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Radio World has gathered tips and best practices for U.S. radio stations ahead of the upcoming national EAS test.

As you probably know by now, FEMA will conduct its test of the national Emergency Alert System on Wednesday Aug. 11, 2021. It will be fed at 2:20 p.m. EDT via the Primary Entry Point (PEP) Network. (FEMA will also be testing Wireless Emergency Alerts.)

This particular EAS test will not be available on the IPAWS network, because two years ago FEMA did one that bypassed internet connectivity and found some issues on the EAS side. Now it wants to document the effectiveness of the improvements since then.

Here’s what the experts have told us:

-Start by reviewing the FCC Emergency Test Reporting System website, the one it uses each time FEMA conducts national EAS tests. The page includes key information including guidelines for filling out the three required test reporting forms.

-By now you should have filled out Form One. Make yourself a note to file Form Two immediately after the Aug. 11 test (but no later than the next day, Aug. 12) and also to file Form Three by Sept. 27. “I always recommend tackling these ETRS forms early in the allotted time windows,” says Aaron Read, IT/engineering director for The Public’s Radio in Rhode Island. Don’t wait until the last few hours or days, he said; in case of a problem on the FCC end, you’ll have time to call or email the help desk.

-All of our sources agree that you should make sure that your EAS equipment has the most current software version. Check with your manufacturer if you aren’t confident.

-Larry Wilkins of the Alabama Broadcasters Association and chair of the Alabama SECC said engineers should check their equipment for the following items:

1. Verify that you are monitoring the correct two sources, assigned by the State Emergency Communications Committee (SECC) or EAS committee. The alert will be received by the PEP station or stations in your state and relayed around the state via State Relay networks and the LP-1 and LP-2 stations in your area.
2. Verify that the audio quality of both sources are broadcast quality (no crosstalk, hum, noise, etc.) and that the levels are correct to match your program audio.
3. Verify that you are receiving the Required Weekly Test (RWT) from both monitor sources.
4. Review the incoming filter list in your equipment to ensure there is a filter labeled National Periodic Test (NPT), with the originator set to primary entry point (PEP). The location should be left blank or have 6 zeros (000000).
5. Verify that your EAS equipment has the correct date and time and is locked to a national time server.
6. Assign someone to be on hand, monitoring the over-the-air (OTA) signal at the time of the test to verify proper reception and retransmission of  the test.

(Larry’s ABA Engineering Academy also has posted a detailed video specifically to help stations prepare for this national test.)

-Manufacturer Digital Alert Systems released a preparation document to help users of its gear. It also noted, “The NPT is an occasion to perform essential checks on fundamental items, such as checking that the EAS equipment is operating, backup power is functional, the radio monitors are tuned and monitoring the appropriate sources from the state EAS plan, and the equipment’s software is updated.”

It too reminds stations to make sure their devices are synced to the correct time and time zone.

-Manufacturer Sage Alerting Systems reminded stations to check their logs to make sure they are receiving weekly tests from their monitor assignments, and that they have been originating weekly tests and relaying Monthly Tests as required by their license type.

“Make sure your ENDEC has a filter to receive and relay the NPT,” Sage wrote. “The easiest way to check this is to access your ENDEC with a web browser. From the main page, click the Tools button on the left column, then click the ‘Verify Req’ button. If you see ‘Your ENDEC will meet the FCC requirements for the National Periodic Test’ on the last line, your ENDEC is ready.”

-Another reader with experience in EAS recommends that you should monitor the Primary Entry Point even if none of your assignments are the PEP. “Obviously you still need to monitor your LP stations as assigned, but adding the PEP as an additional source is good practice. This does wonders to improve audio quality, which has been the most frequent complaint during previous tests.”

-Not specific to this test but about EAS in general, Aaron Read said, “EAS is a good place to not be cheap. Spend a little more and get the good encoder/decoders, like a Sage or DASDEC, that you can easily access and update remotely over the web. Get the good tuners like the Crown RFBA1 or the Inovonics InoMINI AM/FM/WX receivers,” he said.

“I know it’s an unfunded government mandate and that its usefulness in real terms is highly questionable for many stations across the country; so the instinct is to spend as little money on it as possible. But EAS is one of those things where the less you spend up front, the more you waste in time down the road, and the reverse is also true. And as we all know, time equals money.”

-And R. V. Zeigler, director of engineering for the Nebraska Rural Radio Association and chairman of the Nebraska SECC, offered us this series of tips:

1. If you have noise issues picking up a terrestrial PEP, Zeigler said, there are also three satellite PEPs: NPR (its Squawk channel), Premiere Networks (its FEMA channel) and Sirius/XM (its non-subscription “Barker” channel). “Communicate with your SECC regarding these options,” he said. “The FCC has approved the use of these sources in state plans.”
2. Also, Zeigler said, make sure everyone in your stations is aware of the upcoming test. “Reception may get calls. Programming as well as traffic need to be aware of the disruption in normal programming. Everyone else should know as well, in case they get questions from clients or the public at large.” Running a PSA in the days before the test can help.
3. In fact he suggests you make sure your local Public Safety Answering Point or 911 answering center is aware as well. “Sending the dispatch and emergency management supervisors a copy of the FCC announcement would be a great goodwill gesture. SECCs generally take care of this; but as JFK said, ‘There is always some poor bastard who doesn’t get the word.’”
4. When you submit Forms 2 and 3, save copies of all of forms for reference when the next NPT comes around.
5. And last, Zeigler said, relax. “If you have checked everything on your end and followed all of the ideas in this article, you have done your job. This is a test, and only a test.”

If you need more information, contact your State Emergency Communication Committee (SECC), EAS Committee or State Broadcasters Association. You can also send an email to the Federal Communications Commission EAS Test Reporting System desk to ETRS@fcc.gov.

FEMA also has a public-facing FAQ page about the test.

The post Are You Ready for the Aug. 11 National EAS Test? appeared first on Radio World.

How much better was the second quarter of 2021 for Saga Communications than the same period of 2020?

For starters, there was no $3.76 million impairment charge. Second, net operating revenue rose by 66.3% in Q2 2021. According to CFO Sam Bush, Digital now accounts for 6% of the radio industry pure-play’s total revenue.

The rebound in revenue overshadowed an increase in expenses, allowing Saga to swing from a net loss to healthy income in Q2.

For the three-month period ending June 30, Saga saw net income of $3.25 million ($0.54 per share), swinging from a Q2 2020 net loss of $4.9 million (-$0.82).

Station Operating Income (SOI), a popular non-GAAP measure, surged to $8.38 million, compared to -$181,000 in Q2 2020.

With “a great deal of cash liquidity” one of Saga’s biggest strength, CEO Ed Christian hunkered down across the pandemic. As the economy reopened across its markets, the situation began to improve by leaps and bounds, leading Saga on June 21 to reinstate its quarterly dividend.

That liquidity, along with a stunning low leverage ratio of x0.51, make Saga unique among its peers — for good reason.

SGA was trading at $21.80, up 44 cents, on low volume as of 11:40am Thursday (8/5).

The NAB has responded to actions taken in both houses of Congress over the last two weeks that seek to bring the Minority Tax Certificate Program back to fruition — a move that African American media industry leadership has called for, in addition to several leading Hispanic market figures.

Is it a rallying cry from Gordon Smith? The Senate bill isn’t attracting co-sponsors, while the House bill introduced a week later lacks Member magnetism, too.

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It’s a step that many have been asking Nielsen about for years.

Starting next month, the nation’s dominant source of audience measurement and data analytics for broadcast media stations will begin placing a limited number of Portable People Meter (PPM) “Wearables” in a subset of its roughly 60,000 active panelists.

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Nielsen PPM Wristband model

In September, Nielsen will begin placing 3,000 new Portable People Meter Wearables in its pool of active PPM panelists.

“PPM Wearables feature an updated design that is smaller and more aligned with current wearable technology trends,” the research company said in the announcement.

Pendant model

“The new PPM Wearable comes in a variety of ways to wear including wristbands, clips and pendants, which are more appealing among demographics that typically have lower compliance. In addition, a new companion app will help improve communication, encourage participation and enable data transmission when the device is outside the home.”

It said the companion app will allow it to add features and adapt to technology trends more seamlessly.

The designs were first introduced in 2019 at the NAB Show. This week’s announcement was made by Mainak Mazumdar, Nielsen’s chief research and data officer.

The new PPMs are seen by Nielsen as providing “foundational support” for its work toward Nielsen One, a platform that it hopes someday will deliver “a single, deduplicated metric for media consumption” across TV, digital and audio, which includes radio.

Clip-on model

There are about 60,000 active PPM panelists, so the first batch will be used by a subset of that population. The company said it will share top line findings in the second quarter of next year for the subset phase, and a full rollout of PPM Wearables in new panel households is planned for the second half of 2022.

“PPM Wearables have been through a series of rigorous tests and the system has performed very well in each phase,” it stated. “These tests included lab, focus group and dual-carry testing that measure how the wearables detect codes versus the current PPM among the same panelists.”

Portable People Meters are used by Nielsen in measuring audiences for audio, including radio, as well as local and national TV. First developed by Nielsen predecessor Arbitron, PPMs are carried by people in the Nielsen panels in larger markets to measure exposure to media.

[Related: “Nielsen Releases PPM Software Encoder for FMs”]

 

The post Meet Nielsen’s New PPM “Wearables” appeared first on Radio World.

With strong second quarter results and revenue that sailed past Zacks Equity Research estimates, Gray Television is the latest visual media company to release a bright fiscal health report.

While the Q2 numbers are positive, the Q3 outlook Gray offers may be even more delectable to investors.

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It’s the No. 2 licensee of radio stations behind iHeartMedia.

Now, the parent entity of the KLOVE and Air1 Christian Contemporary Music formats is adding one more FM to its ever-growing stable of properties.

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How can you take a playful approach to planning and practicing for your next gig? If you are going it alone without a public speaking coach, here are six steps from veteran PR pro Rosemary Ravinal you can take on your own to prepare for your presentation through playtime.

 

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Two items originally up for consideration at today’s FCC August Open Meeting have been removed from the agenda.

Why? With no opposition from the Commissioners, they’ll move forward.

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A view from the floor of the Texas Association of Broadcasters annual convention.

The Texas Association of Broadcasters said attendance at its two-day annual convention this week was slightly over 1,000, “more than we anticipated and not too far from our normal attendance of 1,400,” according to a spokeswoman.

The event was one of the first in-person conferences for the broadcast industry since the pandemic hit the United States 17 months ago. It was held the JW Marriott in downtown Austin.

Other state associations having annual events in the next five or six weeks include those in Nebraska, Vermont and Wisconsin, as reported on the Radio World events calendar. The Alabama Broadcasters Association postponed its August event to January, as we reported yesterday.

Photos provided by Radio World’s John Casey or the Texas Association of Broadcasters.

From the floor of the Texas Association of Broadcasters 2021 annual convention – the crew manning the Lawo booth, left, and Paul Stewart of Summit Technology Group, right.

 

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