Required EAS Tests
A. Required Weekly Tests (RWT)
b. Recommended Time Constraints
3. Reception and retransmission
C. Time duration and County-Location Codes to be used in testing.
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3/11/97 14
All broadcasters and subject cable operators are required to transmit Required Weekly Tests (RWT) and Required Monthly Tests (RMT) with the following exceptions:
Class D FM, LPFM and LPTV stations are required to have EAS decoders but are not required to have EAS encoders. They are not required to run RWT but must retransmit the RMTs minus the header codes and attention signal. LPTV stations must present all EAS information visually, just as all other TV stations must.
All broadcasters and subject cable operators must initiate an RWT once each week at random days and times except for the week of the RMT test. There are no time-of-day restrictions. This is a 10.5--second test, consisting only of the EAS Header and End-of-Message Codes.
Note that the definition of “once each week” is once in any seven-day period. Broadcasters are free to establish the beginning day of each period. Also the same day each week does not qualify as random days. Therefore the recommended frequency of once every six days will meet both of the F.C.C. rule definitions for the broadcast of Weekly Tests.
All broadcasters and subject cable operators receiving a RWT from one of their monitored sources must log receipt of this test. No further action is required.
B. Required Monthly Test (RMT)
RMTs are to be initiated by the State of Oregon OEM, via the SRN, alternating with Local Operational Areas. During the designated week for this test, all other broadcasters and cable operators are to wait for this test and then react as described in (4) below. These tests shall always use the Event Code RMT See tab 18 for the day and times scheduled for State and Local required monthly tests.
1/1/2007 15
RMT’s shall always occur during the first full “Broadcast Week” (Monday-through-Sunday) week of the month. The time frame and origination of RMT’s shall adhere to the following format:
NOTES:
SRN = Test will come from the State Relay Network station that you monitor, or will be relayed via the LP1 that you monitor.
LRN = Test will come from the Local Relay Network station that you monitor or will be relayed to you.
WXR = = Test will come from the National Weather Service station that you monitor or will be relayed to you from a station that does.
b. Recommended Time Constraints
Due to the intrusive nature of the RMTs to television broadcasters and cable operators, it is highly recommended that the dates and times of these tests be scheduled at least 6 to 12 months in advance. The Oregon State Office of Emergency Management and emergency management authorities in the local operational areas will be responsible for periodically originating these monthly tests. The advanced scheduling of these tests will be the responsibility of the Oregon State OEM in cooperation with designated representatives of local operational areas, TV broadcasters, and cable operators.
The intent of this section is to acknowledge the potential financial impact of such tests on the television programming of broadcasters and cable operators alike, and to provide a mechanism whereby such tests can be scheduled with input from such affected industries. It will be incumbent upon television broadcasters and cable operators to individually designate authorized representatives to the SECC.
5/15/2002 16 3. Receptions and Re-transmission
All broadcasters and subject cable operators receiving an RMT must re-transmit this test within one hour of receiving it. For daytime-only stations receiving nighttime RMT, this test must be re-transmitted within one hour of the daytime-only stations sign-on. Transmission of this RMT takes the place of the Required Weekly Test (RWT). Times should be logged for both the receipt and re-transmission of the RMT. Broadcast and cable management should impress upon their staff that re-transmission of this test is not an option. It is a violation of the FCC rules for failure to re-transmit this test within one hour of receiving it.
C. Time-Duration and County-Location Codes to be used in Testing. The TIME DURATION used in the EAS header code for all EAS tests shall be Three Hours COUNTY LOCATION codes used in the EAS header code for EAS tests shall conform to these guidelines:
SRN Stations: All tests shall use the Location Code for the entire state (041000) and Clark Co. Washington (0520
LRN Stations: All Tests shall include the Location Code for all counties in that operational area.
PN Stations, NN Stations, Cable Operators:
The RMT shall be re-transmitted unchanged, except for the L-Code. Thus, RMTs will include all counties present in the original message. For the RWT performed each week by each PN and NN station, and each cable operator, the county-location code used shall be the county for the broadcaster or cable operator service area. Other counties in the stations/systems service area may be added at management discretion.
D. Special Variances to the Source and Originator of the Monthly Test.
Special Considerations are given to scheduling of the Required Monthly Tests. Whenever situations occur when the source of the Required Monthly Test changes from the schedule in paragraph A of this Tab, adequate communications should occur several weeks before the scheduled test. It is important to not change the date and time that has been previously scheduled. However, situations evolve where the source may change. Examples would include, tests originating with the Weather Service, the State Relay Network orientating the Daytime Test, or a Local Plan that desires to substitute a scheduled State test for a Locally originated test.
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