notice announcing the Reporting System for further information. This Public Notice also contains information on how to submit your test results data in paper form.

Additional Information

Posted by SYSOP at 7:41 PM

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