[BC] EAS

[Larry Fuss]

> Tom,

As far as I know, the Mississippi state plan is not online.  This is as
close as it gets:

http://66.181.212.240/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=26

I own WROX in Clarksdale, MS.  I get an RWT from the LP-1 almost every week.
I hardly ever get a RWT from the LP-2 and I NEVER get one from the NWS.  I
NEVER get a RMT from anybody, although I've had a recent chat with the LP-1
about that.  He wasn't aware of his responsibility to forward the RMT when
he received it from other sources.

My new station is WKXY in Cleveland, MS.  Different operational area.  It
just went on-air in November.  I get RWTs from the LP-1.  So far, none from
the LP-2 and none from the NWS.  I get RMTs from the LP-1, but the last one
didn't include the EOM, so we relayed 2-minutes of their audio afterwards.
I called their GM, a woman, who said she didn't know anything about it and
I'd have to talk to so-and-so.  I left a message, but so-and-so never called
back.  I've also left 3 messages for their CE about their clock being wrong,
but he hasn't called back either.

The LP-2s in both areas are Mississippi Public Radio stations.  I've had
conversations with their engineering people, but have had only limited
results. It got better for a while, then it stopped working altogether.  At
one time, the problem was that they were sending tests at about 20%
modulation.  I don't know what the current problem is.

I know the rules say you are supposed to ascertain why you didn't get a
test, but I have far better things to do with my time than chase down people
who won't return phone calls or don't have a clue in the first place.
There's no EAS re-mailer or anything else to exchange information.  I just
log "No RWT received from WXXX" and that's the end of it.  I've done my
part.  I'm 1600 miles from both stations, but all activity is logged and
e-mailed to me.

One the other side of the coin, my station in American Samoa is the LP-1.
We do the tests each week without fail.  And I follow-up by sending an
e-mail to every other radio and TV station documenting when the test was
sent.  I also log tests received from a non-LP station and from the NWS and
forward those to the group weekly.  However, when I go there, I often
monitor the other stations after we send the RMT and have observed only two
of them relaying it.  The others just ignore it.  And the NWS in American
Samoa is a joke.  This is the NWS office that sent 15 RWTs one day within a
5-minute period. 

Again, I do my part.  My tests are run when they are supposed to be and my
logging is immaculate.  But I don't have time to deal with idiots.

Larry Fuss
Professional Curmudgeon