[EAS] Handle SQW code

[WHKA FM 87.7]

I think it's the piece where broadcasters must "serve the public interest, convenience, and necessity" as in the case of an emergency situation, which checks the very unique box allowing for regulation of content..

Believe me, as someone who will die defending the First Amendment, I don't like the idea of "the black box" the government can use to take over your airwaves - but in practice, we know that the national component of EAS (sadly) falls apart and the networks (and others) do enough where it's not as technologically necessary.

Regarding the snow squall code, it may be easy enough for Monroe to add it to their software as an "opt-in" as long as they've got the required codes programmed in. It's worth asking for - or if someone savvy enough can do so, design a patch and very kindly share. I too would like to add this code if there's a way, just in case!

Best,
Patrick Boots
Station Manager, WHKA FM 87.7

On Wed, Jan 28, 2026 at 11:35 PM Bill Ruck ruck at lns.com> wrote:
>One friend of mine, now SK, taught me that participation in EAS must be
>voluntary because the Communications Act of 1924 forbid government
>censorship.  Making a radio or TV station broadcast something is censorship.

>The President signs a "finding" giving him EAS authority but my friend
>said that if anybody ever contested that it would be found to violate
>the act.

>The challenge is to make EAS something that a station would WANT to
>broadcast, not to make EAS something that a station MUST broadcast.

>Bill Ruck
>Curmudgeon
>San Francisco

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