[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 206 (Wednesday, October 23, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 54952-54953]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-27136]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 11

[FO Docket Nos. 91-301 and 91-171; FCC 94-288]


Emergency Alert System; Correction

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Correcting amendments.

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SUMMARY: This document contains corrections to the final regulations 
which were published Monday, November 6, 1995, (60 FR 55999). The 
regulations related to the Emergency Alert System.

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 23, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Frank Lucia, (202) 418-1220.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The final regulations that are the subject of these corrections 
affect the Emergency Alert System protocol and message format.

Need for Correction

    As published, the final regulations contain errors which may prove 
to be misleading and are in need of clarification.

List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 11

    Emergency Alert System.

PART 11--EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM (EAS)

    Accordingly, 47 CFR Part 11 is corrected by making the following 
correcting amendments:
    1. The authority citation for Part 11 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 47 U.S.C. 151, 154 (i) and (o), 303(r), 544(g) and 
606.

    2. In Sec. 11.31, paragraph (c) is revised to read as follows:


Sec. 11.31  EAS protocol.

* * * * *
    (c) The EAS protocol, including any codes, must not be amended, 
extended or abridged without FCC authorization. The EAS protocol and 
message format are specified in the following representation. Examples 
are also provided in the EAS Operating Handbook.

[PREAMBLE] ZCZC - ORG - EEE - PSSCCC + TTTT - JJJHHMM - LLLLLLLL -
(one second pause)
[PREAMBLE] ZCZC - ORG - EEE - PSSCCC + TTTT - JJJHHMM - LLLLLLLL -
(one second pause)
[PREAMBLE] ZCZC - ORG - EEE - PSSCCC + TTTT - JJJHHMM - LLLLLLLL -
(at lease a one second pause)
(transmission of 8 to 25 seconds of Attention Signal)
(transmission of audio, video or text messages)
(at least a one second pause)
[PREAMBLE] NNNN
(one second pause)
[PREAMBLE] NNNN
(one second pause)
[PREAMBLE] NNNN
(at least one second pause)

    [PREAMBLE]  This is a consecutive string of bits (sixteen bytes 
of AB hexadecimal [8 bit byte 10101011]) sent to clear the system, 
set AGC and set asynchoronous decoder clocking cycles. The preamble 
must be transmitted before each header and End Of Message code.
    ZCZC-  This is the identifier, sent as ASCII characters ZCZC to 
indicate the start of ASCII code.
    ORG-  This is the Originator code and indicates who originally 
initiated the activation of the EAS. These codes are specified in 
paragraph (d) of this section.
    EEE-  This is the Event code and indicates the nature of the EAS 
activation. The codes are specified in paragrah (e) of this section. 
The Event codes must be compatible with the codes used by the NWS 
Weather Radio Specific Area Message Encoder (WRSAME).
    PSSCCC-  This is the Location code and indicates the geographic 
area affected by the EAS alert. There may be 31 Location codes in an 
EAS alert. The Location code uses the Federal Information Processing 
System (FIPS) numbers as described by the U.S. Department of 
Commerce in National Institute of Standards and Technology 
publication 772. Each state is assigned an SS number as specified in 
paragraph (f) of this section. Each county is assigned a CCC number. 
A CCC number of 000 refers to an entire State or Territory. P 
defines county subdivisions as follows: 0 = all or an unspecified 
portion of a county, 1 = Northwest, 2 = North Central, 3 = 
Northeast, 4 = West Central, 5 = Central, 6 = East Central, 7 = 
Southwest, 8 = South Central, 9 = Southeast. Other numbers may be 
designated later for special applications. The use of county 
subdivisions will probably be rare and generally for oddly shaped or 
unusually large counties. Any subdivisions must be defined and 
agreed to by the local officials prior to use.

[[Page 54953]]

    +TTTT-  This indicates the valid time period of a message in 15 
minute segments up to one hour and then in 30 minute segments beyond 
one hour; i.e., +0015, +0030, +0045, +0100, +0430 and +0600.
    JJJHHMM-  This is the day in Julian Calender days (JJJ) of the 
year and the time in hours and minutes (HHMM) when the message was 
initially released by the originator using 24 hour Universal 
Coordinated Time (UTC).
    LLLLLLLL-  This is the call sign or other identification of the 
broadcast station, or NWS office transmitting or retransmitting the 
message. These codes will be automatically affixed to all outgoing 
messages by the EAS encoder.
    NNNN-  This is the End of Message (EOM) code sent as a string of 
four ASCII N characters.
* * * * *
Federal Communications Commission.
William F. Caton,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-27136 Filed 10-22-96; 8:45 am]
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