[EAS] Federal Register: Changes to EAS testing rules for SDARS

[Sean Donelan]

The rule changes for EAS testing by Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service 
(SDARS) providers has been published, and takes effect on June 19, 2020.

Summary: Must perform monthly tests on 10% of channels, varying each 
month.  And must log receipt, but not required to transmit weekly tests.

Since essentially all digital EAS participants are now multi-channel, I 
think the FCC should re-write the EAS testing rules assuming the default 
is multi-channel.  Pretending DBS and SDARS are different than 
terresterial broadcasters leads to a lot of twisty little rule exceptions 
and which lobbying firm is better.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/05/20/2020-08250/review-of-the-emergency-alert-system

11.61(a)(1)(iii) SDARS providers must comply with this section by 
monitoring a state or local primary source to participate in testing. 
Tests should be performed on 10% of all channels monthly, with channels 
tested varying from month to month, so that over the course of a given 
year, 100% of all channels are tested.

11.61(a)(2)(ii) DBS providers, SDARS providers, analog and digital class D 
non-commercial educational FM stations, analog and digital LPFM stations, 
and analog and digital LPTV stations are not required to transmit this 
test but must log receipt, as specified in § 11.35(a) and 11.54(a)(3).