This important message from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is brought to you as a service of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). On November 9, 2011, at 2 p.m. (EST), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the FCC are going to conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS). All broadcasters who participate in EAS must participate in the nationwide EAS test.

In the video below, Jamie A. Barnett Jr., Rear Admiral (Ret.), chief of the FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, provides a useful overview of the national EAS test, and outlines several immediate, important steps that your station should take to prepare for the test.

Please take a moment to watch the video. It is vital that the broadcasting industry help ensure the success of the national EAS test.

For further information, NAB members may contact NAB's Legal department at (202) 429-5430 or toll free at (866) 682-0276, or contact your station counsel. Stations can also refer to the FCC's National EAS Test website.