ETRS Form One Due Oct. 4 for All EAS Participants

The FCC announced today that all EAS Participants must submit their annual Form One filings no later than October 4, 2024. EAS Participants are parties subject to the Emergency Alert System (EAS) rules. Virtually all broadcast stations, wired and wireless cable television systems, Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service, digital audio broadcasting systems, and wireline video systems are considered EAS Participants.

EAS Participants must file Form One in the online EAS Test Reporting System (ETRS). Form One requests identifying information on EAS monitoring assignments, facility location, EAS equipment, and contact information. EAS participants are required to file a separate Form One for each EAS decoder, EAS encoder, or unit combining decoder and encoder functions.

The requirement that EAS Participants review and update the information on Form One is part of the FCC rule that requires participation in nationwide EAS tests. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Commission conduct EAS tests regularly to assess the reliability and effectiveness of the nation's alert and warning infrastructure. The filing deadline for Form One is generally linked to the date of a nationwide test, but there is no indication of such a link this time. The FCC has not yet scheduled a nationwide test for 2024. This announcement raises a question as to whether there will be one.

For more information on EAS or ETRS, please contact your attorney at Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth.