WASHINGTON—While most of the U.S. population may experience election fatigue, broadcasters may be forgiven for feeling their own version of the phenomenon: national EAS test fatigue.
Hardy, Carey, Chautin & Balkin’s recent newsletter begs forgiveness from readers for raising the topic again but reminds them, and us, that the deadline to submit EAS Form Three is nigh — Nov. 14, to be exact. The Federal Communications Commission requires it for all participating broadcast stations (translators excepted).
Also, the authors note that more detailed reporting information will now, apparently, be required — an unheralded, but important change.
They point out that the FCC EAS Test Reporting System now presents has a menu of choices for both the test receipt and transmission — probably because the “free-form descriptions required a staffer to read and categorize issues.” Stations will also need to provide a list of EAS test sources and identify which supplied which station with the test message — and in what language it was received and transmitted, as well as the exact time of receipt and transmission.
This story originally appeared on TVT's sister publication Radio World.
