FCC ETRS Form One Due by Friday in Countdown to Nov. 17 Nationwide EAS Test

Texas broadcasters must meet a Friday, Oct. 30, deadline to file their annual FCC Emergency Test Reporting System (ETRS) Form One for 2026.

Form One is the first of three reports broadcasters will file on the FCC's ETRS page as part of the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) since 2023.

This annual FCC filing by broadcasters includes information such as EAS equipment installed at a station, local EAS primary stations monitored, and a station contact.

Since ETRS Form One is an annual filing, broadcasters should be familiar with using the FCC's ETRS page, but if not, the FCC has a number of ETRS Resources and FAQs to assist licensees.

Additionally, attorney David Oxenford with TAB Associate member law firm Wilkinson Barker Knauer has written about the upcoming test and what is required of stations.

Nov. 17 National Period Test

The test is scheduled for 1:20 p.m. CT on Nov. 17 with a back-up date of Dec. 3 should there be a major incident requiring postponement of the November test.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will initiate the national periodic test (NPT) alert via the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) to broadcast licensees for relay.

The message will be delivered in both English and Spanish.

Broadcasters Encouraged to Check Connectivity

Since this year's test will check IPAWS connectivity, it is important for broadcasters to confirm receipt of FEMA common alerting protocol (CAP) tests sent via IPAWS.

In a recent FEMA webinar on the upcoming nationwide test, Jeff Hugabonne, chair of the Connecticut SECC, reminded broadcasters that IPAWS required weekly tests (RWTs) and the required monthly test (RMT) are useful to detect and correct CAP test receipt issues.

There will be several RWTs and one RMT before the nationwide test of EAS in mid-November.

"Your log may show that it has received an event, but the alert could be noisy, distorted, low, and level, or otherwise unusable. So, the best practice is to listen to those recorded MP3s," said Hugabonne.

"Take a few minutes during your log review and check for hum, check for distortion, static, weak signal. If levels are too high, too low, treat those as issues that need to be fixed. A logged event isn't the finish line. A good intelligible alert is."

While the FEMA webinars aren't archived, the Society of Broadcast Engineers has an overview available of the main takeaways.

Receipt and relay of the test helps FEMA and the FCC determine the efficacy of the nation's broadcast emergency warning system.

In the event of a real national emergency message issued by the federal government, the national emergency message code (EAN) would be used.

Other FCC ETRS Reporting Requirements

The other two ETRS reporting requirements are Form Two and Form Three.

All EAS Participants must file ETRS Form Two within 48 hours of the Nov. 17 nationwide test.

The deadline for Form Two filings is 1:20 pm CT on Nov. 19, or, if the test is conducted on the alternative date, 1:20 pm CT on Dec. 5.

All EAS Participants must file ETRS Form Three to provide detailed post-test data within 45 days following the nationwide test, which will be on or before Jan. 4, 2027, or, if the test is conducted on the alternative date, on or before Jan. 18, 2027.

Questions? Contact TAB's Michael Schneider or call (512) 322-9944.