Category Archives: National

National

EAS Digital Certification Update Required

[ FEMA Bulletin] An element of the current Emergency Alert System (EAS) IPAWS CAP message verification certificate used by EAS devices will expire on Sunday, April 28. Any EAS device not updated prior to that date will no longer be able to authenticate received IPAWS CAP messages. EAS device manufacturers have included the updated verification certificate in recently published updates or made it available via other means. If you have not done so already, please reach out to your EAS manufacturer as soon as possible to replace the existing digital certification bundle or update your EAS device firmware, as necessary. You may review your EAS device logs following the regular Monday morning IPAWS RWT to determine if your EAS device has the updated verification certificate.

Thank you to all our AM/FM radio, television, and cable partners. Every day we see the impact of the lifesaving EAS alerts you voluntarily distribute. Your community is safer because of you. 

Please let us know if you have any questions at IPAWS@fema.dhs.gov.

Local News, National

SBE Alert: Be Alert to Possible Interference to Your 6 GHz Microwave Systems

[From SBE National HQ] The FCC recently authorized unlicensed very low power (VLP) devices in the 6 GHz spectrum band: 5.925-7.125 GHz. The FCC is also actively considering proposals to allow even greater VLP and LPI (low-power indoor) use in the Band.

The SBE, the NAB, and others have expressed concern that the FCC’s proposals to increase unlicensed use of the 6 GHz Band could introduce harmful interference to broadcasters’ licensed electronic newsgathering (ENG) activities in the band. Interference and reduced margin in fixed BAS links (STLs, etc.) may also be a problem as Wi-Fi-6E devices become common. Consequently, we urge you do fully document the performance of any 6 GHz fixed links that your station may have (signal levels, margin to failure, error rates, etc.). We are also interested in hearing from anyone who has experienced interference in the 6 GHz Band that could be attributable to unlicensed devices.

One local San Diego example of this was recently observed at Snapdragon Stadium where ball-tracking technology at a rugby game using ultra-wideband 6.5 GHz centered emissions. They were using very low power and the stadium mildly shields radiation outside the stadium bowl, but similar used in front of your stadium or transmitter site could be detrimental to the reception of your Studio-Transmitter Link or ENG signal. –Gary Stigall, editor

If you have experienced interference to your ENG operations in the 6 GHz band over the past several months, please notify the SBE at BASinterference@sbe.org no later than April 17. And remember, any interference should be reported via the FCC Interference Reporting portal.

More background on 6 GHz interference was provided in the August 2023 issue of The Signal on page 12.

Local News, National

Audacy Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection

Radio Insight reports that the Audacy group filed for bankruptcy to reorganize in order to service its $2.66-billion debt load. Another $926-million of debt will mature later this year. Audacy management said it has restructured its debt with a “supermajority” of its debtors in order to reduce its service payments to a realistic level.

A memo to employees said, “Audacy will operate normally during this process. There will be no disruption to your wages and benefits. Our current leadership team will continue to lead the Company, and day-to-day roles and responsibilities will not change. Overall, it will be business as usual….”

It’s no secret that the broadcasting industry has been hit hard with reduced advertising spending as alternative media, such as streaming, grab a bigger slice of the listening audience pie. 

In San Diego, Audacy stations include KBZT  “Alt 94.9”, KYXY 96.5, KWFN “97.3 The Fan”, KXSN “Sunny 98.1”, and KSON 103.7 “New Country.” These stations were derived from CBS and Lincoln Financial ownership that consolidated through a merger with Entercom in 2017, then rebranding as Audacy in 2021. Audacy manages 235 radio stations in 48 markets, according to Inside Radio. 

National

FCC Grants Extension for Sage Endec EAS Firmware Compliance

The FCC this week issued a waiver for Sage Endec EAS Devices granting them a 90-day extension for implementing new rules that favor IPAWS CAP alerts. The extension applies only to broadcast stations using the Sage devices and not to those using other brands.

The FCC Report and Order for PS Docket No. 15-94 establishing new Emergency Alert System (EAS) rules went into effect earlier this year with a compliance due date of December 12, 2023. This R&O mandates that alerts received via over-the-air “legacy” EAS data tones be held while awaiting a preferred IPAWS CAP alert. Other rules require changes in how the text for national alerts is constructed. A firmware update will be required to keep your station’s EAS devices compliant with the Part 11 rules.

Sage ENDEC says on its website, “We continue to work on the Rev96 update. We have made the FCC aware that the update has taken us longer to produce than we had anticipated, and that there will be insufficient time for many of our users to install the update by the December 12, 2023 deadline. This is especially true for users maintaining a large number of ENDECs. We apologize for the delay. We will update this page and keep the FCC informed on the release status as we get closer to a release date.

“When Rev96 is released, Email will be sent to those who are signed up for our support email list. If you are not on that list, you can sign up on the support page.” The upcoming firmware update costs $159 and is sold through U.S. hardware distributors.

Digital Alert Systems released an update earlier this year that you must apply to your Monroe and DASDEC devices for continued FCC compliance.

Trilithic/Viavi released their update for EASyCAP software in March 2023.