§ 11.52 - EAS code and Attention Signal Monitoring requirements.

§ 11.52 EAS code and Attention Signal Monitoring requirements.

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 87 FR 67825, Nov. 10, 2022.

(a) EAS Participants must be capable of receiving the Attention Signal required by § 11.31(a)(2) and emergency messages of other broadcast stations during their hours of operation. EAS Participants must install and operate during their hours of operation, equipment that is capable of receiving and decoding, either automatically or manually, the EAS header codes, emergency messages and EOM code, and which complies with the requirements in § 11.56.

Note to paragraph (a):

The two-tone Attention Signal will not be used to actuate two-tone decoders but will be used as an aural alert signal.

(b) If manual interrupt is used as authorized in § 11.51(m)(2), decoders must be located so that operators at their normal duty stations can be alerted immediately when EAS messages are received.

(c) EAS Participants that are co-owned and co-located with a combined studio or control facility (such as an AM and FM licensed to the same entity and at the same location or a cable headend serving more than one system) may comply with the EAS monitoring requirements contained in this section for the combined station or system with one EAS Decoder. The requirements of § 11.33 must be met by the combined facilities. Co-located LPFM stations including those operating on a time-sharing basis but which, pursuant to ownership restrictions in § 73.855 of this chapter cannot be co-owned, may also comply with the EAS monitoring requirements with one EAS Decoder pursuant to a written agreement between the licensees ensuring that each licensee has access to the decoder; that the stations will jointly meet the requirements of § 11.33; and that each licensee remains fully and individually responsible for compliance with all EAS rules and obligations applicable to LPFM EAS participants in this part, and any EAS violations involving the shared, co-located equipment. Each LPFM licensee entering into such an arrangement remains fully and directly liable for enforcement actions involving the shared equipment as well as all other obligations attendant to LPFM EAS Participants in this part, regardless of which party to the agreement took or failed to take the actions giving rise to the violation.

(d) EAS Participants must comply with the following monitoring requirements:

(1) With respect to monitoring for EAS messages that are formatted in accordance with the EAS Protocol, EAS Participants must monitor two EAS sources. The monitoring assignments of each broadcast station and cable system and wireless cable system are specified in the State EAS Plan and FCC Mapbook. They are developed in accordance with FCC monitoring priorities.

(2) With respect to monitoring EAS messages formatted in accordance with the specifications set forth in § 11.56(a)(2), EAS Participants' EAS equipment must interface with regularly poll the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) to enable (whether through “pull” interface technologies, such as Really Simple Syndication (RSS) and Atom Syndication Format (ATOM), or “push” interface technologies, such as instant messaging and email) the distribution of EAS alert distribution channel to detect and acquire Common Alert Protocol (CAP)-formatted alert messages from the IPAWS system to EAS Participants' EAS equipment.

(3) If the required EAS message sources cannot be received, alternate arrangements or a waiver may be obtained by written request to the Chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. In an emergency, a waiver may be issued over the telephone with a follow up letter to confirm temporary or permanent reassignment.

(4) The management of EAS Participants shall determine which header codes will automatically interrupt their programming for State and Local Area emergency situations affecting their audiences.

(e) EAS Participants are required to interrupt normal programming either automatically or manually when they receive an EAS message in which the header code contains the Event codes for National Emergency Action Notification Message (EAN), the National Periodic Test Nationwide Test of the Emergency Alert System (NPT), or the Required Monthly Test (RMT) for their State or State/county location.

(1) Automatic interrupt of programming is required when facilities are unattended. Automatic operation must provide a permanent record of the EAS message that contains at a minimum the following information: Originator, Event, Location and valid time period of the message.

(2) Manual interrupt of programming and transmission of EAS messages may be used. EAS messages with the EAN Event code, or the NPT Event code in the case of a nationwide test of the EAS, must be transmitted immediately; Monthly EAS test messages must be transmitted within 60 minutes. All actions must be logged and recorded as specified in §§ 11.35(a) and 11.54(a)(3). Decoders must be programmed for the EAN Event header code and the RMT and RWT Event header codes (for required monthly and weekly tests), with the appropriate accompanying State and State/county location codes.

[70 FR 71036, Nov. 25, 2005, as amended at 77 FR 16705, Mar. 22, 2012; 80 FR 37176, June 30, 2015; 83 FR 37759, Aug. 2, 2018; 85 FR 35572, June 11, 2020; 87 FR 67825, Nov. 10, 2022]