FCC EAS ETRS Form 3 Due Today, Other EAS Actions Needed by End of 2023

posted on 11.28.2023

Today is the final day to file a station’s FCC EAS ETRS Form 3, the final step following the Oct. 4 EAS national test.

Form 3 requires the reporting of more detailed information regarding stations’ performance during the test. 

Use this link to file ETRS Form 3.

Failure to file this report could result in costly penalties.

All EAS Participants are required to register and file in ETRS, including Low Power FM stations (LPFM), Class D non-commercial educational FM stations, and EAS participants that are silent pursuant to a grant of Special Temporary Authority.

FM broadcast booster stations and FM translator stations which entirely rebroadcast the programming of other local FM broadcast stations are not required to register and file in ETRS.

Download the 2024 Texas EAS RMT Schedule

Stations can review and download the new 2024 EAS RMT schedule on the TAB website. 

TAB posts this information on our website so stations will know in advance when the tests will take place.

The final 2023 Texas EAS RMT takes place on Tuesday, Dec. 5, between 4:45 and 6:45 AM.  

As a reminder, if your station does not receive the RMT, the FCC requires station staff to make “a good faith effort” to determine why it was not received.  

This is as simple as making an inquiry with either of the local primary stations for that EAS region and noting the inquiry details in the station’s EAS log.

Update EAS ENDEC Software by Dec. 12

Stations are required to install software updates to their EAS encoding/decoding devices by Dec. 12 to effectuate various operational changes adopted by the FCC.

The changes include prioritized Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) polling, changes in the text for the Presidential alert event code, and a new script for the National Periodic Test. 

These updates may come with additional charges, depending on a station’s particular subscription, and stations should be vigilant in seeking and activating those updates.

Manufacturers include Sage Alerting Systems, Gorman-Redlich and Digital Alert Systems.

Sage-Equipped Stations Get FCC-Required Software Update Extension

This week the FCC issued an order extending the compliance deadline to March 11, 2024, for those stations using Sage ENDEC equipment.

Sage Alerting System said earlier this month in a website post, that it’s update “has taken us longer to produce than we had anticipated, and that there will be insufficient time for many of our users to install the update by the December 12, 2023 deadline.”   

Stations using other brands such as Gorman-Redlich and Digital Alert Systems must still meet the Dec. 12 deadline.

TAB cannot stress how important it is to keep your station’s EAS ENDEC software up to date.

There were reports of stations failing to receive the Oct. 4 national test because of outdated software.

Questions? Contact TAB’s Michael Schneider or call (512) 322-9944.

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