[sbe-eas] Requests about EAS test information

Wed May 29 17:30:51 EDT 2024

How would this guy know what’s in your state EAS plan? Are state EAS plans public documents? Ours is not…

Adrienne Abbott, W6BCY

Nevada EAS Chair

"Radio burps, it cries, it needs to be fed all the time, it requires constant attention, but we love it." Jim Aaron WGLN 

From: sbe-eas On Behalf Of Aaron Read
Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2024 1:19 PM
To: SBE EAS Exchange - a mail list for discussion about the Emergency Alert System and other emergency communication issues. <sbe-eas at sbe.org>
Subject: Re: [sbe-eas] Requests about EAS test information

The logic would be that if you respond, and the response indicates any deviation from what would be expected under the State EAS Plan, a complaint could be filed.  If the FCC's Enforcement Bureau follows up on that complaint** the first thing they'll do is ask to see your Station Log.  It is beyond easy to screw up a Station Log since the FCC is so picky about these things.   If there's any problems, now the EB is gonna start digging and potentially** we're off to the races.

** The trick here is that the EB does not generally act on a complaint by a single member of the public under any circumstances, and they (almost) definitely won't if the person in question does not have standing.  Generally the bare minimum for standing is the complainer must live or work (or can demonstrably prove a regular work commute through) inside the station's service contour.   This would seem to block a lot of potential complainants BUT there ARE some outfits out there that are both clever bastards and quite determined, and they'll recruit people to file complaints who DO have standing.

As Sean points out below, licensees are under zero obligation to share their EAS records (as part of their Station Log) with anyone except an accredited agent of the FCC.  There is precisely zero benefit in sharing that info with the public, and while it's unlikely, there's nothing but potential problems in sharing it with the public.  I wouldn't ever do it.

- Aaron

On Wed, May 29, 2024 at 2:38 PM Rob Dale <rdale at skywatch.org <mailto:rdale at skywatch.org> > wrote:

Thanks - I didn't know the FCC would potentially penalize stations if a test wasn't run the exact second it was planned to. How much of an impact could that be?

Rob

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From: sbe-eas <sbe-eas-bounces at sbe.org <mailto:sbe-eas-bounces at sbe.org> > on behalf of Ben Overbaugh via sbe-eas <sbe-eas at sbe.org <mailto:sbe-eas at sbe.org> >
Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2024 2:36 PM
To: SBE EAS Exchange - a mail list for discussion about the Emergency Alert System and other emergency communication issues. <sbe-eas at sbe.org <mailto:sbe-eas at sbe.org> >
Cc: Ben Overbaugh <boverbaugh at rioradio.org <mailto:boverbaugh at rioradio.org> >
Subject: Re: [sbe-eas] Requests about EAS test information 

They could potentially verify if the test actually ran or not.  If it didn't run when the station said it did, they could file a complaint maybe?

Ben Overbaugh, CBRE (He/Him) 

Chief Engineer

KJZZ * KBAQ * Sun Sounds

Office:  <tel:(480)774-8412> 480-774-8412

On Wed, May 29, 2024 at 11:15 AM Rob Dale <rdale at skywatch.org <mailto:rdale at skywatch.org> > wrote:

Interesting - what could they do which could impact EAS and/or PBS by knowing the test time?

Rob

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From: sbe-eas <sbe-eas-bounces at sbe.org <mailto:sbe-eas-bounces at sbe.org> > on behalf of Aaron Read <readaaron at friedbagels.com <mailto:readaaron at friedbagels.com> >
Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2024 2:11 PM
To: SBE EAS Exchange - a mail list for discussion about the Emergency Alert System and other emergency communication issues. <sbe-eas at sbe.org <mailto:sbe-eas at sbe.org> >
Subject: Re: [sbe-eas] Requests about EAS test information 

That may be the case, but there is *also* a sizable community of people who are looking to make trouble for stations...especially folks of the right wing persuasion, politically, looking to make trouble for *public radio* stations...any way they can.  

I could see EAS being (somewhat) a preferred tactic because it's one of the few ways the FCC is known for cracking down very hard on licensees about. 

____________________
Aaron Read 
www.friedbagels.com <http://www.friedbagels.com> 
401-519-0230 office

On Wed, May 29, 2024 at 1:36 PM Cameron Seaman <cameron at globaleas.org <mailto:cameron at globaleas.org> > wrote:

I was forwarded this chain and have some insight to give.

I can vouch and say that there is quite the sizable community surrounding EAS and some individuals do listen for alerts over stations half-way across the country through various means. It doesn't necessarily surprise me that someone from another state might be interested in this information.

My best guess is that some stations might not have recorded test patterns, and some kid is curious to know about it.

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------------------------------------------
Aaron Read

readaaron at friedbagels.com <mailto:readaaron at friedbagels.com> 

www.friedbagels.com <http://www.friedbagels.com> 

"Engineering: it's like math but LOUDER!"

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