Editing Emergency Alert System (section)

==Station requirements==
The FCC requires all broadcast stations and [[multichannel video programming distributor]]s (MVPD), hereafter "EAS participants", to install and maintain FCC-certified EAS decoders and encoders at their control points or [[Cable television headend|headends]]. These decoders continuously monitor the signals from other nearby broadcast stations for EAS messages. For reliability, at least two source stations must be monitored, one of which must be a designated ''local primary''. Participants are to retain the latest version of the EAS handbook.

EAS participants are required by federal law to relay [[National Emergency Message|National Emergency Messages]] (EAN, formerly Emergency Action Notification) immediately (47 CFR Part 11.54).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=763e47002785e63b94a7710dcf78869a&rgn=div8&view=text&node=47:1.0.1.1.12.4.231.4&idno=47|title=Electronic Code of Federal Regulations|publisher=National Archives|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120529053544/http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr|archive-date=May 29, 2012|access-date=July 6, 2012}}</ref> Broadcasters traditionally have been allowed to opt out of relaying other alerts such as [[severe weather]], and [[child abduction]] emergencies ([[AMBER Alert]]s) if they so choose. In practice, television stations with [[local news]] departments will usually [[Breaking news#Television|interrupt regularly-scheduled programming]] during newsworthy situations (such as severe weather) to provide extended coverage.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ohio-weatherman-fires-back-at-bachelorette-viewers-tornado-warning-1213957|title=Ohio Weatherman Fires Back at 'Bachelorette' Fans After Tornado Warning Interrupts Broadcast|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=May 28, 2019|language=en|access-date=October 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191014060137/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ohio-weatherman-fires-back-at-bachelorette-viewers-tornado-warning-1213957|archive-date=October 14, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

If possible, EAS participants must transmit the audio,<ref name=":11" /> and (where applicable) a visual display containing the extended text, from the associated CAP message.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /> 

EAS participants are required to keep logs of all received messages. Logs may be kept by hand but are usually kept automatically by a small receipt printer in the encoder/decoder unit. Logs may also be kept electronically inside the unit as long as there is access to an external printer or method to transfer them to a [[personal computer|computer]].