Reminder: National EAS Test to Be Conducted on September 27, 2017; FCC ETRS “Day of Test” Form Two Is Due by 11:59 PM on That Date; Filing Dates Extended for EAS Participants Located in Hurricane Impacted Locations

As we previously explained here, the 2017 National Emergency Alert System (EAS) test is scheduled for September 27, 2017, at 2:20 PM EDT (with a backup test date of October 4, 2017, if there is an actual emergency or weather event on September 27). By 11:59 PM EDT on September 27, all radio and television EAS Participants must file a Form Two “day of test” report in the FCC’s EAS Test Reporting System (ETRS). The Form Two filing requires EAS Participants to certify whether they received and were able to retransmit the national test message. In addition, EAS Participants are also required to make any corrections to their previously filed ETRS Form One submissions by September 27.

The FCC released a Public Notice extending these filing deadlines for EAS Participants located in Florida, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas impacted by hurricanes. EAS Participants in these locations have until November 13, 2017 to file their Form Two ETRS reports and to file any corrections to their Form One reports.

If you have questions about the upcoming national EAS test or the required ETRS filings, please contact any attorney in our office.