Sec.  11.11   The Emergency Alert System (EAS).

   (a) The EAS is composed of analog radio broadcast stations including AM, FM,
   and Low-power FM (LPFM) stations; digital audio broadcasting (DAB) stations,
   including digital AM, FM, and Low-power FM stations; analog television
   broadcast stations including Class A television (CA) and Low-power TV (LPTV)
   stations; digital television (DTV) broadcast stations, including digital CA
   and digital LPTV stations; analog cable systems; digital cable systems which
   are defined for purposes of this part only as the portion of a cable system
   that delivers channels in digital format to subscribers at the input of a
   Unidirectional Digital Cable Product or other navigation device; wireless
   cable  systems  which may consist of Broadband Radio Service (BRS), or
   Educational Broadband Service (EBS) stations; DBS services, as defined in 47
   CFR 25.701(a) (including certain Ku-band Fixed-Satellite Service Direct to
   Home providers); SDARS, as defined in 47 CFR 25.201; participating broadcast
   networks, cable networks and program suppliers; and other entities and
   industries  operating  on an organized basis during emergencies at the
   National,  State  and  local  levels.  These  entities are referred to
   collectively as EAS Participants in this part, and are subject to this part,
   except as otherwise provided herein. These rules in this part are effective
   on December 31, 2006 for DTV, DAB, digital cable and SDARS providers, and on
   May 31, 2007 for DBS providers. At a minimum EAS Participants must use a
   common EAS protocol, as defined in  Sec. 11.31, to send and receive emergency
   alerts in accordance with the effective dates listed above in this paragraph
   and in the following tables:

   Analog and Digital Broadcast Stations
   EAS equipment requirement AM & FM Digital TV AM & FM DTV FM Class D^1 LPTV^2
   LPFM^3 Class A TV^4
   Two-tone encoder^5^6 Y Y 12/31/06 Y Y 12/31/06 N N N
   EAS decoder Y 1/1/97 Y 12/31/06 Y 1/1/97 Y 12/31/06 Y 1/1/97 Y 1/1/97 Y Y
   EAS encoder Y 1/1/97 Y 12/31/06 Y 1/1/97 Y 12/31/06 N N N
   Audio message Y 1/1/97 Y 12/31/06 Y 1/1/97 Y 12/31/06 Y 1/1/97 Y 1/1/97 Y Y
   Video message N/A N/A Y 1/1/97 Y 12/31/06 N/A Y 1/1/97 N/A

   ^1Effective December 31, 2006, digital FM Class D stations have the same
   requirements.

   ^2LPTV stations that operate as television broadcast translator stations are
   exempt from the requirement to have EAS equipment. Effective December 31,
   2006, digital LPTV stations have the same requirements.

   ^3LPFM  stations  must install a decoder within one year after the FCC
   publishes in the Federal Register a public notice indicating that at least
   one decoder has been certified by the FCC. Effective December 31, 2006,
   digital LPFM stations have the same requirements.

   ^4Effective December 31, 2006, digital Class A TV stations have the same
   requirements.

   ^5Effective July 1, 1995, the two-tone signal must be 8–25 seconds.

   ^6Effective January 1, 1998, the two-tone signal may only be used to provide
   audio alerts to audiences before EAS emergency messages and the required
   monthly tests.

   Analog Cable Systems

   [A. Analog cable systems serving fewer than 5,000 subscribers from a headend
   must  either  provide the National level EAS message on all programmed
   channels_including the required testing_by October 1, 2002, or comply with
   the following EAS requirements. All other analog cable systems must comply
   with B.]
   System size and effective dates
   B. EAS equipment requirement >=10,000 subscribers >=5,000 but <10,000
   subscribers <5,000 subscribers
   Two-tone signal from storage device Y 12/31/98 Y 10/1/02 Y 10/1/02
   EAS decoder^3 Y 12/31/98 Y 10/1/02 Y 10/1/02
   EAS encoder^2 Y 12/31/98 Y 10/1/02 Y 10/1/02
   Audio and Video EAS Message on all channels Y 12/31/98 Y 10/1/02 N
   Video interrupt and audio alert message on all channels,^3Audio and Video
   EAS message on at least one channel N N Y 10/1/02

   ^1Two-tone signal is only used to provide an audio alert to audience before
   EAS emergency messages and required monthly test. The two-tone signal must
   be 8–25 seconds in duration.

   ^2Analog cable systems serving <5,000 subscribers are permitted to operate
   without an EAS encoder if they install an FCC-certified decoder.

   ^3The Video interrupt must cause all channels that carry programming to
   flash for the duration of the EAS emergency message. The audio alert must
   give the channel where the EAS messages are carried and be repeated for the
   duration of the EAS message.

   Note: Programmed channels do not include channels used for the transmission
   of data such as interactive games.

   Wireless Cable Systems (BRS/EBS STATIONS)

   [A. Wireless cable systems serving fewer than 5,000 subscribers from a
   single transmission site must either provide the National level EAS message
   on all programmed channels including the required testing by October 1,
   2002, or comply with the following EAS requirements. All other wireless
   cable systems must comply with B.]
   System size and effective dates
   B. EAS equipment requirement subscribers >=5,000 subscribers <5,000
   EAS decoder Y 10/1/02 Y 10/1/02
   EAS encoder^1^2 Y 10/1/02 Y 10/1/02
   Audio and Video EAS Message on all channels^3 Y 10/1/02 N
   Video interrupt and audio alert message on all channels;^4Audio and Video
   EAS message on at least one channel N Y 10/1/02

   ^1The two-tone signal is used only to provide an audio alert to an audience
   prior to an EAS emergency message or to the Required Monthly Test (RMT)
   under  Sec. 11.61(a)(1). The two-tone signal must be 8–25 seconds in duration.

   ^2Wireless  cable systems serving < 5,000 subscribers are permitted to
   operate without an EAS encoder if they install an FCC-certified decoder.

   ^3All wireless cable systems may comply with this requirement by providing a
   means to switch all programmed channels to a predesignated channel that
   carries the required audio and video EAS messages.

   ^4The Video interrupt must cause all channels that carry programming to
   flash for the duration of the EAS emergency message. The audio alert must
   give the channel where the EAS messages are carried and be repeated for the
   duration of the EAS message.

   Note: Programmed channels do not include channels used for the transmission
   of data services such as Internet.

   Digital Cable Systems

   [A.  Digital cable systems serving fewer than 5,000 subscribers from a
   headend must either provide the National level EAS message on all programmed
   channels including the required testing by December 31, 2006, or comply with
   the following EAS requirements. All other digital cable systems must comply
   with B.]
   System size and effective dates
   B. EAS equipment requirement >=5,000 subscribers <5,000 subscribers
   Two-tone signal from storage device^1 Y 12/31/06 Y 12/31/06
   EAS decoder^3 Y 12/31/06 Y 12/31/06
   EAS encoder^2 Y 12/31/06 Y 12/31/06
   Audio and Video EAS Message on all channels^4 Y 12/31/06 N
   Video interrupt and audio alert message on all channels,^3Audio and Video
   EAS message on at least one channel N Y 12/31/06

   ^1Two-tone signal is only used to provide an audio alert to audience before
   EAS emergency messages and required monthly test. The two-tone signal must
   be 8–25 seconds in duration.

   ^2Digital cable systems serving <5,000 subscribers are permitted to operate
   without an EAS encoder if they install an FCC-certified decoder.

   ^3The Video interrupt must cause all channels that carry programming to
   flash for the duration of the EAS emergency message. The audio alert must
   give the channel where the EAS messages are carried and be repeated for the
   duration of the EAS message.

   ^4All digital cable systems may comply with this requirement by providing a
   means to switch all programmed channels to a predesignated channel that
   carries the required audio and video EAS messages.

   Note: Programmed channels do not include channels used for the transmission
   of data such as interactive games or the transmission of data services such
   as Internet.

   SDARS and DBS
      EAS equipment requirement      SDARS       DBS
   Two-tone signal^1               Y 12/31/06 Y 5/31/07
   EAS decoder                     Y 12/31/06 Y 5/31/07
   EAS encoder                     Y 12/31/06 Y 5/31/07
   Audio message on all channels^2 Y 12/31/06 Y 5/31/07
   Video message on all channels^2 N/A        Y 5/31/07

   ^1Two-tone signal is only used to provide an audio alert to audience before
   EAS emergency messages and required monthly test. The two-tone signal must
   be 8–25 seconds in duration.

   ^2All SDARS and DBS providers may comply with this requirement by providing
   a means to switch all programmed channels to a predesignated channel that
   carries the required audio and video EAS messages or by any other method
   that ensures that viewers of all channels receive the EAS message.

   (b) Analog class D non-commercial educational FM stations as defined in
    Sec. 73.506 of this chapter, digital class D non-commercial educational FM
   stations, analog LPFM stations as defined in  Sec.  Sec. 73.811 and 73.853 of this
   chapter,  digital  LPFM  stations,  analog LPTV stations as defined in
    Sec. 74.701(f), and digital LPTV stations as defined in  Sec. 74.701(k) of this
   chapter are not required to comply with  Sec. 11.32. Analog and digital LPTV
   stations  that operate as television broadcast translator stations, as
   defined in  Sec. 74.701(b) of this chapter, are not required to comply with the
   requirements of this part. FM broadcast booster stations as defined in
    Sec. 74.1201(f)  of  this chapter and FM translator stations as defined in
    Sec. 74.1201(a) of this chapter which entirely rebroadcast the programming of
   other  local FM broadcast stations are not required to comply with the
   requirements of this part. International broadcast stations as defined in
    Sec. 73.701 of this chapter are not required to comply with the requirements of
   this part. Analog and digital broadcast stations that operate as satellites
   or repeaters of a hub station (or common studio or control point if there is
   no hub station) and rebroadcast 100 percent of the programming of the hub
   station (or common studio or control point) may satisfy the requirements of
   this  part through the use of a single set of EAS equipment at the hub
   station (or common studio or control point) which complies with  Sec.  Sec. 11.32 and
   11.33.

   (c) For purposes of the EAS, Broadband Radio Service (BRS) and Educational
   Broadband Service (EBS) stations operated as part of wireless cable systems
   in accordance with subpart M of part 27 of this chapter are defined as
   follows:

   (1) A “wireless cable system” is a collection of channels in the BRS or EBS
   used to provide video programming services to subscribers. The channels may
   be licensed to or leased by the wireless cable system operator.

   (2) A “wireless cable operator” is the entity that has acquired the right to
   use the channels of a wireless cable system for transmission of programming
   to subscribers.

   (d) Local franchise authorities and cable television system operators may
   enter into mutual agreements that require the installation of EAS equipment
   before  the  required  dates  listed  in  the tables in paragraph (a).
   Additionally, local franchise authorities may use any EAS codes authorized
   by the FCC in any agreements.

   (e) Organizations using other communications systems or technologies such as
   low earth orbit satellite systems, paging, computer networks, etc. may join
   the EAS on a voluntary basis by contacting the FCC. Organizations that
   choose to voluntarily participate must comply with the requirements of this
   part.

   [ 63 FR 29662 , June 1, 1998, as amended at  65 FR 7639 , Feb. 15, 2000;  65 FR 21657 , Apr. 24, 2000;  65 FR 30001 , May 10, 2000;  65 FR 34406 , May 30, 2000;
    67 FR 18506 , Apr. 16, 2002;  69 FR 72031 , Dec. 10, 2004;  70 FR 19315 , Apr.
   13, 2005;  70 FR 71031 , Nov. 25, 2005]