§  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;
   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;
   wireline video systems; wireless cable systems which may consist of
   Broadband Radio Service (BRS), or Educational Broadband Service (EBS)
   stations; DBS services, as defined in §  25.701(a) of this chapter
   (including certain Ku-band Fixed-Satellite Service Direct to Home
   providers); and SDARS, as defined in §  25.201 of this chapter. These
   entities are referred to collectively as EAS Participants in this part,
   and are subject to this part, except as otherwise provided herein. At a
   minimum EAS Participants must use a common EAS protocol, as defined in
   §  11.31, to send and receive emergency alerts, and comply with the
   requirements set forth in §  11.56, in accordance with the following
   tables:

   Table 1—Analog and Digital Broadcast Station Equipment Deployment
   Requirements
   EAS equipment requirement AM & FM Digital AM & FM Analog & digital FM
   class D Analog &
   digital LPFM DTV Analog &
   digital class A TV Analog &
   digital LPTV
   EAS decoder ^1 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
   EAS encoder Y Y N N Y Y N
   Audio message Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
   Video message N/A N/A N/A N/A Y Y Y

   ^1 EAS Participants may comply with the obligations set forth in
   §  11.56 to decode and convert CAP-formatted messages into EAS
   Protocol-compliant messages by deploying an Intermediary Device, as
   specified in §  11.56(b).

Analog Cable Systems

   Analog cable systems are subject to the requirements in Table 2 below.
   Analog cable systems serving fewer than 5,000 subscribers from a
   headend may either provide the National level EAS message on all
   programmed channels including the required testing, or comply with the
   requirements in Table 2.

   Table 2—Analog Cable System Equipment Deployment Requirements
   EAS equipment requirement ≥5,000
   subscribers <5,000
   subscribers
   EAS decoder ^1 Y Y
   EAS encoder Y   Y ^2
   Audio and Video EAS Message on all channels Y N
   Video interrupt and audio alert message on all channels;^3Audio and
   Video EAS message on at least one channel N Y

   ^1 EAS Participants may comply with the obligations set forth in
   §  11.56 to decode and convert CAP-formatted messages into EAS
   Protocol-compliant messages by deploying an Intermediary Device, as
   specified in §  11.56(b).

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

   ^3 The 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)

   Wireless cable systems are subject to the requirements in Table 3
   below. 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, or
   comply with the requirements in Table 3.

   Table 3—Wireless Cable System Equipment Deployment Requirements
   EAS equipment requirement ≥5,000
   subscribers <5,000
   subscribers
   EAS decoder ^1 Y Y
   EAS encoder Y   Y ^2
   Audio and Video EAS Message on all channels ^3 Y N
   Video interrupt and audio alert message on all channels; ^4Audio and
   Video EAS message on at least one channel N Y

   ^1 EAS Participants may comply with the obligations set forth in
   §  11.56 to decode and convert CAP-formatted messages into EAS
   Protocol-compliant messages by deploying an Intermediary Device, as
   specified in §  11.56(b).

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

   ^3 All 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.

   ^4 The 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 and Wireline Video Systems

   Digital cable systems and Wireline Video Systems must comply with the
   requirements in Table 4 below. Digital cable systems and Wireline Video
   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, or comply with the requirements in
   Table 4.

   Table 4—Digital Cable System and Wireline Video System Equipment
   Deployment Requirements
   EAS equipment requirement ≥5,000
   subscribers <5,000
   subscribers
   EAS decoder ^1 Y Y
   EAS encoder Y   Y ^2
   Audio and Video EAS Message on all channels ^3 Y N
   Video interrupt and audio alert message on all channels; ^4Audio and
   Video EAS message on at least one channel N Y

   ^1 EAS Participants may comply with the obligations set forth in
   §  11.56 to decode and convert CAP-formatted messages into EAS
   Protocol-compliant messages by deploying an Intermediary Device, as
   specified in §  11.56(b).

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

   ^3 All digital cable systems and wireline video 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.

   ^4 The 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 access.]

   SDARS and DBS
      EAS equipment requirement     SDARS DBS
   EAS decoder ^1                     Y    Y
   EAS encoder                        Y    Y
   Audio message on all channels ^2   Y    Y
   Video message on all channels ^2  N/A   Y

   ^1 EAS Participants may comply with the obligations set forth in
   §  11.56 to decode and convert CAP-formatted messages into EAS
   Protocol-compliant messages by deploying an Intermediary Device, as
   specified in §  11.56(b).

   ^2 All 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
   §  73.506 of this chapter, digital class D non-commercial educational FM
   stations, analog LPFM stations as defined in § §  73.811 and 73.853 of
   this chapter, digital LPFM stations, analog LPTV stations as defined in
   §  74.701(f), and digital LPTV stations as defined in §  74.701(k) of
   this chapter are not required to comply with §  11.32. Analog and
   digital LPTV stations that operate as television broadcast translator
   stations, as defined in §  74.701(b) of this chapter, are not required
   to comply with the requirements of this part. FM broadcast booster
   stations as defined in §  74.1201(f) of this chapter and FM translator
   stations as defined in §  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 §  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 § §  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 may use any EAS codes authorized by the
   FCC in any agreements.

   (e) Other technologies and public service providers, such as low earth
   orbiting satellites, that wish to participate in the EAS may contact
   the FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau or their State
   Emergency Communications Committee for information and guidance.

   [ 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;  71 FR 76220 , Dec. 20,
   2006;  72 FR 62132 , Nov. 2, 2007;  77 FR 16699 , Mar. 22, 2012]

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