[sbe-eas] The Next National EAS test is coming

[Mark Garrett]

We received the RWT at 7:20 PM CDT.  No audio logged.
A Primary Entry Point System has issued a Required Weekly Test for all of
the United States beginning at 7:20 pm Wed Jul 26 and ending at 7:50 pm Wed
Jul 26 (NPR 1)

On Thu, Jul 27, 2023 at 12:29 PM Ken Evans <ken_evans at wmdt.com> wrote:

>
>
>
> There was a RWT test last night on the NPR Squawk Channel sent by FEMA.  I
> think it was only intended to be received at NPR stations and recorded on
> their EAS boxes.  But at least one station sent it out as an RWT.
>
> Gary Timm provided the following information.  So, we now know that it was
> sent out by FEMA.
>
> A PEP RWT was transmitted by the FEMA EAS unit located at PEP Station WTMJ
> transmitter site.
> That unit utilizes the "L-Code/STN-ID" "WTMJ 1", seen in the decoded
> message below.
> It was sent yesterday at 20:19 CDT (8:19 PM CDT), and carried the audio
> message:
> (about 4 seconds silence, followed by) This station is testing the
> Emergency Alert System. If this had been an actual emergency, an official
> message would have followed the alert tone. This concludes this test.
> (followed by about 4 seconds of silence).
>
> So this message apparently interrupted programming on at least this PEP
> station, and was sent directly to FEMA's EAS unit located at that
> transmitter site. Thus distribution was wider that just the NPR Squawk
> channel.
>
> Here is the printout:
> 07/26/23 20:20:16 Required Weekly Test, Matched filter OTHERS, Received on
> Monitor 2. Timed Ignore. EOM received 07/26/23 20:20:38.
> A Primary Entry Point System has issued a Required Weekly Test for all of
> the United States beginning at 8:19 pm Wed Jul 26 and ending at 8:49 pm Wed
> Jul 26 (WTMJ 1)
>
> I am wondering how many other NPR stations received the alert?    I was
> thinking that it looks like they are getting ready for another National
> test.  Although nothing has been received about that yet.
>
> And today in TV Technology's newsletter they included a Radio World
> article link on that very subject.
>
> https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/fema-plans-the-next-national-eas-test
>
> So, I guess that FEMA will be having another national test later this
> year.
>
> Regards,
>
> Ken Evans
>
>
>
-- 
Mark Garrett
Tri States Public Radio
WIUM Macomb, IL
WIUW Warsaw, IL
WVKC Galesburg, IL
K292GR Burlington, IA
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