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FCC Announces 2026 National Periodic Test of EAS

On September 16, 2026, the Commission released a Public Notice announcing that, in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, it will conduct the 2026 National Periodic Test of the Emergency Alert System (“EAS”) at 2:20 PM Eastern Time on November 17, 2026.  If the test requires rescheduling for some reason, it will instead be conducted at 2:20 PM Eastern Time on December 3, 2026.

In advance of the test, the Commission advises all EAS participants to ensure that a copy of the EAS Operating Handbook is located at their equipment locations, review the EAS Operating Handbook and their state EAS plan, update any EAS equipment software and firmware to the most recent version, and synchronize EAS equipment clocks to the official time provided by the National Institute of Standards and Technology if the equipment does not automatically synchronize.

Filing Deadlines

All EAS participants, including low power FM (“LPFM”) stations, Class D non-commercial educational FM stations, and EAS participants that are silent pursuant to a grant of Special Temporary Authority, must make the following filings in the EAS Test Reporting System (“ETRS”):

  • ETRS Form One – No later than October 30, 2026.
  • ETRS Form Two – By 2:20 PM Eastern Time on November 19, 2026.
  • ETRS Form Three – No later than January 4, 2027.

ETRS Form One is available now, and Forms Two and Three will become available in ETRS at 2:20 PM Eastern Time on November 17, 2026.  Filers must use their FCC username that is associated with their FRN to access ETRS and file the required forms.

Exempt Parties

The following parties do not need to file in ETRS:

  • Analog and digital low power television (“LPTV”) stations that operate as television broadcast translator stations that entirely rebroadcast the programming of other broadcast television stations;
  • FM broadcast booster stations and FM translator stations that entirely rebroadcast the programming of other local FM broadcast stations;
  • International broadcast stations; and
  • Analog and digital broadcast stations that operate as satellites or repeaters of a hub station (or common studio or control point if there is no hub station) and rebroadcast 100 percent of the programming of the hub station (or common studio or control point).

The Commission provides further helpful information for filers on its website.

Please Contact Us if you have any questions.

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