The Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) has announced that the EAS Test Reporting System (ETRS) is now open for Emergency Alert System (EAS) participants to submit their first form. Under FCC rules, EAS participants must renew their form submission each year. The deadline to renew the first form is October 4, 2024.

An EAS participant is any entity that must comply with the Commission’s EAS rules. This includes radio and television stations, low power FM stations, Class D non-commercial FM educational stations, and cable systems. A separate Form 1 must be filed for each EAS participant. This means that an entity that is a licensee of multiple stations must file a separate Form 1 for each station. A Form 1 must also be filed for stations that are broadcasting under a special permit for temporary silence.

The following EAS participants are exempt from renewing the first form: TV translator stations, FM booster stations, and translator stations “that fully retransmit the programming of other local FM stations,” and transmitter stations that are satellites or repeaters of a hub station and retransmit “100 percent of the programming” of that primary or hub station. However, the hub station must file a report in the ETRS.

Broadcasters can file ETRS Form One through the ETRS system, which can be found here. To access Form One, filers must use their FCC username and password. If you don’t have an FCC username, you can get one here. If you’ve forgotten the password associated with your FCC username, you can reset it here.

To prepare an updated Form 1:

• Click on “Submit Form 1” in the top menu bar.
• Test Cycle: Select “2024 ETRS Form One Filing” from the drop-down menu.
• Fill in the FCC Registration Number field.
• EAS Participant Type: Select the appropriate type. The remaining fields adapt to the selection from this menu.
• If you are a broadcaster, enter the EAS participant’s Facility ID and press Enter. The remaining fields will be pre-populated based on the information in the FCC’s records for that facility.
• If you are an MVPD, fill in the PSID field. The remaining fields will also be pre-filled.
• Confirm that the pre-filled fields are correct.
• Click on “Submit Form 1”.

The FCC and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) last conducted a nationwide EAS test on October 4, 2023. If a nationwide EAS test occurs in 2024, EAS participants will be required to submit Form 2 and Form 3.

Wiley’s Media Practice has a large number of attorneys with extensive experience advising radio and television broadcasters on compliance with the EAS regulations. If you need assistance completing the initial form, please contact the Wiley attorney who regularly handles your FCC matters or the authors of this alert.