Yesterday, Fletcher Heald attorneys Frank Montero and Davina Sashkin with Pat Roberts of the Florida Association of Broadcasters (“FAB”), and their special guests Lisa Fowlkes and Christina Clearwater of the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, and Craig Fugate, former FEMA Administrator and founder of Fugate Consulting, presented a webinar in consultation with the … Continue Reading
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) has announced that it will not conduct a national test of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (“IPAWS”) via the broadcast Emergency Alert System (“EAS”) and Wireless Emergency Alert (“WEA”) system this year. As we have written about in the past, EAS tests are sometimes postponed due to … Continue Reading
The Federal Communications Commission (“FCC” or the “Commission”) remains consistent in its enforcement of fines for the improper use of Emergency Alert System (“EAS”) tones. On April 7, 2020, the Commission released a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (the “Notice”) proposing to levy a $20,000 fine against Entercom License, LLC (Entercom) station WNEW-FM for … Continue Reading
Earlier this week, the Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), issued multiple letters that will provide the bearer access to: restricted areas and times (such as during curfews) if necessary to access communications equipment to ensure continued service; and priority access to fuel for generators and debris … Continue Reading
Your Emergency Alert System (EAS) equipment may have stopped passing through tests received via the equipment’s Internet connection to the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) because one of the trust root certificates used to validate digital signatures associated with alerts expired a little over a week ago. If your EAS equipment is rejecting … Continue Reading
Unless it is delayed by a real national emergency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) and the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) are on track to conduct a combined nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) on Wednesday, August 7, at 2:20 p.m. EDT. For most participants, this year’s test will be disseminated only using the broadcast … Continue Reading
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC” or the “Commission”), will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (“EAS”) on August 7th, at 2:20 pm EDT. If conditions such as a real emergency or other unforeseen circumstances occur on the day of the test, a backup … Continue Reading
The FCC on Tuesday announced the establishment of the Uniendo a Puerto Rico Fund and the Connect USVI Fund in an effort to help “rebuild, improve, and expand voice and broadband networks in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.” These funds are part of the FCC’s ongoing efforts to rebuild communications networks in Puerto … Continue Reading
With Matthew, the first big hurricane to threaten Florida and the Carolinas in several years, barreling up the coast, the FCC has started its anticipatory disaster response. A public notice released this afternoon alerts the public that Commission personnel will be available, 24/7, to assist communications providers as they deal with the effects of the storm. … Continue Reading
FEMA-organized test to include 22 states, two territories and D.C. Here’s a big CommLawBlog HEADS UP for those of you broadcasting in any of these 25 (count ‘em, 25!) jurisdictions: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, … Continue Reading
More than six months ago we reported on some tweaks of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) that the FCC had adopted after analyzing the results of its 2011 national EAS test. While most of the changes kicked in last July, two revised sections of the rules – Sections 11.21(a) and 11.61(a)(3)(iv) – did not. That’s … Continue Reading
A couple of weeks ago we reported on the revisions to the Emergency Alert System rules adopted in the wake of the 2011 nationwide EAS test. Those revisions have now been published in the Federal Register, so we know that they will take effect on July 30, 2015. All the new rules, that is, EXCEPT … Continue Reading
After analyzing the performance of the Emergency Alert System during the 2011 nationwide test, and after twice soliciting input from interested parties, the Commission has decided to tweak the system.… Continue Reading
Problems with the EAS system surfaced in the 2011 nationwide test. Now the Commission is looking to fix them, but it could take a while and be pricey for EAS participants.… Continue Reading
Two years after the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, the FCC has identified, and is now seeking answers to, problems that cropped up.… Continue Reading
Broadcasters may be asked by the FEMA to broadcast some PSA's relating to the (relatively) new Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system. Turns out it's OK to do so.… Continue Reading
With a nasty nor'easter threatening to dump its load all the way from the Great Lakes to New York and New England, the FCC has started its anticipatory disaster response.… Continue Reading
If you've been worrying about whether the "information collection" aspects of the revised EAS rules would be in effect soon enough to give everybody time to meet the upcoming deadline for CAP compliance, you can breathe easy.… Continue Reading
The FCC mandated a couple of months ago that text-to-speech conversion of EAS messages by EAS participants would not be permitted. That came as disappointing news to, among others, FEMA. But FEMA should be happy now.… Continue Reading
If you're an EAS participant and you're inclined to read the FCC's Fifth Report and Order (and, BTW, you should), here's a handy glossary of the 40+ abbreviations and acronyms the FCC has sprinkled throughout the document.… Continue Reading
