PUBLIC NOTICE
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554
News Media Information  202 / 418-0500
Fax-On-Demand  202 / 418-2830
TTY  202 / 418-2555
Internet:  http://www.fcc.gov
ftp.fcc.gov
DA 12-916
June 11, 2012
PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU REMINDS EMERGENCY ALERT 
SYSTEM PARTICIPANTS THAT THEY MUST BE ABLE TO RECEIVE AND PROCESS 
COMMON ALERTING PROTOCOL-FORMATTED EAS ALERTS BY JUNE 30, 2012
EB Docket No. 04-296
The Federal Communication Commission’s (Commission) Public Safety and Homeland Security 
Bureau reminds Emergency Alert System (EAS) Participants that “[o]n or before June 30, 2012, EAS 
Participants must have deployed operational equipment that is capable”1 of receiving and processing 
Common Alerting Protocol (CAP)-formatted EAS alerts in a manner consistent with the Commission’s 
EAS rules2 as amended by the Fifth Report and Order in the above-referenced docket. 3 This means any 
necessary equipment must be installed and operational by that date.  
For further information regarding this requirement, please contact Tom Beers, Chief, Policy 
Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, (202) 418-0952; or Gregory Cooke, Associate 
Chief, Policy Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, (202) 418-2351.
-- FCC --
  
1 47 C.F.R. § 11.56 (a).
2 47 C.F.R. Part 11.
3 See Review of the Emergency Alert System; Independent Spanish Broadcasters Association, the Office of 
Communication of the United Church of Christ, Inc., and the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council, 
Petition for Immediate Relief; Randy Gehman Petition for Rulemaking, EB Docket 04-296, Fifth Report and Order, 
27 FCC Rcd 642 (2012) (Fifth Report and Order), reconsideration granted in part, Review of the Emergency Alert 
System; Independent Spanish Broadcasters Association, the Office of Communication of the United Church of 
Christ, Inc., and the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council, Petition for Immediate Relief; Randy 
Gehman Petition for Rulemaking, EB Docket 04-296, Order on Reconsideration, FCC 12-41 (rel. Apr. 19, 2012).  
The Commission originally adopted the June 30, 2012 deadline for CAP compliance on September 15, 2011.  See
Review of the Emergency Alert System; Independent Spanish Broadcasters Association, The Office of 
Communication of the United Church of Christ, Inc., and the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council, 
Petition for Immediate Relief, ET Docket No. 04-296, Fourth Report and Order, 26 FCC Rcd 13710 (2011).