WASHINGTON—With the most recent nation-wide EAS Test having taken place on Aug. 7, the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau has issued a reminder to all of the test’s participants that there is still work to be done. All participants are required to file Form Three in the EAS Test Reporting System on or before Sept. 23.

Form Three requests information on post-test data regarding the nationwide test, including things like the source from which a facility first received the test message and any complications that might have been experienced in the receipt or retransmission of the test.

The provided information will be used to inform the FCC on the technical and operational performance of test that could indicate improvements needed to make EAS a reliable alerting tool.

Information on how to appropriately provide information via the ETRS form is available on the FCC website. Filers can also contact FCC staff at ETRS@fcc.gov.

WASHINGTON—Broadcasters who may not have met last week’s July 3 deadline for filing their ETRS Form One for the upcoming nationwide emergency alert system test are still able to file late, though the FCC’s ETRS team said in an email correspondence that any late filings “should be done right away.”

All EAS participants are required to renew their identifying information annually via the ETRS Form One, with a separate filing for each EAS decoder, encoder or units that combine decoder and encoder functions.

The nationwide EAS test is set for Aug. 7. On that day, participants will also be required to file ETRS Form Two, which covers day of test information, by 11:59 p.m. ET. ETRS Form Three, covering post test data will be due by Sept. 23. ETRS Forms Two and Three will become available at the time of the nationwide test.

Filers can access ETRS through the FCC website and must use their registered FCC username associated with the FCC registration numbers. Updates or corrections to the form can be performed 30 days after submission.

WASHINGTON—Following the recent announcement that the next nationwide emergency alert test will take place on Aug. 7, the FCC’s EAS Test Reporting System is now open and accepting filings.

All EAS participants are required to renew their identifying information annually with ETRS Form One, and required to submit filings on or before July 3.

Each EAS participant is required to file a separate copy of Form One for each of its EAS decoders, EAS encoders or units that combine decoder and encoder functions.

There are a few exceptions to the requirement to file Form One. They are analog and digital low-power TV stations that operate as TV broadcast translator stations; FM broadcast booster stations and FM translator stations that rebroadcast the programming of other local FM broadcast stations; and analog and digital stations that operate as satellites or repeaters of a hub station and rebroadcast 100% of the programming of the hub station.

In addition, the commission has set a deadline of Aug. 7 on or before 11:59 p.m. EDT to file ETRS Form Two, which covers “day of test” information. Post-test data covered in ETRS Form Three will need to be submitted by Sept. 23.

ETRS Forms Two and Three will become available in the ETRS at the time of the 2019 nationwide test.

Filers can access ETRS through the FCC website and must use their registered FCC username associated with the FCC Registration Numbers. Updates or corrections to the form can be performed 30 days after submission.

WASHINGTON—Don’t forget: today (Nov. 13) is the deadline for EAS participants to filethe detailed post-test data sought by ETRS Form Three.

The national test was held Sept. 27. Form Two was due that same day, but stations that have not submitted it should still do so.

Last week, stations were required to submit multilingual EAS plans to state SECCs.��

WASHINGTON—U.S. broadcasters are asking a few lingering questions as the Friday deadline approaches for registering within the new EAS Test Reporting System. One of the big ones: Is my station required to register?

The Federal Communications Commission has a specific list clarifying this.

The short answer, as offered by attorney Austin Randazzo during an FCC-sponsored webinar on the ETRS system last week: If you have EAS equipment, you need to file.

Randazzo is an FCC attorney advisor at the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau and moderated the webinar.

According to FCC rules, those who are required to register are analog and digital broadcast stations (AM, FM and low-power FM stations), satellite digital audio radio service providers, as well as Class A TV stations, low-power TV stations, cable systems, DBS providers and wireline video systems.

Randazzo said entities not required to file include FM broadcast booster stations and FM translator stations that entirely rebroadcast the programming of other local FM broadcast stations. In addition, international broadcast stations are exempt, as are analog and digital broadcast stations that operate as satellites or repeaters of a hub station and rebroadcast 100 percent of programming of the hub station.

But note: Those hub stations themselves must have compliant EAS equipment and register in the ETRS database.

The webinar covered a multitude of other topics including applying for an EAS monitoring waiver and how to register multiple stations.

This story first appeared on TVT's sister publication Radio World.