§  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

   ^1EAS 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;^3 Audio and
   Video EAS message on at least one channel N Y

   ^1EAS 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).

   ^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)

   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;^4 Audio and
   Video EAS message on at least one channel N Y

   ^1EAS 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).

   ^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 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;^4 Audio and
   Video EAS message on at least one channel N Y

   ^1EAS 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).

   ^2Digital 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.

   ^3All 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.

   ^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 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

   ^1EAS 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).

   ^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
   § 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]