(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 Sec. 25.701(a) of this chapter (including certain Ku-band Fixed-Satellite Service Direct to Home providers); and SDARS, as defined in Sec. 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 Sec. 11.31, to send and receive emergency alerts, and comply with the requirements set forth in Sec. 11.56, in accordance with the following tables:
Table 1--Analog and Digital Broadcast Station Equipment Deployment Requirements--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analog & Analog &
EAS equipment requirement AM & FM Digital AM & digital FM Analog & DTV digital Analog &
FM class D digital LPFM class A TV digital LPTV--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------EAS decoder \1\....................................... Y Y Y Y Y Y YEAS encoder........................................... Y Y N N Y Y NAudio message......................................... Y Y Y Y Y Y YVideo message......................................... N/A N/A N/A N/A Y Y Y--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\1\ EAS Participants may comply with the obligations set forth in Sec. 11.56 to decode and convert CAP-formatted messages into EAS Protocol-compliant
messages by deploying an Intermediary Device, as specified in Sec. 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------------------------------------------------------------------------
=5,000
EAS equipment requirement subscribers <5,000 subscribers------------------------------------------------------------------------EAS decoder \1\................. Y YEAS encoder..................... Y Y \2\Audio and Video EAS Message on Y N
all channels...................Video interrupt and audio alert N Y
message on all channels; \3\
Audio and Video EAS message on
at least one channel...........------------------------------------------------------------------------\1\ EAS Participants may comply with the obligations set forth in Sec.
11.56 to decode and convert CAP-formatted messages into EAS Protocol-
compliant messages by deploying an Intermediary Device, as specified
in Sec. 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------------------------------------------------------------------------
=5,000
EAS equipment requirement subscribers <5,000 subscribers------------------------------------------------------------------------EAS decoder \1\................. Y YEAS encoder..................... Y Y \2\Audio and Video EAS Message on Y N
all channels \3\...............Video interrupt and audio alert N Y
message on all channels; \4\
Audio and Video EAS message on
at least one channel...........------------------------------------------------------------------------\1\ EAS Participants may comply with the obligations set forth in Sec.
11.56 to decode and convert CAP-formatted messages into EAS Protocol-
compliant messages by deploying an Intermediary Device, as specified
in Sec. 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------------------------------------------------------------------------
=5,000
EAS equipment requirement subscribers <5,000 subscribers------------------------------------------------------------------------EAS decoder \1\................. Y YEAS encoder..................... Y Y \2\Audio and Video EAS Message on Y N
all channels \3\...............Video interrupt and audio alert N Y
message on all channels; \4\
Audio and Video EAS message on
at least one channel...........------------------------------------------------------------------------\1\ EAS Participants may comply with the obligations set forth in Sec.
11.56 to decode and convert CAP-formatted messages into EAS Protocol-
compliant messages by deploying an Intermediary Device, as specified
in Sec. 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 YEAS encoder..................... Y YAudio message on all channels Y Y
\2\............................Video message on all channels N/A Y
\2\............................------------------------------------------------------------------------\1\ EAS Participants may comply with the obligations set forth in Sec.
11.56 to decode and convert CAP-formatted messages into EAS Protocol-
compliant messages by deploying an Intermediary Device, as specified
in Sec. 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 Sec. 73.506 of this chapter, digital class D non-commercial educational FM stations, analog LPFM stations as defined in Secs. 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 Secs. 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] Secs. 11.12-11.14 [Reserved]