The Wisconsin State Emergency Communications Committee has won approval of its state EAS plan from the FCC.
In 2022, the FCC initiated a review of all State EAS plans. After multiple rounds of changes, the FCC approved the Wisconsin State EAS Plan on Feb. 3. Wisconsin is the ninth plan to be approved.
According to Wisconsin EAS Committee Broadcast Chair Gary Timm, the main hurdle was the FCC requirement that every state add more monitoring for the President’s EAS message and deliver it into each EAS Operational Area. In Wisconsin, we accomplished this through the excellent cooperation of the engineers at each of the EAS LP-1 stations, who either ran an audio cable from an existing satellite receiver at their facility or installed a new satellite receiver furnished by the WBA.
“The SECC wishes to thank WBA for financing the four needed receivers, and acknowledges the diligent work of the engineers at our LP-1 stations who took time from their busy days to do this wiring,” Timm wrote. “With this additional EAN monitoring at the LP-1 stations that all other broadcasters and cable operators monitor, the FCC approved our plan.”
“Getting the Wisconsin EAS plan produced and approved was a tremendous task. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the effort,” said WBA President and CEO Michelle Vetterkind. “A special thank you to Gary Timm whose leadership goes beyond Wisconsin’s EAS plan. Gary was a sounding board at the national level on this nationwide effort. We’re fortunate to have him leading the effort in Wisconsin.” All Wisconsin broadcasters are encouraged to now download a copy of the new 2023 State EAS Main Plan and Appendices at www.sbe24.org/eas, although note that there are no changes that broadcasters must make to remain in compliance with the State EAS Plan.
