MIKE LANGNER LETS YOU KNOW WHAT’S COMING
We’ve all heard it a million times: “This is only a test.” Yes, the Emergency Alert System (EAS) runs tests every week. Sometimes they’re only raspy data bursts (Required Weekly Tests) or have a loud tone and a script we’ve all but memorized: “This is a coordinated monthly test of the broadcast stations of your area. . .”
And for years all stations have been required to monitor two broadcast stations. That may be about to change in more ways than one.
Someone at the FCC has had a better idea. Require all stations to monitor a source much closer to the source of national (Presidential) EAS alerts in addition to monitoring at least one broadcast station.
What will this mean to all of us broadcasters?
Many of us already have a network feed coming into our radio or TV stations, so for these stations simply adding the network as a monitored source will comply with the forthcoming required changes. For those of us who are fully independent stations, we’ll have to find a network to monitor.
So far, I’ve learned from and FCC representative that the acceptable networks to monitor include NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, Premiere, NPR Squawk, or Sirius/XM’s (free) barker channel. I’m sure there are others, and I’m trying to confirm what they are. If you don’t have network access, you’ll need to purchase a Sirius/XM receiver and feed its audio to your EAS encoder-decoder.
More changes are lined up as well. The Commission wants the EAS system to be more secure than it is today. Washington is not happy with false EAS alerts like the 2018 EAS alert that there’s a missile on the way to Hawaii, that a Zombie Apocalypse has begun like the one heard in Montana and Michigan in 2013, or the 2016 alert sent in Utica, New York that there was hazardous material on a train! This last one was inspired by “Would you. Could you. On a Train?” from Dr. Seuss’ book “Green Eggs and Ham.” The station was quick to take to social media to say that the alert was false. Yes, the station was found to have been hacked. There are more incidents as well. The system has not proven to be secure!!
In addition, the commission is moving to require EAS participants, when they receive an EAS alert in the legacy daisy-chain format, to check whether a CAP version of the alert is available, and if it is, to send the CAP version rather than the legacy version.
Improvements in password use is in the wind as well. Over the past years as I’ve visited many stations as part of the NMBA’s ABIP program, and I’ve encountered a number of stations where the front panel password is still the factory default password. If you have a Sage encoder-decoder and operate it by pressing the digit one four times (1 1 1 1) I’m talking to you! The feds really want you to use secure passwords for EAS devices!
As more updated and changes cross my desk, I’ll share them with you. Stay tuned!