(1) New Event and Location Codes
(2) Increased Response Time For Required Monthly Test
(3) Requirement to Log Unwanted Messages Terminated
The FCC has adopted changes in the Emergency Alert System (EAS) rules designed primarily to enhance the capabilities and performance of the EAS during state and local emergencies. They are intended to increase voluntary participation in state and local EAS activities. All broadcast and cable systems must install EAS equipment (for cable systems with fewer than 10,000 subscribers, this requirement takes effect October 1, 2002) so that they are able to receive national EAS alerts. However, they may obtain the FCC's permission to be "non-participating," which requires them, in the event of a national EAS alert, to transmit a sign-off announcement and then go off the air.
The effective date of the new rules is May 16, 2002.
The most notable rule change was the adoption of 21 new event codes to describe state and local emergencies that broadcasters and cable systems may transmit on a voluntary basis. A list of the new event codes is attached as Appendix A. Stations and cable systems are not required to upgrade their EAS equipment to accept the new codes, but may do so on a voluntary basis. However, equipment that is replaced after February 1, 2004 must be able to receive and transmit the new codes. Thus, after February 1. 2004, broadcast stations and cable systems may not replace their existing EAS equipment with used equipment or older equipment that has not been upgraded to incorporate the new event codes. Manufacturers are required to incorporate the new codes into all equipment manufactured after August 1, 2003. Stations and cable systems that do not upgrade their existing equipment will be unable to receive or transmit the new event codes, which may cause their systems to log an "unknown event." The FCC concluded that this would be a minor inconvenience that is offset by the benefits of adding the new event codes.
The Commission also extended the time for retransmitting the Required Monthly Tests(RMT) from 15 minutes to 60 minutes from the time of receipt of the RMT. The Commission said this would give stations and cable systems more flexibility and reduce the risk of program disruptions.
Currently, the FCC rules require EAS equipment to display and log every message received, even unwanted test messages. The Commission amended the rules to permit broadcast stations and cable systems to program their EAS equipment to preselect which EAS messages containing state and local event codes they wish to display and log. Selective displaying and logging of EAS messages will relieve stations and cable systems of the burden of logging messages that do not apply to their service area or messages concerning events which they have decided not to transmit. The Commission noted that this change will also enable the National Weather Service to broadcast non alerting messages, conduct tests and perform system administration and control functions without impacting EAS participants that monitor NWR transmissions. Manufacturers will be required to include this feature in equipment manufactured after August 1, 2003, and stations replacing their equipment after February 1, 2004 must install equipment capable of selectively displaying and logging EAS messages with state and local event codes. EAS equipment must continue to display and log all national EAS messages and all weekly and monthly tests. The EAS rules also were amended to permit broadcast stations to override the EAS audio feed during a national alert and substitute an audio feed of the President's message from another source The Commission recognized that the quality of the EAS audio feed is far inferior to the high quality audio network connections available to most broadcast stations. It cautioned, however, that stations may not delay the transmission of national EAS messages in order to substitute alternative audio feeds. They must continue to transmit all national EAS messages immediately upon receipt. Finally, the Commission revised the EAS rules to require that the modulation level of EAS codes be at the maximum possible level, but in no case less than 50% of full channel modulation limits. In so doing, the Commission recognized that the composition of the EAS tones has generally prohibited achieving the 80% unit now prescribed due to the reaction of audio processing and modulation control equipment. The change bring the rules into alignment with the actual modulation levels currently obtainable by broadcasters The Commission therefore concluded that reducing the limit will not reduce the ability of consumer weather radios, including those in fringe areas, to receive EAS alerts.