FCC announces ETRS Form One deadline, REC announces assistance to stations

Updated February 27, 2023 to reflect the due date for amendments to already filed ETRS Form Ones.

The Federal Communications Commission has announced that all broadcast stations will be required to file an EAS Test Reporting System (ETRS) Form One for calendar year 2022 by February 28, 2023.  Regulations require this form once per calendar year, however FEMA did not conduct a National Periodic Test (NPT) in 2022 and no forms were collected.  The FCC is waiving their own rules and requiring the 2022 filing by the end of February, 2023. 

Timely filed Form Ones can be amended until March 30, 2023.

At this time, FEMA has not announced the date for the 2023 NPT.  Therefore only Form One will be required.  

Form One will be available for use starting on January 3, 2023.

REC Networks assistance to stations for the 2023 ETRS Forms

REC Networks will provide form filing services to all broadcast stations (LPFM, NCE FM, commercial FM, commercial AM, TV and LPTV) for the calendar year 2023.  

Due to the regulation that one Form One must be filed each year, there may be a possibility that the FCC will require stations to file yet another Form One later in 2023.   Because of this possibility, REC's 2023 ETRS offering will be slightly modified.  

REC Level of Effort Fee Structure for 2023 ETRS

For 2023, your payment will cover the required Form One filing needed by February 28, 2023.  It will also include the Form Two and Form Three filings for the NPT that would take place within 2023 when FEMA announces the date.  The payment will also include the filing of an additional Form One that may be required if the deadline for that filing is within the calendar year 2023.

The following rates apply to all classes of broadcast stations:

Organizations with one broadcast station $150.00
Organizations with two broadcast stations $250.00
Organizations with three or more broadcast stations $100.00 per station

A "station" is considered as an LPFM station, a full-service noncommercial educational (NCE) FM station, a full-service commercial FM station, an AM broadcast station, a full-service TV station or a Low Power TV station that originates programming.  

Requesting filing assistance from REC

Requests from LPFM stations as well as from full-service FM (commercial or noncommercial) licensees with only a single station may be requested through REC EZ Forms.  Using EZ Forms, while not required, does help us gather the information that we need.  

Requests for multiple stations as well as anyone experiencing difficulty using REC EZ Forms can make their initial request by email at lpfm@recnet.com

2021 NCE filing window grantees who are not yet on the air should contact REC for guidance in order to determine if the station needs to fill out the forms for this year.

Those who have utilized REC in past years for ETRS and where no information has changed can contact us by email for ETRS 2023 assistance.   

Thank you in advance for supporting REC.