The FCC has been creating an online reporting system for EAS Participants to use to report their results in connection with the first ever nationwide EAS test, which is set to take place on November 9, 2011. In addition, the FCC has been preparing a new EAS Handbook that is designed to be used during the nationwide EAS test in place of the old Handbook. The FCC has now completed both tasks and issued a Public Notice today announcing the activation of the online reporting system and the release of the Handbook. The reporting system and the Handbook can be accessed on the FCC\'s Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau\'s EAS Nationwide Test Landing Page.

With respect to the reporting system, the FCC is asking that EAS Participants populate the database in advance of the test with items like station call letters, license identification numbers, geographic coordinates, EAS assignments (i.e., LP or NP status, etc.), EAS monitoring assignments, and the emergency contact representative of the EAS Participant. The FCC is also requesting that EAS Participants input immediate test results, (e.g., was the EAN received and was it passed on) on the day of the test. While the FCC is encouraging rapid online reporting of each Participant\'s test results, it ismandatory that the information be submitted to the FCC within 45 days following the test (either online or on paper).

The FCC has created three separate forms which, together, request the following information:

Form 1: Prior to November 9, please provide background information on your facilities and equipment. Form 2: On November 9, please provide information on whether you received the alert and whether you passed on the alert. Form 3: Between November 10 and December 24, please provide more detailed information on the success or failure of the test. (Please note that there is a conflict in dates between the FCC\'s form page on the website which indicates that the deadline is December 24, while the FCC\'s Public Notice indicates that the deadline is December 27). According to the FCC, the new EAS Handbook \"provides EAS Participants with instructions for participating in the first nationwide test of the EAS, scheduled for November 9, 2011, at 2:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time. A copy of the Handbook must be located at normal duty positions or EAS equipment locations where an operator is required to be on duty and must immediately be made available to staff responsible for participating in the test.\" Importantly, the FCC specifically notes that the \"handbook will supersede all other EAS Handbooks only during the operation of the Nationwide EAS Test on November 9, 2011.\"

Don\'t forget that a great deal of additional useful information on the national test can be found at the National Alliance of State Broadcasters Associations\'EAS Alert website and at the National Association of Broadcasters\' EAS National Test website. Both will greatly assist EAS Participants in successfully completing the national test.

ELECTRONIC MEDIA AWARDS   This Friday evening, October 21, 2011, the 23rd Annual Electronic Media Awards ceremony will be held at the Eastside Cannery Hotel and Casino on Boulder Highway in Las Vegas.  The event begins at 6:00 PM in Club One-Six, which is located on the 16th floor and can be reached by private elevator.  A full dinner will be served.   The EMA is produced by an extraordinary volunteer committee who are committed to raising the profile of the annual event which recognizes outstanding achievement in local Radio, Television, and Website. For the past two years, EMA is hosted in conjunction with the Nevada Broadcasters Association. 

Proceeds from our event are distributed by The Nevada Broadcasters Foundation under The Electronic Media Awards Scholarship program. $3,000.00 of our proceeds will go to The DeAnne Sheehan Merit Scholarship, and $1,000.00 is given in the name of Mike Geary. Based upon the funds raised, the remainder will go to the Nevada Broadcasters Foundation\'s Tony and Linda Bonnici Broadcasters Scholarship Fund and awarded in the name of The Electronic Media Awards.

Visit www.electronicmediaawards.org for more information.

__________________________________________________________________________

  THE COUNTDOWN CONTINUES   With just a few weeks left now before the first-ever, end-to-end test of the Emergency Alert System, it\'s time to finalize your preparations and plans. The purpose of this report is to provide you, the engineers, Chief Operators and other staff responsible for EAS with information that is specific to stations and cable operators in the Nevada EAS Operational Area.  

TEST SPECIFICS

The test will begin with a request for the activation from the White House to FEMA at approximately 2:00 PM Eastern, 11:00 AM Pacific on November 9th. It is expected that a Presidential Communications Officer will actually read the EAS audio message which will include the phrase \"This is a test\" several times. It will take a couple of minutes for the message to render into the PEP system and then launch to the Local Primary stations, the NPR squawk channel and the Participating Stations. This means it may be a little after 2:00 PM Eastern, 11:00 AM Pacific, by the time the test propagates to your station so wait for it! Continue your normal programming until the activation comes in and takes over your EAS equipment and with it, your programming and your airwaves.

The National Test will use the Event Code \"EAN\" and the Locater Code for Washington DC. In the Auto-Forward mode, this combination will allow the activation to take over your equipment and hold it for the entire time of the test. As long as you operate your EAS equipment in the AUTOMATIC Mode, you shouldn\'t need to make any changes in the programming of your equipment. If you operate in the MANUAL Mode, you will need to check your manufacturer\'s web site for updates and changes needed before the test.

The National Test will use the Originator Code \"PEP\" for Primary Entry Point stations and the Duration Code will be 15 minutes. This combination of codes is supposed to take over any EAS unit anywhere in the country and hold it as long as needed for the activation message, with no time limits. EAN is the only activation code that does not time-out after two minutes and that is one of the functions that is being checked in this test. The EOM digital tones will be sent at the end of the audio message which will last approximately two and a half minutes.

With the EAS tones before and after the message, the entire test should run approximately three minutes. This will stress the \"seize and control\" capability of the EAN Event Code.

For stations that share an EAS unit, this means that it\'s important that the test clear the first station in time for the other station or stations to be able to send out the test before it expires. Remember that the test must be rebroadcast on all your digital streams so it is important that there aren\'t any delays in the rebroadcast process.

Nothing beats being there, so every broadcaster, including automated stations and cable providers should plan on having an experienced operator present at the EAS equipment during the test. It is important that you or your operator allow the End of Message signal--the three short data bursts--to play out before switching back to normal programming. Do not attempt to end the test yourself. It may not be easy to wait for the EOM because the person reading the message may pause or hesitate in their reading. But FEMA assures us that the EOM will be sent.

The test message will be in English and will not be available in any other language. Foreign language stations particularly will need to prepare their audiences for the test through PSA\'s and other messages in your broadcast language because there is no way to override the test audio with a translation.

An EAT--Emergency Action Termination--will not be sent as part of this test. The use of the EAT in conjunction with an EAN is outlined in the FCC\'s official EAS Handbook as a way to notify National Non-Participating stations which must go off the air if an EAN is issued, that they can return to the air and resume broadcasting. In fact, you should NOT follow the procedures in the EAS Handbook. We have known for years that those procedures were incorrect, if not impossible to follow. While the FCC still requires that you have the Handbooks, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau Deputy Chief Greg Cooke has stated multiple times that stations should put the Handbook in a drawer and follow the instructions that the FCC will issue in a \"Day of...\" guide that\'s expected to be available this week on the FCC\'s National EAS Test website.

While the audio message for the National Test will use the phrase \"This is a test\" repeatedly, the use of the EAN code means your EAS equipment will automatically generate a crawl that indicates there is a national emergency. TV stations and cable, satellite and Internet TV operators  are all asked to prepare a graphic or slide that reads \"This is a Test\" to cut down on the confusion and concern that might arise from the crawl, especially among the hard of hearing and deaf. If you are using a computer-generated graphic instead of a still-store or slide, it should be programmed to run the entire length of the test and not fade to black halfway through the audio message. Four minutes is advised to cover the entire test. The Nevada EAS graphic used for the special Nevada mini-test can be used for the National EAS test. Just don\'t rely only on the crawl that your equipment, even the new CAP equipment, will produce during the National Test. We know when and what time the test is coming so if you don\'t want to use the Nevada EAS graphic, you have time to put together a nice looking image that perhaps includes with your station logo and to have the staff on hand to make sure it gets on the air during the test. This is a particularly important procedure for foreign language stations because the National Test will be in English and some EAS equipment can be set to produce the crawl message in Spanish, again possibly confusing foreign language audiences. So Spanish and other foreign language TV stations should make sure that their Test graphic is in their broadcast language.

Your EAS logs are the first and best indicator of whether your station will be able to receive and rebroadcast the National EAS Test as well as any Presidential level activations. Review your EAS logs--do they show that you\'ve received all EAS tests over the past year? Did you receive and rebroadcast the special Nevada statewide mini-National EAS Test on Sept. 26th? Are there any discrepancies between the times the stations you monitor sent the Required Monthly Tests and the Required Weekly Tests and the time you received those tests? Did you upgrade your EAS equipment in 2007 when Congress approved the current DST dates? If not, contact the manufacturer immediately for instructions on dealing with the time change. Remember, the test will be sent on Nov. 9th, three days after Daylight Saving Time ends on Nov. 6th. Make a note now on your calendar to check the time on your EAS equipment on Monday November 7th. 

CHECKLIST

Let\'s begin with the definition of a successful National EAS Test. A station must satisfy two major requirements for the test to be considered a success: your equipment must receive the entire test and must rebroadcast the entire test. This Checklist will help you prepare for a successful test.

Start with a look at your EAS equipment. Is it plugged in, displaying the correct time and receiving your monitoring assignments?

While you\'re at the EAS unit, check the programming. Do you have a new unit or are you using a legacy box? Is it correctly programmed or has it lost information? TFT\'s in particular lose their programming when the internal battery weakens. If you can\'t remember the last time you changed the battery it\'s probably time for a new one. It\'s a simple watch battery[1] that is generally available at drug stores and WalMart for about ten dollars. The most difficult thing about changing the battery is the re-programming of the equipment.

Is your equipment set to Auto Forward or Manual? If your station operates in an automated mode for any part of the day, your equipment must be set to Auto Forward. Do you have a delay built into your Auto Forward setting? Do you know what that delay period is? How will that affect the 15-minute duration of the National EAS Test? If you always have an operator on duty and your equipment is set to Manual, be there to see that the test is properly received and then forward it for rebroadcast.

Next, check the audio quality of your monitored stations. Is the audio something you want on your airwaves? If not, make the changes now that are needed to improve the signal and audio quality.

Check your Monitoring Assignments against the FCC EAS Mapbook on the Nevada Broadcasters Association website, www.nevadabroadcasters.org. Because the National Test will be sent from the White House to FEMA\'S Primary Entry Point stations, you will receive the test from multiple sources, including Nevada\'s two PEP stations, KDWN in Las Vegas and KKOH in Reno. In addition, National Public Radio will carry the test on their squawk channel, so it will also come in on KNPR in Las Vegas as well as their translator network, and KUNR in Reno and their translators. That means stations from Susanville to Bishop, Elko to Bullhead City and Tonopah to Ely will all receive the National Test from NPR as well as a PEP station. Most of the stations in the Nevada Operational Area should receive the test on the first \"hop\" from an originating source rather than through the extensive \"daisy chain\" used in some states.

If you receive the National Test from more than one of your monitored sources, your EAS equipment should be able to tell that the second message is a duplicate test. If your equipment does try to rebroadcast a duplicate test we are being told that sending a Required Weekly Test (RWT) in the duplicate EAN activation will cancel the second activation.

Be sure to log that the test was received and rebroadcast, just as you would with any EAS activation.

The FCC would like you to take a couple minutes now to \"populate\" your online reporting form. You will need your Facility ID and other station-specific information when you do this. The FCC will announce the link on the National Test website: http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/emergency-alert-system-nationwide-test. By doing this now, you can cut down on the time it will take you to file your initial \"Day of\" report.

DURING THE TEST

Be there. Know how your equipment will handle the test, especially if your equipment feeds more than one station. Be prepared to forward the test manually if needed. Be prepared to end it manually if needed but remember that this test will run longer than the normal tests so wait for the entire test to propagate through your equipment.

Be on the NBA conference call to track the progress of the test from the time it arrives at the PEP stations until it leaves your station. The number is 1-605-475-4333, access code 540086#. The line will handle 150 calls at a time, so if you don\'t get through the first time, hang up and dial in again. Let us know what the test is doing at your station.

AFTER THE TEST

Log the test as you would log any EAS activation.

The FCC would like you to immediately report the results of the test at your station. Use their online resource to tell them what happened immediately after the test.[2] Then you will have 45 days to file a more extensive report on the details of the test at your station.

SUMMARY

Remember, this isn\'t just another EAS Test. Don\'t assume that your equipment will handle it just fine. This is a first-ever event and no one really knows whether the equipment and the EAS network will function as intended. Don\'t sit in your office and assume the equipment and your staff will handle it just fine. Take the pro-active approach and be there to make sure that everything works properly or that you can observe and deal with any problems that arise. Remember that not only will your station will have to submit an immediate report on the test to the FCC, you will also have 45 days to send the FCC a second, more detailed report on the test circumstances and activities.

Additional resources for information on the National EAS Test:

FEMA IPAWS will publish their Best Practices Guide on the IdeaScale website at https://nationaldialogue-emergencyalertsystem.ideascale.com/

You will also find information on the National Test and general EAS topics on the Broadcast Warning Working Group website, the EAS Forum, athttp://eas.radiolists.net/

NASBA, the National Alliance of State Broadcasters Associations, has a section on their website devoted to EAS and information about the National Test at: http://www.easalert.org/

The Broadcasters Desktop Resource at http://www.thebdr.net/ provides information not only on EAS but other aspects of broadcast engineering.

Adrienne Abbott

[1] CR2032 lithium coin cell

[2] http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/emergency-alert-system-nationwide-test

Broadcasters and wireless operators may be at odds over spectrum auctions, but they are allies in their opposition to spectrum fees.

In a joint letter to the Super Committee that is looking to trim $1.5 trillion from the federal deficit through cost cutting and revenue raising, the leading lobbies for the two industries the NAB and CTIA - The Wireless Association along with three other trade groups yesterday asked the panel not to adopt a provision of the President Obama\'s jobs bill that would empower the FCC to impose more than $4 billion in new spectrum user fees over 10 years.

\"This legislation ignores the considerable annual regulatory fees already borne by our respective industries and the tens of billions of dollars in private capital expended annually by wireless, satellite and commercial, non-commercial and public radio operators alike to build networks and invest in the infrastructure necessary to serve the American public,\" the letter says.

The spectrum users are acutely aware of the country\'s economic problems, it says. \"We do not believe, however, that the solution to unemployment lies in the imposition of new fees and taxes that will inevitably shift money from much needed capital investment in state-of-the-art communications technologies critical to the health of the American economy.\"

Also signing on to the letter were the Satellite Industry Association, National Religious Broadcasters and PCIA The Wireless Infrastructure Foundation.

The bipartisan Super Committee comprises 12 members of the Congress six senators and six representatives. It is also considering authorizing the FCC to auction spectrum that broadcasters agree to give up for a share of the proceeds.

The committee sees it as another source of badly needed revenue. While the wireless industry favors the auction, most broadcasters fear that another disruption of the TV band would cause irreparable harm to the medium, even if participation in the auction is voluntary.

THE FOLLOWING LETTER WAS ALSO SENT TO THE SUPER COMMITTEE YESTERDAY

Dear Members of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction: As the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction considers spectrum auction proposals as part of its deficit reduction deliberations, the Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC), whose members include more than 900 of the nations television stations and many leading technology companies, urges you to include broadcaster protections to ensure continued viewer access to their local television stations, including Mobile DTV. Failure to include such provisions could stymie the launch of Mobile DTV, an exciting new service that viewers want and that is taking its place as an important component of the evolving broadband ecosystem.   Mobile Digital Television TV on the Go is an innovative new broadcast service that provides real time news, weather, emergency alerts and favorite programming to viewers wherever they go on their mobile phones, tablets or laptops. With over 100 stations already offering Mobile DTV across the country today, this new technology is on track to reach two-thirds of U.S. households by early 2012. A glimpse at this exciting new service can be found at: http://www.mdtvsignalmap.com/omvc/ Consumers especially value Mobile DTV for news, weather and real time emergency information. During the August earthquake in the Washington DC area, OMVC test users received real time local broadcast services on their Mobile DTV enabled devices even as they were evacuated from their workplaces and unable to place and receive calls on their mobile phones because of network congestion. Their experience mirrored that of viewers in Japan during last Marchs earthquake and tsunami, when public safety authorities relied on Mobile DTV offered by TV broadcasters to disseminate real time information about evacuation plans and rescue operations simultaneously to viewers throughout the country, since wireless networks were shut down.   If the Congress seeks to raise revenue by reallocating existing television spectrum for wireless broadband through voluntary spectrum auctions, it should ensure that the following provisions are included in any legislative proposal: Preserve viewer access to local television stations, including Mobile DTV, by replicating existing station service areas and covered populations in connection with any forced relocation of television stations to new channels (repacking) as part of the spectrum auction process.   Enable television broadcasters to continue to innovate and provide Mobile DTV by preventing the FCC from involuntarily moving television stations from the UHF band to the VHF band. Reimburse television broadcasters for their costs associated with repacking (new transmitters,antennas, retrofitting, etc.).   We ask you to take the deployment of broadcast Mobile DTV into account as the committee considers spectrum auction provisions. Federal spectrum policymaking must ensure that consumers are able to receive free over the air Mobile DTV, including news and emergency services. Thank you for the consideration of our views.   Sincerely,   Vince Sadusky PresidentOpen Mobile Video Coalition CEO LinTV   The Open Mobile Video Coalition is a nationwide alliance of over 900 broadcast television stations whose mission is to promote the development and deployment of Mobile DTV. Leading Device Manufacturers Dell, Harris, Intel, LG Electronics, Samsung Mobile and Siano are among the Coalitions non-broadcast members.

EDITORIAL WE ARE PART OF THE STORY   Just as there is a significant difference between giving a party or attending a party -- there is a significant difference between reporting a story or being part of the story.  When it comes to all of the diverse Anti-Bullying efforts currently taking place throughout almost every community here in Nevada, television and radio stations are on the front line of fighting for our children\'s dignity and self-respect.  It is an outstanding example of how we use our Spectrum.   Long before the term \"Anti-Bullying\" ever surfaced, as an association we devoted a Hall of Fame Gala to talking about Columbine High School, with the keynote address of the evening coming from young Craig Scott who survived the massacre in the school library (but lost his sister Rachel who was the first student to be murdered).  Today, \"Rachel\'s Challenge\" is one of the most successful Anti-Bullying programs taught throughout this country.   As an association, our NBA produced OBSERVATIONS radio and television shows have devoted numerous public awareness Anti-Bullying programming for well over a decade.   And just six weeks ago the NBA presented our Pinnacle Award to R&R Partners for their ongoing commitment to Anti-Bullying awareness and education through their Flip the Script campaign.  Within one week following our first meeting with R&R Partners, the NBA had received a one-year commitment from 105 Nevada radio and television stations to air Flip the Script PSA\'s.  The donated time -- worth tens of millions of dollars.  Another outstanding example of how we use our Spectrum.   NEVADA\'S BROADCASTERS:  REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND BEYOND.   PLEASE LET US KNOW HOW YOUR STATION IS DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE ANTI-BULLYING CAMPAIGNS IN YOUR COMMUNITY.  THIS IS IMPORTANT INFORMATION WE WILL SHARE.    Robert David Fisher

If a test is a measurement of knowledge, then you will need something bigger than a yardstick to measure the results of Nevada\'s mini-National Emergency Alert System Test conducted last Monday, Sept. 26th. In terms of pure mechanics the test was a rousing success...an EAS activation with the Event Code RMT (Required Monthly Test) was sent from FEMA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. directly to Nevada\'s two Primary Entry Point stations, KKOH in Reno and KDWN in Las Vegas. This was the first time that FEMA had ever sent such a message to specific stations in the continental US.

Both stations received the test and rebroadcast it to the Local Primary stations in their operational areas. From the Local Primary stations it propagated into stations across the state, from Gerlach to Ely, Stateline to Pahrump, and even into Eastern California where it was received by stations from Bishop to Susanville. What we learned from this exercise was invaluable in terms of preparing for the upcoming National EAS Test in November, especially when you consider the FCC requirement that stations self report their National EAS test activities.

For the most part, the stations that are already active and reliable EAS participants received and rebroadcasted the test. The publicity about this test as well as FEMA\'s involvement gave those who haven\'t been as active in EAS an incentive for paying attention to the test and the response from their equipment. After analyzing the test and the response from our stations, we have been able to identify five areas where there were unmet challenges that prevented stations from receiving and rebroadcasting the mini-Test. 

            1. MONITORING ASSIGNMENTS--are you monitoring the proper stations?

Even after years of work and publicity about Monitoring Assignments, some stations were not monitoring their assigned stations or had problems receiving their monitoring assignments. The FCC Mapbook lists station monitoring assignments and is available on the NBA website atwww.nevadabroadcasters.org. If the FCC inspects your station, these are the stations they will expect to find on your EAS equipment. Many reception problems can be resolved with the use of a good quality, well grounded receiver and an outdoor, tuned antenna. Unfortunately, this aspect of EAS has been overlooked for years. Now is the time to deal with these problems. If you cannot reliably receive your Monitoring Assignments, contact me so we can resolve your situation.

            2. PROGRAMMING--is your new or legacy equipment going to surprise you by delaying or not rebroadcasting the test? Do you have the proper Event and Locator codes? Is your equipment in Auto Forward or Manual?

There were also cases of stations that received the test but did not rebroadcast it as required by the FCC rules. Talking with the staff at these stations revealed a number of problems, mostly related to the way the equipment was programmed. In some cases, this was one of the first tests stations had received since installing their new CAP equipment and the Auto Forward functions weren\'t properly set. Because no one was at the equipment when the test was sent they missed rebroadcasting it within the 15-minute time limit. One station was unaware of the requirement to rebroadcast the RMT and so they didn\'t send it, and stated that they had not be rebroadcasting any RMT\'s. Other stations were unaware of rebroadcast delays programmed into their new equipment until this test. And if you have new EAS equipment, check with the manufacturer to be sure you also have the latest upgrades and that the equipment is properly programmed. And remember that if you operate in an unattended mode, even for part of the broadcast day, your EAS equipment must be set to Auto Forward tests and activations. 

            3. TIME--is your equipment set to the proper time?

Time was another element at risk in the mini-test. One station received the test but did not rebroadcast it because their equipment was an hour off and viewed the test as \"Expired\". That\'s a reminder that you should check your equipment weekly to be sure that it displays the proper time. Check the manufacturer\'s website for more information on proper time settings. In the case of some TFT equipment, the front panel clock can display the proper time but the internal clock will have the incorrect time. If you have legacy equipment that you did not upgrade for the Daylight Saving Time change several years ago, you may have problems of which you are not aware. Again, check your manufacturer\'s website for more information on time settings. And check your logs against the EAS Activity Report to see whether you might have a time problem.

            4. EQUIPMENT FAILURE--most of the equipment is more than 15 years old.

Equipment type was one of the common threads in cases where the test was not received or not rebroadcast. At least three stations with Gorman Redlich equipment did not receive or did not rebroadcast the test. Stations with Gorman Redlich equipment should contact the manufacturer for the latest information on upgrades and programming changes prior to the National EAS Test on November 9.  

            5. COMMUNICATION--Nothing beats being there...don\'t walk away and depend on the equipment to perform properly.

Yes, this equipment is supposed to function without human intervention, but tests like the Nevada mini-Test and the National Test are designed to show how well the equipment performs and whether you can rely on it in an emergency. As a broadcaster serving your community, you should care enough to be there to see that the test comes in and that the test goes out. You should know what to expect from the test and when to expect it. During the mini-Test, the Nevada Broadcasters Association provided a conference line for engineers to monitor the progress of the test. The instant communication and feedback on the progress of the RMT was very valuable in analyzing the ability of stations to serve their communities. The use of a conference bridge will become a part of future RMT routines. We also send out weekly EAS reports to help you with your log review and any questions you might have. If you aren\'t receiving the EAS Activity Reports, please contact me and I will add you to the list.

We have barely a month left between now and the National EAS Test. There are scheduled RMT\'s for all three Operational Areas, but the FCC designates October as a month when the test should run between sundown and sunrise, when most of us are at home. Several engineers have requested that we send a second RMT this month at a time when stations are normally staffed. We will do this in each Operational Area to give everyone an extra opportunity to see if the changes they made as a result of what they learned from the mini-National EAS Test will mean they\'ll be able to receive and rebroadcast the FEMA test. The FCC rules do allow us to send these extra tests as a way of making sure we are ready to serve our communities with warnings and disaster information. We will let you know what date we set for the extra tests.

Adrienne Abbott

nevadaeas@charter.net

775-750-5987  

GOVERNOR BRIAN SANDOVAL PSA TO AIR DURING THE FIRST NINE DAYS OF NOVEMBER ON STATEWIDE RADIO AND TELEVISION

HELLO.  I AM GOVERNOR BRIAN SANDOVAL.

ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9TH AT 11 AM,  NEVADA\'S TV AND RADIO BROADCASTERS, CABLE AND SATELLITE OPERATORS  WILL ALL PARTICIPATE IN THE FIRST NATIONAL TEST OF THE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM.  IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THIS IS ONLY A TEST AND IS DESIGNED TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A NATIONAL EAS ACTIVATION. BEING PREPARED FOR ANY EMERGENCY IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH AND EVERY NEVADAN.  REMEMBER, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9TH AT 11 AM.  THIS IS ONLY A TEST.

Nevada Broadcasters Association to Conduct State-Wide mini-National EAS Test on Monday, September 26, 2011 

Media Inquiries:

Adrienne Abbott

nevadaeas@charter.net

The Nevada Broadcasters Association, in coordination with the Nevada Division of Emergency Management and local emergency managers, has partnered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) to conduct a special, statewide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) next Monday, Sept. 26 at 1:00 PM Pacific. The test will help Nevada broadcasters and cable operators prepare for the upcoming National EAS Test on Nov. 9, 2011.

The special statewide test will originate from FEMA Primary Entry Point stations, KKOH in Reno and KDWN in Las Vegas. From there it will propagate to the radio and TV stations in the Nevada EAS Operational Area, including stations in eastern California and northern Arizona. This special test will use the familiar Required Monthly Test (RMT) message code and contain the elements that are familiar to Nevada audiences, the normal digital tones, the dual tone and a brief message. TV viewers will also see a test message scroll on local and cable television. This will be the first time such a test has been conducted in the continental US. Similar tests have been conducted in Alaska, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Through our partnership with FEMA, this mini-version of the National EAS Test will also help inform and prepare our communities for the Nov. 9th Test, said Adrienne Abbott, Nevada State Emergency Communications Committee Chair. The EAS is one of the alert and warning tools that functions well for Nevada because we have a close relationship with our State and local emergency managers.\"

To help educate audiences, Nevada radio and TV stations are now carrying Public Service Announcements about the special statewide test and the National EAS Test.  

This event coincides with National Preparedness Month, according to Washoe County Emergency Manager Aaron Kenneston. As Nevada prepares for and tests our alert and warning capabilities, this event serves as a reminder for our families, businesses and communities to have emergency preparedness kits, emergency plans and portable radios.

The EAS provides a critical public service to the nation as the resilient backbone of alert and warning capabilities when other means of communication are unavailable. It\'s available 24/7 to state and local emergency officials at no cost to the community.

We want to thank the Nevada Broadcasters Association, Nevada EAS Participants, and the State of Nevada, for their excellent support in our National EAS Test preparation efforts, said Manny Centeno, FEMA IPAWS Program Manager and National EAS Test Lead. This RMT provides us with the opportunity to pre-test our message procedures at FEMA, in addition to exercising the State-level capabilities that will help us learn more about the system before the national test.

Members of the media are invited to view the testing process at both KKOH and KDWN. Information on both locations follows this news release.

For more information on the Nevada and Nationwide EAS Tests, visit the Nevada Broadcasters Association website: the State of Nevada website:the FEMA IPAWS website:  and the FCC website.

THE DAY THE WORLD STANDS STILL PART II - REVISED

Revised with New Information

So what do an iconic 1950\'s sci fi movie and a child\'s toy have in common? If you\'re preparing for the National EAS test, the answer is \"A lot\". As we learned from engineers Watt Hairston and Al Kenyon during FEMA\'s most recent webinar on preparations for the National EAS test, a hula hoop may be just what you need to improve your AM radio reception. Google the term \"AM Loop Antenna+hula hoop\" and the results include the instructions showing you how to be the first on your block to build a low-cost loop antenna from a hula hoop that will significantly (at least according to Watt and Al) improve your AM signal reception. It\'s one of the steps that are critical to a successful National Test because most Primary Entry Point stations in the country as well as at least one of the Local Primary stations in most Operational Areas are AM radio stations. If your station is going to spend three minutes of valuable program time on an EAS activation that everyone will carry, you want to be sure that your station has the best audio quality.

Unfortunately, you\'re starting with a couple strikes against you--the audio daisy chain that begins in the White House includes phone lines and AM radio stations and may take several \"hops\" on the way to your station. So start by examining the audio you get now in EAS tests from your Monitoring Assignments. Are the signals dependable and reliable? Is the audio clear enough to understand when you rebroadcast it? Are you receiving that AM signal with a bare wire that has the electronic characteristics of a coat hanger? When your station first added EAS equipment, was the cost such a burden that there was no interest in adding quality receiving equipment or antennas and nothing\'s changed since then? If so, then this is the time to finish that project and make sure that after the National Test, people aren\'t talking about how badly it sounded on your station.

Don\'t forget some of the basics--things like is your equipment plugged in and actually working. Don\'t laugh--we\'re still hearing stories about FCC agents and ABIP inspectors who find equipment that isn\'t powered up. Make sure everything is properly grounded and the antennas are connected to the receivers. If you use external receivers, check that those are plugged in, turned on and tuned to the appropriate stations.

Next, consider your Monitoring Assignments. Is your equipment set to receive tests and activations from the stations listed in the Nevada EAS Mapbook? The Mapbook is available on the Nevada Broadcasters Association website at http://www.nevadabroadcasters.org/. Click on the EAS link at the bottom of the page and scroll down to EAS Mapbook of Monitoring Assignments. If you cannot receive the stations you are assigned to monitor, contact me immediately at nevadaeas@charter.net.

After making sure your equipment is set to monitor the correct stations, check the quality of those signals. Are they reliable and clear? Do your logs indicate that you receive every test and activation as indicated by the EAS Weekly Activity Report? Your EAS logs are the first and best indicator of whether your station will be able to receive and rebroadcast the National EAS Test as well as any Presidential level activations.

Next, check the website for the manufacturer of your EAS equipment. You will find service bulletins, information on program updates and retrofits for your equipment there as well as the manufacturer\'s recommendations for configuring your equipment to receive the National Test. Originally there were 11 manufacturers who made EAS equipment. FEMA has collected samples of these units and is testing them in a lab environment to see how they react to the EAN event code that will be used for the National Test. These tests have led to a number of recommendations that now appear on the manufacturers\' websites. Review those recommendations for application to your particular equipment.

If you have Burk or HollyAnn units that are no longer supported by the manufacturer, FEMA is also checking these units in their test lab. They will have a report on recommendations for procedures for the National Test on that equipment before the test day. Check the FEMA IdeaScale website,                                                       https://nationaldialogue-emergencyalertsystem.ideascale.com/  for new information and their report for unsupported equipment.

Finally, remember that Common Alerting Protocol or CAP will NOT be used in this first National EAS Test. If you have CAP-compliant equipment installed at your station, the test will only use the \"legacy EAS\" components in that equipment which is pretty much how Nevada and stations in the Nevada EAS Operational Area currently use EAS.

The National Test will be sent with the \"EAN\" Event Code and the Locator Code for Washington DC, 011011. The Originator Code will be \"PEP\" for Primary Entry Point stations and the Duration Code will be 15 minutes. This combination of codes is supposed to take over any EAS unit anywhere in the country and run it as long as needed, until the EOM digital tones are sent. In most cases, you do NOT need to program the Washington DC FIPS code into your equipment. However, this is one of the areas where you need to check your equipment manufacturer\'s website for their specific recommendations, particularly if you operate your equipment in the \"MANUAL\" mode. Incidentally, while there is a FIPS code for the entire county, it is currently not recognized by the various standards groups so it can\'t and won\'t be used in the National Test.

FEMA will issue the EAN activation at the request of the White House at approximately 2:00 PM Eastern, 11:00 AM Pacific. It is expected that a Presidential Communications Officer will actually read the EAS test message which will run approximately two and a half minutes. It will take a couple of minutes for the message to render into the PEP system and then launch to the Local Primary stations and the Participating Stations. This means it may a little after 2:00 PM Eastern, 11:00 AM Pacific, by the time the test reaches your station so wait for it! Continue your normal programming until the EAN comes in and takes over your EAS  equipment and with it, your programming.

With the EAS tones before and after the message, the entire test should run approximately three minutes. This will stress the \"seize and control\" capability of the EAN Event Code, the only EAS Event Code that does not have a two minute time limit. It is important that you or your operator allow the End of Message signal--the three short data bursts--to play out before switching back to normal programming. Do not attempt to end the test yourself. It may not be easy to do this because the person reading the message may pause or hesitate in their reading. But FEMA assures us that the EOM will be sent.

The test message will be in English and will not be available in any other language. Foreign language stations particularly will need to prepare their audiences for the test because there will not be any way to override the test audio with a translation.

There are some variables in EAS equipment that is operated in the \"MANUAL\" mode, so the recommendations from FEMA and the FCC as well as the equipment manufacturers are that your equipment should be set to the \"AUTO\" mode. Your equipment should be programmed to filter out the activations you do not want to carry on your station. Remember that anytime your station is operating in an \"Unattended\" mode, your EAS equipment should be set to \"AUTO\" to automatically forward any tests or activations. If your EAS equipment is normally set to the \"MANUAL\" mode, or you toggle back and forth between \"MANUAL\" and \"AUTO\" and you plan to set it to \"AUTO\" for the National Test, you should still check your manufacturer\'s website for updates, retrofits and recommendations.

If you are going to remain in the \"MANUAL\" mode for the National Test, be sure your operator knows how to forward an EAS activation. Again, the operator must allow the End of Message signal--the three short data bursts--to play out before ending the test and switching back to normal programming. This may be difficult to do if the audio message has a lot of pauses in it, so the operator must pay close attention to the test.

An EAT--Emergency Action Termination--will not be sent as part of this test. The use of the EAT in conjunction with an EAN is outlined in the FCC\'s official EAS Handbook as a way to notify National Non-Participating stations which must go off the air if an EAN is issued, that they can return to the air and resume broadcasting. In fact, you should NOT follow the procedures in the EAS Handbook. We have known for years that those procedures were incorrect, if not impossible to follow. While the FCC still requires that you have the Handbooks, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau Deputy Chief Greg Cooke stated in the last FEMA webinar that stations should ignore the procedures in the Handbook and that the FCC will issue \"Day of...\" instructions prior to the test.

While the audio message for the National Test will use the phrase \"This is a test\" repeatedly, the use of the EAN code means your EAS equipment will automatically generate a crawl that indicates there is a national emergency. TV stations and cable, satellite and Internet TV operators  are all asked to prepare a graphic or slide that reads \"This is a Test\" to cut down on the confusion and concern that might arise from the crawl, especially among the hard of hearing and deaf. So don\'t rely only on the crawl that your equipment, even the new CAP equipment, will produce during the National Test. We know when and what time the test is coming so you have time to put together a nice looking graphic that perhaps includes with your station logo and to have the staff on hand to make sure it gets on the air during the test. This is a particularly important procedure for foreign language stations because the National Test will be in English. Foreign language stations should make sure that their Test graphic is in their broadcast language.

In addition to the PEP network, the National Test will be sent to NPR\'s \"squawk\" channel and from there to most NPR stations across the country. This is critical in Nevada where our NPR stations and their translators serve as Local Primary 2 stations. This means the test will reach rural area stations that might not receive a reliable signal from a PEP station. This is not expected to cause duplicate tests at stations that monitor both a PEP station and an NPR station. However, this scenario is being tested at FEMA\'s lab, and until we know for sure what will happen, stations are advised to have a knowledgeable person on hand who can manually cancel any duplicate tests that might be received by stations that monitor both a PEP and an NPR station. If a duplicate test occurs and you can\'t stop it from going out, we are being told that sending a Required Weekly Test (RWT) in the duplicate EAN activation will cancel the test.

According to Touchstone\'s Gary Timm, writing for AwareForum.org, stations which normally monitor a PEP station (KKOH in Reno and KDWN in Las Vegas) may see PEP RWTs on their EAS unit logs in the months leading up to the test. These should be logged as usual but nothing else needs to be done and you don\'t need to make any programming changes in your equipment. It\'s just part of the preparations for the National Test.

Earlier this year, FEMA asked to conduct a statewide EAS test in Nevada as part of their preparations for the National Test. Manny Centeno of FEMA\'s IPAWS office says that this will give them a chance to rehearse their preparations. The test will also give us a chance to see where there might be reception issues among the radio and TV stations in the Nevada Operational Area.

TEST SPECIFICS: The \"Nevada mini-EAS Test\" will be conducted on September 26th, at 1:00 PM our time. It will be launched from a bridge ENDEC in FEMA headquarters (Mt. Weather) and specifically directed to PEP stations KKOH and KDWN. It will carry the Event Code \"RMT\", the Locator Code \"032000\", or \"All Nevada\", the Originator Code \"EAS\" (broadcaster or cable operator), and a Duration Code of \"15 minutes.\" The AFSK will be encoded so that it is understood only by the two Nevada PEP stations and it will be sent in Protocol B. The test will be just like any other Required Monthly Test, beginning with the digital tones, followed by the 8-second dual tone and a brief audio message pre-recorded by a broadcast professional informing the public about the upcoming National Test. It will end with the short digital tones. As with any other RMT, all stations will have 15 minutes to rebroadcast this special test.

Stations in the Nevada Operational Area should make sure that their EAS equipment is programmed to receive activations with the \"All Nevada\" FIPS code, 032000. That also applies to stations in eastern California and northern Arizona who are part of the Nevada EAS Operational Area.   

The Nevada Broadcasters Association and FEMA will both have staff monitoring the progress of the Nevada mini-test. FEMA staffers will monitor stations in both Reno and Las Vegas. Other stations will be asked to participate in conference calls during the test to track its progress.

With all these cautionary notes, updates and changes, it is particularly important that engineers, Chief Operators and technical staff pay attention to the latest news on the National Test and the Nevada \"mini-National EAS Test.\"  FEMA is conducting a series of webinars on test preparations. The audience for these webinars has grown from a couple hundred for the first event to more than 800 participants in the most recent session. The topics are centered around the various steps stations need to take to prepare for the tests. The next webinar is set for Sept. 30th. These discussions are helping FEMA build a \"Best Practices\" guide for stations to use for the test. FEMA is expected to publish the guide on Oct. 3, 2011. But you can start your preparations now by reviewing the previous webinars that are archived on the IdeaScale website at https://nationaldialogue-emergencyalertsystem.ideascale.com/ and making sure your equipment is properly set up, programmed and operating in compliance with Part 11.

You will also find information on the National Test and general EAS topics on the Broadcast Warning Working Group website, the EAS Forum, at http://eas.radiolists.net/ where you will find articles, a place to comment and ask questions about EAS and an email listserv in which you can participate.

The Broadcasters Desktop Resource at http://www.thebdr.net/ provides information not only on EAS but other aspects of broadcast engineering.

Internet publications like Radio World and the NAB Tech Check also provide current information about various developments in EAS. Online editions are available free.

Please contact me if you need more information about the Nevada mini-Test or the National EAS Test or all things EAS.

Adrienne Abbott, Nevada Chair, SECC nevadaeas@charter.net

So what do an iconic 1950\'s sci fi movie and a child\'s toy have in common? If you\'re preparing for the National EAS test, the answer is \"A lot\". As we learned from engineers Watt Hairston and Al Kenyon during FEMA\'s most recent webinar on preparations for the National EAS test, a hula hoop may be just what you need to improve your AM radio reception. Google the term \"AM Loop Antenna+hula hoop\" and the results include the instructions showing you how to be the first on your block to build a low-cost loop antenna from a hula hoop that will significantly (at least according to Watt and Al) improve your AM signal reception. It\'s one of the steps that are critical to a successful National Test because most Primary Entry Point stations in the country as well as at least one of the Local Primary stations in most Operational Areas are AM radio stations. If your station is going to spend three minutes of valuable program time on an EAS activation that everyone will carry, you want to be sure that your station has the best audio quality.

Unfortunately, you\'re starting with a couple strikes against you--the audio daisy chain that begins in the White House includes phone lines and AM radio stations and may take several \"hops\" on the way to your station. So start by examining the audio you get now in EAS tests from your Monitoring Assignments. Are the signals dependable and reliable? Is the audio clear enough to understand when you rebroadcast it? Are you receiving that AM signal with a bare wire that has the electronic characteristics of a coat hanger? When your station first added EAS equipment, was the cost such a burden that there was no interest in adding quality receiving equipment or antennas and nothing\'s changed since then? If so, then this is the time to finish that project and make sure that after the National Test, people aren\'t talking about how badly it sounded on your station.

Don\'t forget some of the basics--things like is your equipment plugged in and actually working. Don\'t laugh--we\'re still hearing stories about FCC agents and ABIP inspectors who find equipment that isn\'t powered up. Make sure everything is properly grounded and the antennas are connected to the receivers. If you use external receivers, check that those are plugged in, turned on and tuned to the appropriate stations.

Next, consider your Monitoring Assignments. Is your equipment set to receive tests and activations from the stations listed in the Nevada EAS Mapbook? The Mapbook is available on the Nevada Broadcasters Association website at http://www.nevadabroadcasters.org/. Click on the EAS link at the bottom of the page and scroll down to EAS Mapbook of Monitoring Assignments. If you cannot receive the stations you are assigned to monitor, contact me immediately at nevadaeas@charter.net.

After making sure your equipment is set to monitor the correct stations, check the quality of those signals. Are they reliable and clear? Do your logs indicate that you receive every test and activation as indicated by the EAS Weekly Activity Report? Your EAS logs are the first and best indicator of whether your station will be able to receive and rebroadcast the National EAS Test as well as any Presidential level activations.

Next, check the website for the manufacturer of your EAS equipment. You will find service bulletins, information on program updates and retrofits for your equipment there as well as the manufacturer\'s recommendations for configuring your equipment to receive the National Test. Originally there were 11 manufacturers who made EAS equipment. FEMA has collected samples of these units and is testing them in a lab environment to see how they react to the EAN event code that will be used for the National Test. These tests have led to a number of recommendations that now appear on the manufacturers\' websites. Review those recommendations for application to your particular equipment.

If you have Burk or HollyAnn units that are no longer supported by the manufacturer, FEMA is also checking these units in their test lab. They will have a report on recommendations for procedures for the National Test on that equipment before the test day. Check the FEMA IdeaScale website, https://nationaldialogue-emergencyalertsystem.ideascale.com/ for new information and their report for unsupported equipment.

Finally, remember that Common Alerting Protocol or CAP will NOT be used in this first National EAS Test. If you have CAP-compliant equipment installed at your station, the test will only use the \"legacy EAS\" components in that equipment which is pretty much how Nevada and stations in the Nevada EAS Operational Area currently use EAS.

The National Test will be sent with the \"EAN\" Event Code and the Locator Code for Washington DC, 011011. The Originator Code will be \"PEP\" for Primary Entry Point stations and the Duration Code will be 15 minutes. This combination of codes is supposed to take over any EAS unit anywhere in the country and run it as long as needed, until the EOM digital tones are sent. In most cases, you do NOT need to program the Washington DC FIPS code into your equipment. However, this is one of the areas where you need to check your equipment manufacturer\'s website for their specific recommendations, particularly if you operate your equipment in the \"MANUAL\" mode. Incidentally, while there is a FIPS code for the entire county, it is currently not recognized by the various standards groups so it can\'t and won\'t be used in the National Test.

FEMA will issue the EAN activation at the request of the White House at approximately 2:00 PM Eastern, 11:00 AM Pacific. It is expected that a Presidential Communications Officer will actually read the EAS test message which will run approximately two and a half minutes. It will take a couple of minutes for the message to render into the PEP system and then launch to the Local Primary stations and the Participating Stations. This means it may a little after 2:00 PM Eastern, 11:00 AM Pacific, by the time the test reaches your station so wait for it! Continue your normal programming until the EAN comes in and takes over your EAS equipment and with it, your programming.

With the EAS tones before and after the message, the entire test should run approximately three minutes. This will stress the \"seize and control\" capability of the EAN Event Code, the only EAS Event Code that does not have a two minute time limit. It is important that you or your operator allow the End of Message signal--the three short data bursts--to play out before switching back to normal programming. Do not attempt to end the test yourself. It may not be easy to do this because the person reading the message may pause or hesitate in their reading. But FEMA assures us that the EOM will be sent.

The test message will be in English and will not be available in any other language. Foreign language stations particularly will need to prepare their audiences for the test because there will not be any way to override the test audio with a translation.

There are some variables in EAS equipment that is operated in the \"MANUAL\" mode, so the recommendations from FEMA and the FCC as well as the equipment manufacturers are that your equipment should be set to the \"AUTO\" mode. Your equipment should be programmed to filter out the activations you do not want to carry on your station. Remember that anytime your station is operating in an \"Unattended\" mode, your EAS equipment should be set to \"AUTO\" to automatically forward any tests or activations. If your EAS equipment is normally set to the \"MANUAL\" mode, or you toggle back and forth between \"MANUAL\" and \"AUTO\" and you plan to set it to \"AUTO\" for the National Test, you should still check your manufacturer\'s website for updates, retrofits and recommendations.

If you are going to remain in the \"MANUAL\" mode for the National Test, be sure your operator knows how to forward an EAS activation. Again, the operator must allow the End of Message signal--the three short data bursts--to play out before ending the test and switching back to normal programming. This may be difficult to do if the audio message has a lot of pauses in it, so the operator must pay close attention to the test.

An EAT--Emergency Action Termination--will not be sent as part of this test. The use of the EAT in conjunction with an EAN is outlined in the FCC\'s official EAS Handbook as a way to notify National Non-Participating stations which must go off the air if an EAN is issued, that they can return to the air and resume broadcasting. In fact, you should NOT follow the procedures in the EAS Handbook. We have known for years that those procedures were incorrect, if not impossible to follow. While the FCC still requires that you have the Handbooks, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau Deputy Chief Greg Cooke stated in the last FEMA webinar that stations should ignore the procedures in the Handbook and that the FCC will issue \"Day of...\" instructions prior to the test.

While the audio message for the National Test will use the phrase \"This is a test\" repeatedly, the use of the EAN code means your EAS equipment will automatically generate a crawl that indicates there is a national emergency. TV stations and cable, satellite and Internet TV operators are all asked to prepare a graphic or slide that reads \"This is a Test\" to cut down on the confusion and concern that might arise from the crawl, especially among the hard of hearing and deaf. So don\'t rely only on the crawl that your equipment, even the new CAP equipment, will produce during the National Test. We know when and what time the test is coming so you have time to put together a nice looking graphic that perhaps includes with your station logo and to have the staff on hand to make sure it gets on the air during the test. This is a particularly important procedure for foreign language stations because the National Test will be in English. Foreign language stations should make sure that their Test graphic is in their broadcast language.

In addition to the PEP network, the National Test will be sent to NPR\'s \"squawk\" channel and from there to most NPR stations across the country. This is critical in Nevada where our NPR stations and their translators serve as Local Primary 2 stations. This means the test will reach rural area stations that might not receive a reliable signal from a PEP station. This is not expected to cause duplicate tests at stations that monitor both a PEP station and an NPR station. However, this scenario is being tested at FEMA\'s lab, and until we know for sure what will happen, stations are advised to have a knowledgeable person on hand who can manually cancel any duplicate tests that might be received by stations that monitor both a PEP and an NPR station. If a duplicate test occurs and you can\'t stop it from going out, we are being told that sending a Required Weekly Test (RWT) in the duplicate EAN activation will cancel the test.

According to Touchstone\'s Gary Timm, writing for AwareForum.org, stations which normally monitor a PEP station (KKOH in Reno and KDWN in Las Vegas) may see PEP RWTs on their EAS unit logs in the months leading up to the test. These should be logged as usual but nothing else needs to be done and you don\'t need to make any programming changes in your equipment. It\'s just part of the preparations for the National Test.

Earlier this year, FEMA asked to conduct a statewide EAS test in Nevada as part of their preparations for the National Test. Manny Centeno of FEMA\'s IPAWS office says that this will give them a chance to rehearse their preparations. The test will also give us a chance to see where there might be reception issues in Nevada. The \"Nevada mini-EAS Test\" will be conducted on September 26th, at 1:00 PM our time. It will be launched from a bridge ENDEC in FEMA headquarters (Mt. Weather) and specifically directed to PEP stations KKOH and KDWN. It will carry the Event Code \"RMT\", the Locator Code \"032000\", or \"All Nevada\", the Originator Code \"PEP\", and a Duration Code of \"15 minutes.\" The AFSK will be encoded so that it is understood only by the two Nevada PEP stations and it will be sent in Protocol B. The test will be just like any other Required Monthly Test and it will include a brief audio message pre-recorded by a broadcast professional informing the public about the upcoming National Test.

Stations in the Nevada Operational Area should make sure that their EAS equipment is programmed to receive activations with the \"All Nevada\" FIPS code, 032000. That also applies to stations in eastern California who are part of the Nevada EAS Operational Area.

The Nevada Broadcasters Association and FEMA will both have staff monitoring the progress of the Nevada mini-test. FEMA will bring equipment with them to Las Vegas that is capable of simultaneously monitoring 16 radio stations and 8 TV stations. The NBA will have a telephone conference bridge with engineers and emergency managers across the state to follow the progress of our mini-test.

With all these cautionary notes, updates and changes, it is particularly important that engineers, Chief Operators and technical staff pay attention to the latest news on the National Test and the Nevada \"mini-National EAS Test.\" FEMA is conducting a series of webinars on test preparations. The audience for these webinars has grown from a couple hundred for the first event to more than 800 participants in the most recent session. The topics are centered around the various steps stations need to take to prepare for the tests. The next webinar is set for Sept. 30th. These discussions are helping FEMA build a \"Best Practices\" guide for stations to use for the test. FEMA is expected to publish the guide on Oct. 3, 2011. But you can start your preparations now by reviewing the previous webinars that are archived on the IdeaScale website at https://nationaldialogue-emergencyalertsystem.ideascale.com/ and making sure your equipment is properly set up, programmed and operating in compliance with Part 11.

You will also find information on the National Test and general EAS topics on the Broadcast Warning Working Group website, the EAS Forum, at http://eas.radiolists.net/ where you will find articles, a place to comment and ask questions about EAS and an email listserv in which you can participate.

The Broadcasters Desktop Resource at http://www.thebdr.net/ provides information not only on EAS but other aspects of broadcast engineering.

Internet publications like Radio World and the NAB Tech Check also provide current information about various developments in EAS. Online editions are available free.

Please contact me if you need more information about the Nevada mini-Test or the National EAS Test or all things EAS.

Adrienne Abbott, Nevada Chair, SECC nevadaeas@charter.net

On Wednesday, November 9th, radio and TV audiences will feel like they\'re part of an iconic 1950\'s sci-fi movie when the government tests the Emergency Alert System. While you\'re car won\'t stop in traffic, elevators will continue to run and ice makers  will still drop chilly cubes in your glass, for about three minutes, the government will take over your airwaves and interrupt normal programming on all broadcast radio and TV stations as well as satellite radio, satellite and cable TV and many other subscription entertainment services for a top-down test of the country\'s major public warning service.

You might ask why there is so much fuss about another EAS test. After all, we do them routinely. Once a week we send a Required Weekly Test--waaaack, waaaack, waaaack, waack, waack, waack--and go on about our business. Once a month there is a longer test, the Required Monthly Test that not only includes the \"duck quack\" digital signals but also the jarring \"dual tone\" that has marked emergency warning messages since the middle of the last century. Once the dual tone ends, there is a test message followed by the short duck quacks. And once in a while, we get an actual emergency message, generally a developing, dangerous weather situation or an AMBER Alert. Occasionally, we might hear about a telephone outage, hazardous materials spill or even a notice to evacuate our homes ahead of a wildland fire.

EAS tests are part of our broadcast landscape, so what\'s the deal with the National Test? The situation is, that with major changes ahead for EAS with the development of Common Alerting Protocol, before CAP is fully integrated into all public warning platforms, the government, mainly FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, wants to know how well the current system really works and whether it would function properly in the event of a national disaster or major regional disaster. That\'s because in 60 years, EAS and its predecessors, EBS and CONELRAD, have never been activated or specifically tested on a national level.

FEMA, the FCC and the National Weather Service, have come up with a plan to test EAS in the same manner in which they would issue a national or regional warning, starting at the White House and sending the message to the Primary Entry Point stations across the country that are linked to a special network dedicated solely to Presidential-level warnings. Most of the PEP stations are high power AM radio stations with wide-spread signals that cover broad areas of the country. FEMA estimates that when they\'ve built out all 77 PEP station, they will reach about 90% of the population. The upcoming National Test will show whether or not FEMA is on the right track. KOH in Reno and KDWN in Las Vegas are Nevada\'s PEP stations.

So what is going to happen with this National Test and what is your role? Get out your calendar-- on Wednesday, November 9th at approximately 2:00 PM Eastern, 11:00 AM Pacific, the White House initiates the order for the test and FEMA will send it to those Primary Entry Point stations across the country. The PEP stations will immediately broadcast it, inserting it into the Emergency Alert System. Keep in mind, most PEP stations are also EAS Local Primary stations. Where they are not LP stations, the FCC still requires broadcasters to monitor their signals. From the Local Primary stations, the National Test will propagate into almost every radio station, TV station and cable or subscription service in the country. Satellite television and radio services will also pick up the National Test and carry it on their channels. NPR will run the test through their \"squawk\" channel.

The distribution process is expected to take only a few minutes as EAS equipment recognizes the EAN Event Code and takes over programming for the duration of the test. Even though this is a test of the Presidential-level activation, we have been told since the beginning of this planning process that the President will not voice the test message. You will mostly like hear a FEMA duty officer or staffer reading the test message. And the message will run longer than the usual EAS tests, lasting  approximately two and a half minutes, to test the \"seize and control\" function of a EAN Event Code for a Presidential-level activation. This test will begin with the usual EAS digital (duck quacks) tones and the 8 second dual-tone attention signal and end with the usual EOM signal (more duck quacks). Be sure your staff knows to let the entire test run and that they have to wait for the EOM signal before returning to normal programming. This could be difficult--the person reading the message won\'t be a broadcast professional and may pause or stumble as they read.

With tones, the entire test could last for three minutes, so plan your programming break accordingly and be sure to schedule the ID that would normally run at the top of that hour to run instead a few minutes before the hour. It is also good practice to run a station ID after the test when you resume normal programming.

It will be obvious to anyone watching or listening that this test is different than a normal EAS test. Not only will it run longer than a normal test or activation, if someone tries to tune to another station, they\'ll see or hear the test on that station too, and all up and down the dial. Also, the test message will include the phrase \"This is a test\" but it won\'t just be that phrase repeated over and over, there will be other information.

TV stations should prepare a graphic or slide that says \"This is a Test \" because your EAS equipment will generate a crawl that indicates there is a National-level emergency. Your \"Test\" graphic will go a long way to ease any concerns or fears, especially among the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, about the test. FEMA and the FCC are both aware of the conflict between the EAS audio message and the text message that your EAS equipment will generate. It is one of the limitations of the current EAS technology. In addition, NBA is working with state and local emergency managers so they are aware of the test and their call centers and dispatchers are prepared for any calls that may come in as a result of the test.

The test process isn\'t over for broadcasters when the test ends. Stations are being asked to report back to the FCC on the results of the test, whether you received it, from whom you received it, whether you re-broadcast the test as required, the quality of the audio in the test and whether there were any problems with the test. The FCC and FEMA will compile these reports and determine what areas need improvement. The results will give both agencies a \"baseline\" against which they can measure changes and developments, including CAP, in future tests. The FCC has indicated that they are not interested in these reports as an \"enforcement\" tool, but stations should prepare now for the test, especially if you anticipate any problems receiving the test.

This National Test is also notable for who or what is NOT involved. Although they are the biggest user of EAS, the National Weather Service won\'t be part of this test. NWS and NOAA Weather Radio have no way to issue a national warning across all their offices. In addition, this  test will not involve the new EAS-CAP component. Not all states have their CAP servers on line yet.

Probably the most important thing you can do to prepare for the test is to make sure your station engineer and Chief Operator have time to check your EAS equipment and make sure that it is functioning properly. FEMA is conducting a series of webinars on the National test and your staff should be encouraged to participate in these and the various email listserv\'s that are active right now in EAS matters. A separate, more detailed article on the National Test for engineers and Chief operators will appear in The Nevada Broadcaster. 

What can we expect here in Nevada, especially in our rural areas where few or no outside signals reach our isolated communities? We will have a chance to find out ahead of time. As part of the preparation process for the National Test, FEMA will conduct a \"mini-National EAS Test\" in Nevada later this month. FEMA has asked a limited number of states to participate in a \"dress rehearsal\" to help them prepare for the National Test. The Nevada mini-National EAS Test will be conducted on September 26thand duplicate as much as possible the conditions of the National Test.  Nevada\'s test will originate at FEMA HQ in Washington DC and be sent to KKOH in Reno and KDWN in Las Vegas at a time that is yet to be determined. It will carry the event code RMT and include a brief message to help educate the public about the upcoming National EAS Test. Most of our radio and TV stations and cable operators should be able to pick up the test from their Local Primary stations and rebroadcast it as you would with any RMT. This will give us all a chance to see how successful the National Test will be in Nevada and to determine what problems we might see in the rural areas. If you have any questions about the upcoming National Test or the Nevada \"mini-National Test\", please contact me.

Part One, developed by Adrienne Abbott  nevadaeas@charter.net  775-750-5987 and vetted by Manny Centeno, FEMA.  There will be a second part -- a more detailed article on the technical aspects of the test specifically for engineers and Chief Operators, coming later this week.

The minutes of the 2010 meeting were distributed and the meeting began with a buffet breakfast, provided by the Nevada Broadcasters Association. Over breakfast, Larry Fuss described the events surrounding the magnitude 8.1 earthquake that shook American Samoa on Sept. 29th, 2009 and the decision by KKHJ-FM General Manager Joey Cummings to issue an EAS activation for a tsunami warning when local emergency officials failed to take action following the earthquake. KKHJ-FM is the Local Primary station for Pago Pago so the warning was picked up by other stations on the island, including a religious station operated by a church in a remote village. After receiving the activation, the minister rang the church bells and the villagers ran to higher ground, and out of the path of the tsunami that destroyed their homes. While no one in that village was killed, ultimately, 119 people died as a result of the tidal wave that was more than 40 feet high when it swept over the archipelago. Larry talked about the inadequate response from emergency officials and the extent of damage around the island, including his station. He told us how the station managed to stay on the air and continue broadcasting in the aftermath of the tragedy. Adrienne thanked him for his story and recommended that everyone keep the lessons learned from Pago Pago in mind as the committee rewrites the Nevada EAS Plan.  Adrienne then asked Dan Mason to discuss the non-weather EAS activations that had been issued this year by KKOH. Dan described the AMBER Alerts issued early in the year as well as two activations for major telephone outages that were issued late in 2010. He noted that there were few problems but that the biggest obstacle was still a lack of understanding and training on the part of emergency officials. George Molnar asked about the numerous recent weather-related activations. Adrienne advised that the National Weather Service has strict criteria for activations and those criteria often lead to repeat activations as storm systems move through an area.  Dan and Barry Garrett both commented on the number of apparent repeat activations for remote, unpopulated areas and Adrienne noted that stations can program their EAS equipment to filter out activations for areas they don\'t serve. Adrienne also noted that the upcoming addition of CAP or Common Alerting Protocol to EAS will eliminate some of the current problems. She noted that a recent survey of stations showed that most radio stations were adding Sage equipment while TV stations were adding DASDEC equipment. She added that the state Division of Emergency Management had indicated a willingness to take on a more active role in EAS by acquiring a CAP server that would be made available to city and county public safety officials. Irene Navis and Carolyn Levering expressed concern about the speed at which the state was acting and raised questions about possible time limits on the grant funds that would be used to acquire the CAP equipment. Along with the addition of new CAP equipment, Adrienne noted that the FCC had finished the comment and reply period on the revisions to the Part 11 rules that govern EAS. While the revised Part 11 hasn\'t been published yet, Adrienne told the group that it was time to start the process of rewriting the Nevada EAS plan. She distributed an outline of the process to re-write the plan and asked everyone to go through it and add their own comments and suggestions. She added that the process would include meetings on line through the NBA\'s \"GoToMeeting\" subscription. Adrienne discussed the upcoming National EAS Test and distributed an FCC News Release on the test. She noted that it would not involve CAP and the new EAS equipment, but was designed for the \"legacy\" EAS equipment to establish a baseline of whether the system that had been in place for more than 50 years could do what it was designed to do. In addition, she said that stations would be required to \"self-report\" the results of the test back to the FCC. With that in mind, she announced that FEMA had completed connections on KDWN to make them the PEP station for Las Vegas and unserved areas of the southwest. She added that Manny Centeno of the FEMA IPAWS office would conduct a \"mini-National EAS Test\" in Nevada, on a date in September that would be announced when Manny returned from Puerto Rico. The test would be launched from FEMA to KKOH in Reno and KDWN in Las Vegas and propagate from there to other stations in the Nevada EAS Operational Area. She would track some of the results through a conference call with station engineers and report the results to the NBA. Irene asked for a copy of the News Release to share with other emergency managers at an upcoming state conference. Carolyn recommended that Adrienne contact Michelle Candee at DEM to make a presentation on CAP and the National Test at the state conference. Adrienne brought up the subject of a Western States EAS Summit at next year\'s NAB. While successful, the national EAS Summits which had been sponsored by the National Alliance of State Broadcaster Associations and the National Association of Broadcasters had been discontinued in favor of a series of Internet webinars due mainly to financial concerns. Bob Fisher noted that the first time all the players involved in EAS had ever been in a room together occurred at the first National EAS summits and that significant progress had been made in the field of Public Warning as a result. He explained that it would easy for the NBA to request assistance from NASBA and NAB in setting up a conference. Irene and Carolyn commented that most emergencies in Nevada involved either California or Arizona so the idea of a regional conference with an emphasis on Public Warning appealed to them. Everyone agreed that there was value in conducting another Western States EAS Summit and that we should proceed. With the goals for 2012 set at rewriting the state plan and holding another Western States EAS Summit, no one had any further suggestions and the meeting was adjourned at approximately 12:20 PM. (submitted  by Adrienne Abbott)   SBE ELECTS NEW BOARD, CHOOSES SNELSON AS VP The Society of Broadcast Engineers on Friday announced the results of the 2011 election for the national board of directors.  Joe Snelson, CPBE, 8-VSB, vice president of engineering at Meredith Corporation in Las Vegas was elected Vice-President. Joe has been actively involved in television broadcasting for over 40 years. His career began even before graduating with honors from Los Angeles City College with an Associate in Arts degree in Broadcasting Technology. For a year he was an interim electronics technician for the broadcasting department maintaining equipment. In 1971, Joe joined the staff of KHOF-TV in the Los Angeles area where he advanced to the position of Assistant Chief Engineer. In 1977 Joe moved to Kansas City as the first Chief Engineer for KYFC-TV where he was responsible for the construction of the studio/transmitter facilities and signed the station on the air. Three years later Joe joined KCTV, formerly KCMO-TV, owned by Meredith Corporation. Meredith owns twelve television stations in various top 100 markets across the country and an AM radio station. For over fifteen years Joe was the Director of Engineering at KCTV with split corporate engineering responsibilities for Meredith\'s group of stations.Joe is currently Vice President of Engineering for the Meredith Local Media Group. He has been a member of the Maximum Service Television (MSTV) Engineering Committee and actively participated as a member of the technical committee for the model digital television station (WHD-DT) in Washington, DC during the birth of digital broadcast television in the United States.  Congratulations to Meredith Corporation and to Joe.

BOB FISHER TO ADDRESS TODAY\'S NEVADA EARTHQUAKE SAFETY COUNCIL MEETING IN RENO   Bob Fisher, President and CEO of the Nevada Broadcasters Association will address today\'s Nevada Earthquake Safety Council Meeting.  The all-day meeting will be held at NV Energy in Reno.   Bob will address the following questions:   (1)  As an expert in media in Nevada, how do we reach more Nevadans and influence them to take appropriate actions for earthquakes?    (2)  What media vehicle(s) works best?    (3)  Is there a form of message that works better than others?    (4)  Is there a difference in reaching rural Nevadans versus urban Nevadans that we should be paying attention to?  For example, we have learned that a well respected individual is a good way to go in rural communities.    (5)  How can we become more effective with our earthquake safety messages?  What are the obstacles and pitfalls?   Paul Rotella, Esq., the President and CEO of the New Jersey Broadcasters Association wrote this report this morning, which Bob will share at today\'s meeting:   The East Coast earthquake serves up some lessons.

First, lessons in emergency preparedness and backups - the basic stuff. Also lessons (says the NAB) about not relying quite so much on wireless, and keeping broadcasting in the policy picture. And lessons, perhaps, for news organizations. The ones who were ready yesterday jumped into action. No doubt the weekly PPM\'s for the Hubbard all-news WTOP, Washington (103.5 and related signals) will be pointing skyward. Maybe the same for Clear Channels rhythmic Hot 99.5 WIHT, which delayed leaving the building when ordered to evacuate by the fire department. Thats another lesson you dont have to be an all-news station to provide relevant and potentially life-saving information. You just need to be listening to the audience and willing to stay on the air. As the Tuesday afternoon TRI Extra headlines pointed out, a 5.8-Richter scale earthquake isnt fun, but Hurricane Irene could pose a much larger risk to life and property along the East coast the next reason why radio should be ready for emergencies.

BRANDY NEWMAN ELECTED BOARD CHAIR   Brandy Newman, head of Clear Channel Radio in Las Vegas has been elected as the new Chairwoman of the NBA Board of Directors.  Unanimously slated by the Executive Committee, she was unanimously approved by 70 NBA member television and radio stations.  She will serve a two year term beginning this Saturday evening at the NBA Gala.   The current NBA Board was returned for a two year term.  Paul Gardner, Elko Broadcasting,  will return to the board to represent Rural Radio. A previous longtime member of the NBA Board, he just completed serving his two terms on the Radio Board of the National Association of Broadcasters.   Brandy\'s first act as new NBA Chairwoman will be to present the Inaugural NBA Pinnacle Award to R&R Partners on Saturday night.   400 GUESTS WILL CELEBRATE THE MIRACLE OF BROADCAST   400 guests are expected to celebrate together at the 16th Annual NBA Hall of Fame Gala beginning at 5:30 PM this Saturday evening at Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa.  For the second time in 16 years, there will be national press coverage of this event.  It is also expected that all Las Vegas television news stations will be covering the Gala.   We are grateful for the support of Congresswoman Shelley Berkley, Congressman Joe Heck, Governor Brian Sandoval, State Treasurer Kate Marshall, Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman and former Mayor Oscar Goodman for their participation in this year\'s evening program.    We are grateful to be able to honor Jerry Lewis, the Nevada Army National Guard and R&R Partners.    And we are grateful for this year\'s sponsors:  the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Bureau (16 years), South Point, Bank of America, Southern Wine and Spirits and Caesars Entertainment.   This year\'s extraordinary Silent and Live Auctions is once again under the leadership of Eric Bonnici.  For the third year, Fund Raising is under the leadership of Trish Williamson and Bob Cummings.  And a special thank you goes out to our partners -- Global Flowers, Mass Media, CopyCat Printing and Boulevard Trophy (16 years).   Most exciting of all, the Nevada Broadcasters Foundation will have the opportunity to introduce our four inaugural recipients of the Tony and Linda Bonnici Broadcast Scholarship.   FINAL MEETING REMINDERS   Three important meetings are scheduled for this Gala weekend.   Jane Mago (National Association of Broadcasters), Dennis Lyle (Illinois Broadcasters Association), Art Brooks (Arizona Broadcasters Association) and Dale Zabriskie (Utah Broadcasters Association) will be meeting together with:   Radio Broadcasters, Friday, August 19, 7:30 AM at Clear Channel Radio.  Breakfast will be served.   Television Broadcasters, Friday, August 19, 12 Noon at KTNV-TV.  Lunch will be served.   These two meetings will be carried by conference call into northern and rural Nevada.   In addition, on Sunday, August 21, 10 AM at Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa in Veranda D, Adrienne Abbott will lead a Nevada SECC Meeting for broadcast engineers, the NWS and emergency managers.  The agenda includes the upcoming National EAS Test and CAP compliance issues.  Breakfast will be served.

NBA JOINS WITH 49 OTHER STATES 

FROM INSIDE RADIO

The FCC has already extended the deadline for broadcasters and cable operators to install new Emergency Alert System equipment that complies with the new Common Alerting Protocol CAP standards. But even with the deadline extended to September 30, state broadcast associations say thats still not enough time.

All 50 state groups, along with the National Association of Broadcasters, National Public Radio and several other trade groups have filed a joint petition seeking at least another six months. The groups point out the FCC still hasnt decided whether it will conduct its own tests to ensure CAP-compliant EAS gear actually conforms to the new requirements. And the FCC still hasnt even finalized the changes to its Part 11 EAS rules that will specify exactly what stations will need to buy and how theyll need to install it. The groups also argue that few, if any, states or emergency agencies are ready to begin transmitting CAP-compliant EAS messages anyway, making the need for CAP-compliant gear at the station level moot. The petition asks the FCC to first complete its EAS revisions, and then start a six month clock ticking by which stations will then be required to meet certain requirements.

NBA BOOKKEEPER RETIRES

Yesterday, LJH Services closed its doors for the very last time.  Lois Hlohowskyj, who has been the NBA\'s bookkeeper for over fifteen years retired.  Lois was first brought to the NBA by Pete Bannister, then VP and General Manager of KTNV-TV and longtime NBA board treasurer.  During the early years of the association the NBA Budget was constructed line by line as changes and adjustments were made.  Lois served under 13 different board chairmen. We cannot say enough good things about this wonderful, kind and generous lady.  Lois will be remembered for her commitment to our association, for her strong support and loyalty, and most of all, for her friendship.  Lois and her husband Roman (former longtime engineer at KTNV) will now have the time to do what they love most -- cycle hundreds of miles a week, whether in Las Vegas or in Reno.

Congresswoman Shelley Berkley, Congressman Joe Heck, Governor Brian Sandoval and Kate Marshall have all been added to the impressive programming lineup for the upcoming NBA Hall of Fame Gala.  Congresswoman Berkley, Congressman Heck and Governor Sandoval will participate in the Gala segment:  \"SALUTING OUR VETERANS\"

Governor Sandoval will deliver the evening\'s keynote address directed towards Nevada\'s Veterans highlighting the role Nevada\'s broadcasters play as First Responders during a major emergency.  Nevada is the only state in the union that has passed legislation with this broadcaster classification.  And Nevada is the only state whose Governor sits as the Chairman of a state Homeland Security Commission. The Governor, the Congresswoman the Congressman and outgoing Board Chairman Thom Porterfield will present the NAB Community Achievement Award to the Nevada Army National Guard.

State Treasurer Kate Marshall -- who met with the board of directors the night before our 2011 Broadcasters Day in Carson City, will do the formal induction of the 2011-2012 NBA Board of Directors.   As has been previously announced, Jane Mago, executive vice president and general counsel for the National Association of Broadcasters will deliver greetings.  On Friday, August 19, she will be the keynote speaker at the NBA Radio Breakfast Meeting hosted at Clear Channel; and at the NBA Television Luncheon Meeting hosted at KTNV-TV.   The Gala program will begin with REMEMBERING THOSE WE HAVE LOST, and will pay tribute to the late Mark Smith, Scotty O\'Neil, Mike Cullota, Paul Diamond and Ted Quillin.  The evening has been dedicated to Ted, and his son Tim will present a three minute video that was created by Tom Letizia.  We do not forget.   Outgoing Board Chairman Thom Porterfield will deliver his \"Farewell Address\" and incoming Board Chairman Brandy Newman will present the NBA Pinnacle Achievement Award to R&R Partners, followed by remarks from Billy Vassiliadis.

MAYOR CAROLYN GOODMAN TO PROCLAIM AUGUST 20, 2011 AS \"JERRY LEWIS DAY\"   Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman will proudly proclaim at this year\'s Gala that August 20, 2011 is \"Jerry Lewis Day\".  She and her husband former Mayor Oscar Goodman, will participate in the tribute to Jerry, who will receive the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award -- which is the highest honor bestowed upon a Nevada broadcaster.  Jerry is a longtime resident of Las Vegas.

SILENT AND LIVE AUCTION

Beginning today, between now and the NBA Gala, in each future issue of The Nevada Broadcaster we will highlight some of our special auction items.  100% of the monies raised through the silent and live auction will go towards the Tony and Linda Bonnici Broadcaster Scholarship Fund.

Heres the description of the Yankees/Angels Package Spectacular:  September 10 & 11. 2011: All Inclusive premium sports packages provided by Prime Sports Packages LLC to see the Los Angeles Angels take on the New York Yankees in Angels Stadium September 10th & 11th.  This is a 2 game, 2 day package that includes motor coach transportation from Las Vegas, hotel accommodations at The Springhill Suites in Irvine, CA, premium seating at the stadium in the Club All-Star section (first night) and the Field Preferred section 106 (second night), catered box lunch for the departure from Las Vegas, soft drinks, snacks and beer provided on the coach, BYOB okay!, breakfast and Tour Director! Just park your car and ride!!

Here\'s the description of a very memorable experience: A $750.00 driving experience in a new Corvette...donated by the luxurious Spring Mountain Motor Sports Ranch Country Club...located 10 miles south of Pahrump.

Congratulations to Adam Sandler NAB Executive Development Seminar Radio and television broadcasters from various backgrounds and markets gathered July 25-28, at NAB headquarters in Washington, D.C. NAB\'s Executive Development Seminar for Radio and Television Broadcasters (EDS) is designed for recently promoted and aspiring station and group executives. EDS is taught by the faculty from leading business schools as well as broadcast and related industry professionals. Four days of intensive, MBA-style instruction address leadership, competitive strategy, branding, negotiation, finance and other relevant areas.  The NBA was proud to sponsor Adam Sandler\'s participation in the EDS Class of 2011.

\"YOUR LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN\"   This past Friday afternoon the Scholarship Committee of the Nevada Broadcasters Foundation had the honor and the privilege of personally announcing to / and congratulating each -- of our inaugural group of scholarship recipients. Each meeting (held in the board room at KLAS-TV in Las Vegas) was filled with surprise and excitement, emotion and profound appreciation.  In addressing each recipient, Tony and Linda Bonnici suggested that \"as a result of your receiving this prestigious scholarship -- doors will open and opportunities will be presented; your life as a broadcaster will never be the same again.\"   Congratulations to the following four women who each have set the bar high and raised the standard for those future recipients who will come after them.  Everyone will have the opportunity to meet this fabulous group of future broadcasters who have expressed such passion in their desire to achieve their career goal.  Each will introduce themselves as part of the program at the upcoming NBA Hall of Fame Gala on August 20.   ALEXANDRIA CANNITO Will be a Freshman working towards Broadcast Journalism at the University of Nevada Reno.  Will be provided with full tuition during her Freshman year with the potential to receive full tuition for an additional three years.  Will also be provided with an in-station paid internship.  \"I hope to work at a local news station either behind the scenes or on camera.  My dream job would be to work as a host on Good Morning America.\"   RACHEL JOHNSON Will be a Senior working towards Broadcast Journalism and Film at UNLV.  Will be provided with full tuition during her Senior year.  Will be directly working with the UNLV TV program in a Fall \'11 semester internship, \"to produce shows and provide story content.\"  \"My ultimate dream job would be to work as a technical director of a late-night news talk show such as Conan O\'Brien or Stephen Colbert.  I feel that these shows breathe a whole new life into news and gives them a fresh spin for a younger demographic.\"    SEDINAM KAKRADA Will be a Graduate student working towards Journalism and Media Studies at UNLV.  Will be provided with full tuition during her Graduate year.  Will also be provided with an in-station paid internship.  \"I hope to become a television field reporter when I graduate and to work my way to become a television news anchor.  My dream job is to become a television news anchor for a major news network like CNN or BBC.\"   ADRIENNE LEFEBVRE Will be a Senior working towards News and Media Studies at UNLV.  Will be provided with full tuition during her Senior year.  Will also be provided with an in-station paid internship.  \"I hope to find work in radio production.  I feel this would give me an education and experience well past the academics of broadcast media studies.  I hope to host a talk TV or radio news show.  I would like to utilize new technologies to create interactive media facilitating community awareness and involvement.\"   For further information how you can get involved in the Linda and Tony Bonnici Scholarship Program, please contact Adam Sandler, Executive Director of the Nevada Broadcasters Foundation at (702) 794-4994.   HALL OF FAME GALA UPDATE   Promotional Gala posters are currently on display in almost every Nevada television and radio station. Trish Williamson, NBA Gala Publicist has reported that last week the NBA received extensive coverage in newspapers, web sites and social media through her first media release.  According to Trish, \"wire services are buzzing about the honoring of Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient Jerry Lewis, and for the first time in 16 years, all of our honorees including The Class of 2011 will enter the Red Rock Ballroom on a legendary red carpet.\"   Earlene Lefler, Hall of Fame Coordinator reports that nominations for The Class of 2011 continues to grow with the registration deadline of August 1 fast approaching.  Trish Williamson together with Bob Cummings, NBA Gala Marketing Director will be sending out their major sponsorship package release later today that includes Event Sponsorship, Congratulatory Ad in the Tribute or Program Journal and the donation of Live or Silent Auction items.  As reported in today\'s NEVADA Broadcaster, the Nevada Broadcasters Foundation has released the names of our inaugural scholarship recipients.   Finally, Kassi Belz, APR, Vice-President of Corporate Communications for MassMedia has announced that 1,000 Gala invitations will be mailed out this Friday.  The invitations were designed by Bob Cummings.  MassMedia will once again design and create our Gala Tribute and Program Journals.   HALL OF FAME GALA PROGRAM   First Announcement:  As of July 11, 2011   THEME:  Where Eagles Soar - The Miracle Of Broadcast An Evening of Honor and Tribute   5:30 PM   Cocktails, Hors d\'oeuvres and Entertainment Registration and Scholarship Silent Auction   6:30 PM   Emcees:  Lori Gilbert and Tricia Kean   Remembering Those We Have Lost Mike Culotta and Scott O\'Neil The evening is dedicated to the memory of Ted Quillin   Saluting Our Veterans Presentation of Colors Star Spangled Banner   The Nevada Army National Guard NBA Community Achievement Award Recipient   President\'s Farewell:  Thom Porterfield Installation of the 2011-2012 NBA Board of Directors   R&R Partners (accepted by Billy Vassiliadis) NBA Pinnacle Achievement Award Recipient   Scholarship Live Auction Introduction of NBA Scholarship Recipients Linda and Tony Bonnici   7:30 PM   Dinner   8:30 PM   The King of Comedy:  Jerry Lewis NBA Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient   Induction of the Class of 2011 Bob Fisher and Adam Sandler   9:30 PM   Dessert

DRIVING THE EAS CADILLAC:

NBA SPONSORS CRITICAL PROGRAM

From the FCC\'s first announcement about Common Alerting Protocol and their mandate for upgraded equipment, broadcasters have been concerned that no one would be in the driver\'s seat of this Cadillac version of EAS. Without the participation of state and local emergency managers, stations would be left a government-mandated, expensive white elephant that would never be used. While FEMA does not have the authority to require state and local emergency managers to add CAP servers, Jamie Barnett, head of the FCC\'s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, is on record that it\'s up to broadcasters and EAS Chairs to educate their state and local officials about the advantages and benefits CAP and the next generation of EAS equipment.

As part of that education process, the Nevada Broadcasters Association put together a program for state and local emergency managers, public safety and law enforcement officials. Kelli Baratti, the Operations Manager of the State Emergency Operations Center in Carson City, specifically requested information about the role of the state in CAP EAS and the new equipment available for state and local officials.

Working within the guidelines for a state purchase, NBA brought in IPAWS Program Manager Manny Centeno from FEMA who detailed the advantages of CAP, described some of the changes from legacy EAS and discussed the upcoming National EAS Test. His session provided the groundwork for the vendor presentations that followed.

Manny explained that CAP provides the kind of interoperability that allows for both EAS and non-EAS messages including Silver Alerts, staff call-outs, pages and private, personnel communications. He described how CAP messages can go to telephones, emails, Traveler\'s 511 systems, telephone notification networks, web sites, social media and even community loudspeakers and sirens. He went through the process that emergency managers would follow to issue CAP messages including an EAS activation.

There were questions and discussions on the role of broadcasters in public warning. One Emergency Manager commented that he didn\'t understand the reasons that some broadcasters carried EAS activations, while others would mention it in a newscasts and others would not carry it at all. He found this disconcerting because a lot of thought goes into issuing an EAS activation and there is a need for the public to get a consistent message, rather than an interpretation by a reporter or anchor or meteorologist.

Manny also brought up FEMAs role in conformance testing of CAP equipment and while his demonstration utilized several specific products, he didnt point the group toward any one product or vendor. By the time he wrapped up his discussion, the city and county representatives all supported the concept of the state acquiring a CAP servers that everyone could utilize. As frequent originators of AMBER Alerts, the NHP staff was particularly interested in the way CAP streamlines the EAS activation process.

More than 30 people attended Friday\'s day-long event in person at the DEM in Carson City and via two video conference connections. Broadcasters attending the event included engineer Steve Weber from Americom/Reno;  Paul Gardner and Danny Urriola from KELK/KLKO in Elko. Emergency managers from Washoe, Clark, Storey, Douglas, Elko and Lyon Counties and Carson City and Sparks attended along with representatives of the National Weather Service.

Following Manny\'s session, five vendors representing seven companies made presentations to the EOC staff who will ultimately decide what products the state will purchase. Operations Manager Kelli Baratti expressed her pleasure with the entire event and added that she appreciated the work that went into setting up all the presentations. She asked that NBA continue to be part of the decision process for the state purchase. 

The bottom line is that the state and local emergency management, public safety and law enforcement personnel will have access to CAP equipment. Nevada\'s broadcasters can rest assured that there will be someone in the driver\'s seat of our new, upgraded  EAS equipment. Even more, the state and local officials will have the opportunity to use the network for more than just EAS activations which will give them a familiarity with the product that will result in better activations when an EAS activation is needed.

The suggestion was made that while our engineers and now our emergency officials have a good understanding of CAP, our station managers may not. As a result, NBA is willing to consider another EAS CAP demonstration event. Manny Centeno is willing to return to Nevada to explain the advantages of CAP to station owners and managers so everyone understands that the new equipment is more than just another government mandate, it\'s something that will actually make your lives easier.

Please contact Adrienne Abbott or Adam Sandler if you are interested in a CAP EAS demonstration.

FUNDING COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS    On Saturday evening May 14th, Bob Fisher served as the auctioneer for the University of Southern Nevada\'s Gala.  He was one of their honorees at last year\'s event.  In his thank you letter from Barbara Wood, Director of University Relations, she wrote:  \"You broke all records in Live Auction bids.  Everyone loved the way you kept bringing home the whole purpose of the Gala, funding college scholarships for the students.   Work has now begun on our own Nevada Broadcasters\' Gala, scheduled for August 20, 2011.  We are asking and will continue to ask for the support from each and every Nevada television and radio station.  Why ?  To bring home the whole purpose of the Gala -- to celebrate, to honor, to thank and to raise funds for the Tony and Linda Bonnici Broadcaster Scholarship.  We go into this year\'s Gala with $50,000 in our scholarship fund -- raised through the Silent and Live Auctions over the past two years.  We have high goals for this year\'s auctions.  We are working to raise an additional $25,000.  Will you help lend your support through the donation of auction items -- both Silent and Live.  For further information please contact either Bob Fisher or Adam Sandler at the NBA office.   THANK YOU EMILY   The United Way of Southern Nevada honored its community supporters at a celebratory 2011 Campaign Finale luncheon one week ago today, Wednesday, May 25.  During the event, Campaign Chair Emily Neilson, General Manager of KLAS-TV unveiled its 2010-2011 fundraising results totaling$12.4 million, an increase of $300,000 in new dollars from the previous year.  Emily, together with Cass Palmer, President and CEO of United Way of Southern Nevada gave credit to their corporate partners and dedicated volunteers who supported the fundraising efforts.  The monies raised \"will be used to create viable solutions to affect long-term positive change within the community.\"  This year\'s achievements allow the organization to continue to improve lives in Southern Nevada by providing assistance with education, health and income.   Among the eight Community Campaign Award recipients was \"Employee Campaign Coordinators\" honoree Matt Medcalf, Community Promotions Coordinator, 8 News Now.  The 8 News Now Morning News Team of Brian Loftus, Sherry Swensk, Dayna Roselli and Dave McCann served as the emcees of the event.   Thank you Emily for your leadership and commitment to make a difference! ELKO OUTREACH   Bob Fisher is completing his second day doing outreach in Elko, Nevada.  Yesterday, Bob attended a luncheon meeting of the Lions Club held at Great Basin College.  He then met with Don Newman, Executive Director of the Elko Convention and Visitors Authority.  The ECVA has been and continues to be one of our longtime NCSA sponsors.  Don serves as the President of the Elko Lions Club.   This morning Bob is visiting the Elko television and radio stations.  At Noon, he is attending a luncheon meeting of the Rotary Club held at the Stockmens Hotel.  At lunch, he will present a banner from the Las Vegas Rotary Club. (Tom Axtell, General Manager of Vegas PBS is completing his year serving as President of the Las Vegas Rotary Club).   At 1:30 PM he is schedule to address the Elko Board of County Commissioners.  The agenda item reads: \"Discussion and consideration of a request to assist local radio and television stations in the cost of implementing the new federally mandated Emergency Alert System that requires new equipment be placed in every broadcasting facility in Elko County and all other matters related, thereto.\"   Bob is one of the last two original members of the Nevada Homeland Security Commission and serves as the Chairman of two committees:  Rural Communities and Legislative / By-laws.

At the close of his e mail he wrote a short editorial:  \"Hey, we\'re not the telephone company; we\'re not your internet service.  We\'re Broadcasters.  WE GET \'ER DONE!\"

\"As many of you know, the Joplin tornado has devastated that town.   Cell phone coverage is non-existent and land-line service is only sporadic. However, all broadcasters are on the air. 

I have established reliable communications with our LP1 and their staff will be providing me with more information during the day. 

We have arranged for emergency diesel for our stations emergency generators to be delivered from a depot 30 miles away because the local fuel delivery services are not in operation. 

We have also coordinated with law enforcement to ensure that their trucks will have access to the transmitter sites, many of which are on roads that are still covered with debris and therefore closed to traffic. 

Many broadcasters in Joplin have lost their homes.   While I hope not, it may be that some have lost family members.  But, the stations are still on the air --providing the information that people need to cope with this horrible situation.

 ________________________________________________________________

MISSOURI BROADCASTERS ASSOCIATION

NEVADA BROADCASTERS ASSOCIATION

THE VOICE OF COMMUNITY

THE VOICE OF AMBER ALERT

THE FIRST RESPONDERS VOICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY

MONEY, CARS AND EAS TESTS 

            There\'s no getting around the fact that technology costs money. And if money is the prime consideration in your selection of new EAS equipment, there are some things to consider before you buy one of those CAP to EAS Converter boxes.

            Several manufacturers are offering CAP to EAS Converter boxes as a low-cost solution to the FCC\'s mandate for broadcasters to be able to receive a CAP or Common Alerting Protocol, message by 30 September 2011. The boxes are simply added to existing EAS equipment and connected to the Internet. As always, there\'s a catch to this seemingly inexpensive and easy solution.     

        The converter boxes have not been approved by the FEMA Conformance labs and I don\'t think they are likely to ever get that approval. Problems with the boxes start with the fact that you are button-ing them onto a piece of old, early 1990s-era equipment and any problems you have with that equipment will not be solved by the addition of a new box that will dumb-down the data-rich CAP package and turn it into another EAS message with all the problems that the system has now. Remember, there is a reason why we are upgrading EAS. That means you wont get the text of the audio message, you wont get the graphics, you wont get the maps and photos and the non-emergency messages that CAP was designed to deliver. The add-on box simply strips all the goodies from the message. 

        Basically, buying a converter box is the electronic equivalent of adding a Mercedes hood ornament to a Pinto. It still goes down the road, but the fancy hood ornament doesn\'t make the Pinto faster or safer. What you get is a product that meets the basic FCC requirement for accepting a CAP message and that might be enough get you through the next year or so but ultimately the converter box will not be compliant with the new FCC Part 11 rules.

            That\'s because the new rules will include a new originator code that the FCC is adding to the EAS vocabulary. The new \"Governor\'s Must Carry\" activation will be a state-level version of the national presidential message or EAN. It will be a mandatory activation for all broadcasters and the originator code will be the key that tells the equipment to automatically rebroadcast the activation. (The Part 11 rewrite may also provide that the Governor\'s Must Carry activation does not \"time out\" after two minutes.)

            The legacy EAS equipment doesnt have the ability to handle additional originator codes. We thought we only needed four originator codes back in the early 90s and those are hardwired into the equipment. And theres no guarantee that FEMA and the FCC are going to stop at adding only one new originator code to Part 11. They may add more, especially as earthquake detect equipment improves. CAP has the ability to recognize an unlimited number of originator codesits all upgrade-able with a software upgrade via the Internet.

            At the point where the new Part 11 rules take effect, you would have to replace the converter box with the full-on, CAP-compliant equipment unit. So, youve save a few dollars now but eventually you will have to spend those dollars.

            The converter boxes may be appropriate where state Emergency Managers choose not to participate in the CAP-compliant EAS or where there are no State EAS Plans . No one knows yet how the new Part 11 rules will deal with these situations. But this will not be the case in Nevada where the state already has an EAS relay and officials are willing to add CAP equipment to their warning networks.

            And finally, having had seventeen years of first-hand experience and problems with your current EAS equipment, would you want to base your ability to get life-saving information to your audience on that equipment? Because thats what youre doing with the converter boxesyou still have all the problems of the old equipment and none of the advantages of CAP. Why would you want that?

In case you\'re still wondering if the FCC will postpone the upcoming national EAS test until everyone has CAP-compliant equipment, FEMA has stated for the record that the national test has no relationship to the CAP deadline. In fact, FEMA\'s preference is to conduct the National Test without the CAP technology so they can determine how well the system we have now really works and where the problems are.

Remember, there\'s never been a real national-level activation. The few accidental activations did not come close to providing the kind of environment that would show the effectiveness of the system.

The date for the National Test has not been announced but at NAB, FEMA officials appeared to think that it would be sent this fall, probably in September. The plan is for the national test to be issued from FEMA, by the FEMA duty officer and passed through the Primary Entry Point or PEP stations and the NPR national warning channel to all Local Primary stations and then the participating stations across the country. After the test, each broadcaster will submit a letter to the FCC describing their test experience and whether or not it was satisfactory. With that information as a benchmark, FEMA will then conduct national tests every fall.

For more information about new EAS equipment or the National Test, contact EAS State Chair Adrienne Abbott at nevadaeas@charter.net.

Adrienne Abbott

DEADLINES, FINES AND OLD MOVIES

            As the clock ticks down on the FCC deadline for CAP-compliant EAS equipment some of you already have the new equipment courtesy of your corporate offices. Some of you are looking over the products on the market with one eye on the price tag and the other on your budget. And some of you are wondering if there\'s any way out of this unfunded federal mandate. Here are some things to consider before you write the check.

            First of all, EAS is being upgraded to accomodate CAP or Common Alerting Protocol, an internationally-accepted open standard for distributing emergency information. The addition of CAP to EAS is part FEMA\'s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) program developed in response to recent major disasters such as the September 11 attacks as well as Hurricanes like Katrina-Rita-Wilma, the annual flooding in the Midwest and the Japan earthquakes and tsunami.

            CAP takes EAS and emergency information out of the realm of broadcast and into the digital age. It has an Internet component that continuously polls the FEMA EAS Aggregator as well as a state EAS server.

            In addition to radio and TV, CAP messages can be received on your cell phone and computer. They can even be configured to set off community sirens and alerting equipment for our special needs populations--people who can\'t see or hear a conventional message.

            The CAP message itself is a data-rich package that includes the complete text of the audio warning message as well as maps, photos and graphics. This means, for example, that your next AMBER Alert EAS activation could include photos of the child and suspect as well as a map of the area where the abduction occurred and a graphic of the suspect\'s license plate. An evacuation order could include maps and directions out of the danger zone and any precautions that residents need to take. 

            The benefits to TV are obvious, there\'s enough information on hand to satisfy the Visual Display Rule immediately and without staff support. Finally EAS crawls will have real information your audience can understand and use. For radio, the text is immediately available so air staff can repeat the warning as often as needed and without playing the EAS tones. For everyone, there\'s a total product that can be immediately passed to your web site, text messaging service and social media sites.

            And because the information comes directly from Emergency Management, there is no confusion and the message is consistent across all platforms. And everyone gets it at the same time.

            And while CAP doesn\'t totally replace EAS, your old equipment will have to be replaced if you want the full benefit of the CAP technology.

            There are enough states and broadcast stations fully converted to CAP now that we know this system is going to work, and to work much better than legacy EAS. But there are still a lot of unanswered questions that you should take into account before you order your equipment.

            CAP and EAS are jointly managed by FEMA and the FCC. FEMA has been testing the CAP-EAS equipment in a conformance lab set up specifically for this project. FEMA is not issuing a list of equipment that has passed their tests but they are allowing the manufacturers of that equipment access to the FEMA Responders Knowledge Base so they can list their products on that site and indicate that those products have passed the FEMA Conformance tests. That\'s as close to an endorsement as FEMA will come. The FEMA tests are being conducted to FEMA standards and from the point of view of the Emergency Manager. (The Broadcast Warning Working Group has a list of CAP-EAS equipment on their web site that includes a description of whether the product has passed the FEMA tests. The website is: http://eas.radiolists.net/)

            With all these changes, there will be new rules. The FCC has announced plans to rewrite Part 11, the rules that currently govern EAS. The rewrite would reflect the new technology and update monitoring assignments to include an Internet connection. In addition, the rules would provide a platform for the FCC to do its own compliance testing of the new equipment. But they haven\'t released the NPRM yet and while time is running short, there is some speculation that the NPRM could come out at the end of this month, giving the FCC just four months to take comments, rewrite Part 11, develop a compliance testing program that\'s in accordance with broadcasting practices, announce the results and approve the new state plans that will have to be rewritten to include CAP and the new rules. That\'s a lot to do in 120 days and that has resulted in more speculation that the 30 September 2011 deadline will be put off. Several organizations and individuals have already filed comments with the FCC asking that the deadline be extended another 180 days. More such comments are expected.

            At the same time, there is a lot of pressure from equipment manufacturers who want the FCC to stick with the original deadline so they aren\'t left with a lot of Third Quarter inventory on their hands. And the FCC could decide to proceed with the current  deadline and continue working under the old rules while they take their time with the Part 11 rewrite and compliance testing. 

            That leaves broadcasters, especially our smaller stations where money is tight, in a vulnerable position where they need to consider whether to gamble on the odds of the FCC putting off the EAS deadline, allowing them to hang onto their money a little longer. Or, do you spend the money now and run the risk that the equipment you buy will meet whatever standards the FCC sets, gambling your budget on the manufacturer\'s word that they will upgrade your equipment at no cost? They may promise you that they\'ll make whatever changes, upgrades or retrofits are needed, but wasn\'t that sort of like what the guy who sold you your last station vehicle said as you drove off his lot? If you are in the position of having to buy equipment now, especially if your legacy EAS equipment is failing, get an ironclad guarantee from the manufacturer that you will not have to pay for any future changes required by the FCC or FEMA.

            In 1996 manufacturers were not able to produce enough product to supply new EAS equipment for all the radio and TV stations in the country by the FCC deadline. The FCC announced back then that they would take into consideration whether a station had ordered their equipment in a timely manner before fining them for not having the new equipment by the deadline. The \"timely manner\" was defined as 90 days out from the 1 January 1997 deadline. We are now about six weeks away from that mythical 90-day window to the current deadline. And manufacturers have lots of stock--in fact, about 20 percent of Nevada\'s broadcasters already have CAP-compliant EAS equipment--so there\'s no guarantee that the FCC will give any leniency to stations that don\'t meet this deadline. It is interesting to note that with the new technology, FEMA and the FCC have the potential of being able to tell from the comfort of their armchairs, who has the new equipment and who doesn\'t.

            As a station owner, all this puts you in the unenviable position of having to ask yourself the classic Clint Eastwood question \"Do you feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?\"

            For those of you who are ready to buy, a discount has been arranged for those who are willing to purchase equipment through the Nevada Broadcasters Association. Contact State Chair Adrienne Abbott at nevadaeas@charter.net for more information.

Adrienne Abbott

WORLD AUTHORITY ON DIGITAL HATE AND THE INTERNET COMING TO LAS VEGAS TO DELIVER IMPORTANT BRIEFINGS   NOT TO BE MISSED   We are very fortunate to have Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center-Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, coming to Las Vegas for Holocaust Memorial Day on Sunday and to do two important briefings on Monday.  Rabbi Cooper is widely recognized as a pioneer and international authority on issues related to digital hate and the Internet.  He has been a longtime activist for human rights causes on five continents.   Rabbi Cooper has recently written and released the Wiesenthal Centers new report on Digital Terrorism and Hate Crimes; a growing menace and concern in our society.  Rabbi Cooper has agreed to conduct two special briefings this Monday.  The first will be for law enforcement officials hosted by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department at their Fusion Center.  The second special briefing will be for representatives of our communitys media.  This special briefing will be Monday, May 2 at 10:00 A.M. at the offices of the Greenspun Media Group at 2360 Corporate Circle in Henderson, third floor conference room.

It is our great hope that law enforcement, emergency managers, first-responders and broadcasters will be able to join us for Rabbi Coopers presentations.   Additionally, we enthusiastically encourage everyone to invite other members of your staff for whom this subject is of interest and importance.  We ask that you let the NBA know in advance who will be attending so we can ensure that appropriate arrangements will be made.

We would also like to seek everyone\'s help and assistance in spreading the word about these special briefings.We are able to accommodate a lot of people at the briefing and it would be very helpful if you could help to get the word out about this special briefing.

THE SPEECH WILL BEGIN AT 6:01 PM.

THE SPEECH WILL BE 15 MINUTES IN LENGTH.

THERE WILL BE NO PRESS CONFERENCE BUT EXECUTIVE STAFF WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER SPECIFIC QUESTIONS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE ADDRESS.

THE ADDRESS WILL BE CARRIED ON TELEVISION AND RADIO.

FOR FURTHER QUESTIONS CONTACT ADRIENNE ABBOTT 

For Immediate Release: Friday, April 29, 2011 Contact: Mary-Sarah Kinner (775) 684-5667

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

GOVERNOR TO ADDRESS STATE ON TUESDAY EVENING

CARSON CITY, NV  Governor Brian Sandoval will address the state in a statewide televised appearance on Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at 6:00 pm.  The Governor will speak to his fellow Nevadans about the economy, the state budget process and topics being considered by the Legislature.

The address will be pooled coverage in association with the Nevada Broadcasters Association.

WHO:               Governor Brian Sandoval

WHAT:             Televised address to the State

WHEN:            6:00 pm, Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Prior to this Friday\'s Breakfast Meeting / Statewide General Managers Conference Call, Senator Smith has agreed to arrive at the NBA office thirty minutes prior to the start of the meeting in order to do interviews with our television and radio news stations.  We encourage Las Vegas affiliates to coordinate together with their Reno counterparts, in order to spread Senator Smith\'s message throughout the state.

NEWS INTERVIEWS WITH SENATOR GORDON SMITH AT THE NBA OFFICE, 8:30 am - 9:00 am 

The meeting is scheduled for Friday, April 8, 2011, from 9 AM - 10:30 AM.  The meeting will be held in the board room of the Nevada Broadcasters Association, 1050 East Flamingo Road, Suite 102 -- in Las Vegas.    Following the meeting, Senator Smith will record an OBSERVATIONS interview at the NBA studio, which will be aired statewide on 26 radio stations.   With both the future of television and radio in peril as a Spectrum Auction is looming in the distance and a defeated Performance Tax may result in \"an attack of a thousand cuts\" -- the NBA together with the Board of Directors continues to be vigilant and aggressive in protecting the voice of every Nevada broadcaster.  On a scale of one to ten, the upcoming meeting with Gordon Smith is a ten.  Each and every Nevada television and radio station should be represented at this meeting.   For northern and rural broadcasters who are unable to be in Las Vegas on April 8, the meeting will be carried on a statewide conference call.  For further information including the dial-in number and pass code, contact Adam Sandler at the NBA office.

ATTENTION NEWS DIRECTORS

Earlene Lefler, NBA Executive Assistant has been calling all statewide television and radio general managers regarding the upcoming breakfast meeting with NAB President and CEO Senator Gordon Smith at the NBA office.  Within the first 24 hours, we have received participation confirmation from 20 general managers.

Senator Smith has agreed to arrive at the NBA office thirty minutes before the start of the breakfast meeting in order to do interviews with our television and radio news stations.  We encourage Las Vegas affiliates to coordinate together with their Reno counterparts, in order to spread Senator Smith\'s message throughout the state.

The meeting is scheduled for Friday, April 8, 2011, from 9 AM - 10:30 AM.  The meeting will be held in the board room of the Nevada Broadcasters Association, 1050 East Flamingo Road, Suite 102 -- in Las Vegas.  Following the meeting, Senator Smith will record an OBSERVATIONS interview at the NBA studio, which will be aired statewide on 26 radio stations.   With both the future of television and radio in peril as a Spectrum Auction is looming in the distance and a defeated Performance Tax may result in \"an attack of a thousand cuts\" -- the NBA together with the Board of Directors continues to be vigilant and aggressive in protecting the voice of every Nevada broadcaster.  On a scale of one to ten, the upcoming meeting with Gordon Smith is a ten.  Each and every Nevada television and radio station should be represented at this meeting.   For northern and rural broadcasters who are unable to be in Las Vegas on April 8, the meeting will be carried on a statewide conference call.  For further information including the dial-in number and pass code, contact Adam Sandler at the NBA office.

FCC Warns Broadcasters About Discriminatory Advertising Contracts from Radio Ink MagazineThe FCC is getting serious about not allowing \"no urban/no Spanish dictates to occur in our industry. Radio stations must certify that advertising contracts include nondiscrimination clauses and do not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said, It should be clear that the Commission will vigorously enforce its rules against discrimination in advertising sales contracts.  As the Commission stated in its order adopting the rule, discrimination simply has no place in broadcasting.

The FCCs Enforcement Bureau released an enforcement advisory to alert radio and TV stations about the requirement to certify that their advertising sales contracts contain nondiscrimination clauses and do not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity. Commercial broadcasters must complete the certification in order to renew their broadcast licenses.

A revised form (303-S), used for broadcast license renewals requires the new certification. The new requirement is aimed at advertising contracts that contain no urban/no Spanish dictates, by which advertisers and their agencies intentionally by-pass urban and Latino stations, supposedly because the client has dictated that its ads not be placed with those outlets. 

Commercial broadcasters must complete the certification in order to renew their broadcast licenses.  If they cannot affirmatively certify that their advertising agreements do not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity, they must explain why this should not be an impediment to granting the stations license renewal application.  The broadcasters response and explanation will be considered by the Commission in determining whether to renew the license.

The Enforcement Advisory also designates a specific contact in the Enforcement Bureau to respond to inquiries from the public and licensees.  On issuing the Advisory, Michele Ellison, Chief of the Enforcement Bureau said, The advisory puts everyone on notice that the Commission has no tolerance for this type of insidious discrimination.  Our leadership has asked us to bring renewed focus to these important broadcasting issues.  We will work in close collaboration with the Media Bureau to give this new requirement meaning. 

The NBA wants to monitor the station registration for this webinar.  For further information about registration please contact either Bob Fisher or Adam Sandler.

FIRST RESPONDER TRAINING

The Nevada Department of Emergency Management together with Douglas County is working closely together with the Nevada Broadcasters Association in helping to move forward the Broadcaster First Responder Training Program. Since the passage of our historic legislation two years ago, a Public Warning committee was formed under the leadership of Adam Sandler and Adrienne Abbott to develop the curriculum.  The curriculum will now be reviewed by the DEM.

Yesterday, an important conference call was held with the DEM leadership currently most involved.  Among those who participated were Kelli Baratti -- who continues to do such an outstanding job of developing a credential process; Michele Candee -- whose expertise in training will strengthen our program; Interim Chief Jim Wright -- whose support is valued; Douglas County Sheriff Ron Pierini and Deputy Fire Chief Dave Fogerson.

Two recommendations came out of yesterday\'s conference call.  We will approach Nevada Sheriffs and Chiefs about addressing their upcoming May meeting being held in Carson City.  And we soon will begin promoting registration for the first class that will undergo training to receive their certification.

For further information please contact either Adam or Adrienne.

The AMBER Alert Program, created after the 1996 abduction and murder of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, is a voluntary partnership between law-enforcement agencies, broadcasters, and transportation agencies. Here in Nevada, an alert is initiated by a local law enforcement agency.  The agency activates an urgent bulletin -- sent out through the Emergency Alert System and aired over local radio, television and cable.  The alert then expands through message road signs, the internet, (AMBER Alert websites and the new technology of social media.)

Here in Nevada, AMBER Alert is not overused.  We have a strict criteria for activation.  And some of the toughest laws in the country if someone lies to local law enforcement resulting in a false activation.  To do so is a felony.  With so few alerts in a year -- Nevadan\'s know then when there is an activation, the situation is serious.  At stake is the life of an abducted child,  

A description of the abducted child and the suspected abductor is broadcast to thousands of media listeners and viewers. The public becomes the eyes and ears of law enforcement.   The state AMBER Alert website becomes the center of updated information that is being released by local law enforcement.

The AMBER Alert program is coordinated on a national level by the U.S. Department of Justice. For more information about the National AMBER Alert Initiative, please visit www.amberalert.gov.

Nationwide there are 119 AMBER Alert Plans, including 28 regional, 38 local, and statewide plans in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  The Nevada Plan is actually three sub-plans, divided regionally between southern Nevada, northern Nevada and eastern Nevada.  The Nevada Plan is one of a handful of state plans that is backed-up by statute, including broadcaster amnesty and the establishment of a Review Committee.

Bob Fisher, NBA President and CEO continues as Nevada\'s State Coordinator and Chairman of the Review Committee.

Personal e-mail invitations were sent out last Thursday, inviting all southern Nevada television and radio general managers (only) to attend a private luncheon being held at the NBA office this Wednesday Noon, November 3. Our very special guest speaker will be our longtime friend and advocate in Washington, D.C., Congresswoman Shelley Berkley. Shelley is expected to talk candidly about the impact of the 2010 Mid-Term Elections results. She will speculate on what the changes in Nevada and in Congress will mean. GM\'s are asked to please RSVP no later than this afternoon.NBA Broadcasters Day

Tomorrow night, we should be able to know who will serve as Nevada\'s 29th Governor; who will serve as our other Constitutional Officers; and what the make-up of the 76th Regular Session of the Nevada Legislature will look like -- including the 42 members of the Assembly and the 21 members of the Senate. Our Legislature is the third smallest bicameral state legislature in theUnited States. The 76th Regular Session begins on February 7, 2011. The new Freshman Class could include as many as 25 new legislators. Four days later -- on Thursday, February 10, the 2011 NBA Broadcasters Day will be held in Carson City. We have already confirmed with leadership that it will be designated as \"Nevada Broadcasters Day at the Legislature\". We have also secured Room 3100 as our home base for the day. According to NBA state lobbyists Josh Griffin and Jessica Ferrato, \"the ball is rolling and we are in good shape.\" We are also reaching out to the Governor\'s Mansion to ensure that we will return for our traditional Dinner with the Governor and his Constitutional Officers. Although both major candidates for Governor have made a \"No New Taxes\" pledge, few in Carson City really believe that a $3 Billion budget shortfall can be made up with only budget cutting. Thus, most Nevadans will be focused on following the 120 day budget process as possible solutions are discussed. The NBA is going to work very hard to attract the management of as many television and radio stations as possible to set the time aside and to come to Carson City and attend Broadcasters Day.Bonnici Scholarship Fund and Nevada Broadcasters Foundation

If you attended the 2009 or 2010 Hall of Fame Scholarship Dinner, you are likely already aware of the Tony & Linda Bonnici Scholarship Fund and the Nevada Broadcasters Foundation. The Bonnici Scholarship Fund, formed in 2009 and named for longtime broadcasting couple Tony and Linda Bonnici, aims to help students pursue a broadcasting education. Securing a college education has become tougher as tuition costs have risen, so this is our chance to turn the passionate students of today into the passionate broadcasters of tomorrow. We rely solely on donations, so please consider making a tax-deductible contribution today. This is our chance to make a difference. Please contact Adam Sandler for more information or how to donate.

Earlier today, the Nevada Broadcasters Association, along with 45 other State Broadcasters Associations, the National Association of Broadcasters, National Cable and Telecommunications Association, Society of Broadcast Engineers, American Cable Association, Association for Maximum Service Television, National Public Radio, Association of Public Television Stations and Public Broadcasting Service, urged the FCC to extend the current March 29, 2011 CAP-compliance deadline to at least September 30, 2011 or later, as well as to consider holding the deadline in abeyance until the FCC has completed its own CAP-related equipment certification process and has resolved its anticipated rulemaking proceeding concerning modifications to Part 11 of its EAS rules and regulations.

We pointed out that it would be premature at best, and potentially very wasteful at worst, for some 25,000 to 30,000 EAS participants to be required to purchase, install and test new or modified CAP-related equipment in circumstances where (i) the IPAWS list of CAP tested and certified EAS equipment has yet to be released, (ii) the FCC may conduct its own certification process which could necessitate further changes to equipment which FEMA has already approved, and (iii) the FCC may, as a result of an expected rulemaking, change its EAS regulations in ways that impact the future suitability of CAP-related equipment.

We also urged the Commission to take into consideration the extra time needed for EAS participants to coordinate with their state and local representatives to insure that the conversion of government owned EAS equipment would be compatible with CAP-related equipment that radio and television stations, and others, may employ. Given the importance of getting \"CAP\" right the first time, we stressed that flexibility should be the watchword in this context.

Please address any questions or concerns you may have directly to Adrienne Abbott -- nevadaeas@charter.net

WHAT IT MEANS TO NEVADA: TOO SOON? FEMA has made the long-anticipated announcement that it has adopted Common Alerting Protocol or CAP as the new standard for public warning. CAP allows emergency managers to issue emergency information through a variety of platforms, saving time and ensuring that the public gets the same message whether it\'s from broadcasters, cell phone texts, emails or highway signs. The CAP format also allows emergency managers to embed audio files, scripts, pictures, maps and graphics within their messages creating a data-rich product that is suited to both television and radio as well as the Internet. The FEMA news release can be found here: http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=52880 The assumption is being made that the FCC\'s 180-day clock is ticking, even though the FCC hasn\'t made an official announcement. The NAB and organizations like the Society of Broadcast Engineers and the National Alliance of State Broadcasters Associations including the NBA, are considering plans to ask the FCC to delay the deadline for an additional 180 days, giving manufacturers a chance to make sure their next generation EAS equipment meets CAP standards. CAP EAS equipment has been on the market for more than a year and has been installed in some radio and TV stations as well as emergency management offices around the country. FEMA has been conducting compliance tests at their conformance lab set up especially for this project. But you may want to wait before you pick up the phone and order your new equipment. A lot could change in the near future. In addition to the possible extension of the 180-day deadline, the FCC is expected to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to rewrite EAS regulations. There could be pressure from FEMA on state officials to purchase  CAP equipment and that will affect what you end up buying. Questions have been raised about possible incompatibility issues between manufacturers, issues that could result in delays in broadcasting emergency messages. And even where state and local officials decline to buy new EAS equipment -- and that is a strong possibility in cash-strapped Nevada,  there may still be an opportunity for broadcasters to agree on a single product and then seek a group discount from the manufacturer. NBA members who are interested in such a discount should contact SECC Chair Adrienne Abbott for more information. We will be surveying stations to determine your EAS needs and interests. Adrienne Abbott

nevadaeas@charter.net 775-750-5987

In 2004, Paul was elected NAB District 22 Representative -- not only enabling him to visit and work with broadcasters in Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona, but to also have a national platform to advocate for America\'s rural broadcasters. Currently Paul is serving his third, two year term on the NAB Radio Board. The board advocates on behalf of the Radio and Television industry in Congress, the FCC, and courts across the country.

For fifteen years, Paul has been a true radio salesman for the International Broadcasters Idea Bank. His participation as a member has probably changed him as much as he has influenced his friends and colleagues in the Idea Bank. Membership in the Idea Bank is by invitation only and is limited to 100 members worldwide (representing 450 stations). The Idea Bank is a Think Tank and information exchange for radio broadcasters around the world. Current members operate radio stations in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Paul\'s crowning achievement as a broadcaster is taking place right now in the hometown community that his parents and his family have given so much to. The sold-out 2010 Idea Bank Fall Conference is currently taking place in Elko, Nevada. The pre-conference introduced those who came early to experience the Ruby Mountain Balloon Festival. The Idea Bank even sponsored a balloon. The conference itself began on September 25th and will conclude tomorrow. The entertainment for the first night -- following the opening reception, was sponsored by the NBA. Cowboy Poet Waddie Mitchell performed and he was magnificent. It was a great first night. And the NBA was glad to be a part of it.

The following paragraph comes from Waddie\'s biography: \"From his earliest days on the remote Nevada ranches where his father worked, Waddie was immersed in the cowboy way of entertaining, the art of spinnin\' tales in rhyme and meter that came to be called cowboy poetry, a Western tradition that is as rich as the lifestyle that gave birth to it. Within his stories, told in a voice that is timeless and familiar, are the common bonds we all share, moments both grand and commonplace, the humorous and the tragic, the life and death straggles and triumphs that we each recognize. And yet, Waddie presents his material with personal insights and the lessons learned during his life spent as a buckaroo.\"

Congratulations to Paul for hosting and bringing the International Broadcasters Idea Bank Fall Conference to northeastern Nevada. It is a great achievement.

Membership in the Idea Bank is by invitation only and is limited to 100 members worldwide. The Idea Bank is a Think Tank and information exchange for radio broadcasters around the world. Current members operate radio stations in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Members are responsible for bi-monthly written reports on twelve different broadcast categories, including Management, Sales, Programming, Engineering, and General broadcast industry challenges. Daily communication with participating members is done via email listserv. Current Idea Bank responsibilities include securing sponsorship and financial support for annual meetings, and host of the Fall 2010 convention in Elko, NV.

PASSING OF A LEGEND

INDUCTED IN THE NBA

HALL OF FAME IN 1997

KOLO-TV reports the following:

RENO, NV - Reno broadcasting legend and longtime KOLO-TV employee Betty Stoddard-Muncie died Wednesday night at a local hospital.

She was 90.

Stoddard-Muncie was Reno\'s first and one of its most enduring television personalities. It is no exaggeration to say she was the face of this station and Reno television for most of two decades.

A Minneapolis native and Northwestern University graduate, she came to Reno, breaking into Reno radio and then working in local television in its infancy. Her \"Be My Guest\" program aired on Channel 8 for 18 years and later on KTVN.

During her broadcasting career, she interviewed celebrities ranging from Eleanor Roosevelt to Liberace.

In her later years, she remained active as a commercial spokeswoman and wrote a column for the Senior Spectrum newspaper.

She is survived by a daughter, Suzanne, and a son, KOLO 8 News Now weatherman Dick Stoddard.  Dick was inducted in the NBA Hall of Fame in 2004.

We are fortunate that Betty was part of the NBA Historical Project and we have a wonderful interview captured on video.

A public memorial is planned at the Little Flower Church located on East Plumb at Kietzke.  Date and time are yet to be determined. 

GOVERNOR DEBATE MOVES FORWARD

Last Thursday, September 9, 2010, representatives of the Brian Sandoval and Rory Reid campaigns met with Bob Fisher and Adam Sandler at the NBA office.  Every aspect of the upcoming October 7 Governor Debate was outlined, discussed and agreed to.  All questions were answered and all concerns were addressed.  Last Friday, Bob and Adam and moderator Mitch Fox met together at Vegas PBS with three members of the station\'s production staff and reviewed every aspect of the upcoming two debates.  The Senator Debate is scheduled for October 14.

RIDE FOR THEIR LIVES

Yesterday afternoon, Sunday, September 12, 2010, Bob Fisher greeted Ed Smart and Ahmad Rivazfar -- both parents of child abduction and abuse victims, as they arrived at Angel Park in Elko, NV by bicycle -- as part of a cross-country public awareness and fundraising campaign for the Surviving Parents Coalition child advocacy initiatives.  Bob addressed those in attendance as the CEO of the Nevada Broadcasters Association and as the State Coordinator and Chairman of Nevada AMBER Alert.  Rivazfar and Smart are leading a 3,500-mile journey on bicycle and automobile, which travels through 12 states and 26 cities as \"Ride for Their Lives.\"  Ahmad\'s 6 year old daughter Sara was raped and murdered in Florida.  The kidnapping of Ed\'s 14 year old daughter Elizabeth, is one of the most famous ever in America.  Years later she was recovered in Utah.  A special thank you to Lori Gilbert and KENV-TV for her coverage of the event. The \"Ride for Their Lives\" arrives in Reno today, Monday, September 13, 2010.

FACES OF THE BRAVE

Last Wednesday, September 8, 2010, Vegas PBS commemorated their new Educational Technology Campus to the Federal Communications Commissions (FCC) post September 11 Media Security and Reliability Commission standards with a series of special events.    

Vegas PBS General Manager Tom Axtell unveiled a newly created Memorial Garden containing several boulders originally placed in front of the organizations former headquarters in response to a terrorist threat made to Vegas PBS during a visit by Senator Harry Reid in 2001. The Memorial Garden was then dedicated to the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.  Vegas PBS, along with Clark County School District (CCSD) Police Officers, then demonstrated how emergency response communications via a CCSD Critical Event Response Team unit would play a vital role in the ensured safety of our children in the event of a school or community crisis.

Lastly, Vegas PBS General Manager Tom Axtell and artist Randy Soard unveiled Faces of the Brave, a photo-mosaic that honors those critical first responders and firefighters that lost their lives on September 11, 2001.

The Vegas PBS Educational Technology Campus is the first in the country and only local broadcast building built to the post September 11 recommendations of the FCC.  This investment ensures that following a civil disaster, the campus can maintain operations that provide vital information to citizens and first responders.

BROADCASTER ALERT

The Nevada Broadcasters Association began negotiations with the campaign staffs of Sharron Angle and Senator Harry Reid immediately following the June 8 Primary Election.

There was positive, open and respectful communication between each campaign staff and the Nevada Broadcasters Association.  Unfortunately, we reached a challenge that we were not able to resolve.  The Angle campaign would only debate prior to the start of Early Voting. The Reid campaign would not commit to a debate they were not certain the Senator could attend and explained that despite a published calendar, it was possible that unfinished Senate business might keep the Senator in Washington, D.C.

We were advised by the Associations Washington communications counsel and the National Association of Broadcasters that there is never a guarantee of when the Senate will actually recess and there certainly is the possibility that the Senate session might be extended a day; a few days or for even up to a week.

We presented this debate as an opportunity for both campaigns and for the voters.  Our goal was to engage the voters.  Unfortunately, the NBA has no other choice but to withdraw from sponsoring the 2010 Senator Debate.  The debate was projected to be carried by a majority of Nevada\'s television and radio stations.

Respectfully, Robert D. Fisher, President and CEO Nevada Broadcasters Association

The Nevada Broadcasters Association is extremely honored to welcome Christopher Ornelas to Las Vegas next week.  Chris serves as executive vice president and chief strategy officer for the National Association of Broadcasters.  He is flying to Nevada from Washington, D.C. to lead a critical strategic planning meeting for our Executive Committee, our Board of Directors and statewide radio and television general managers.  

Nevada\'s radio stations want to understand why the NAB is currently in negotiations that could result in a RIAA-backed Performance Tax.  Nevada\'s television stations want to understand why after spending millions of dollars on the DTV conversion, the FCC is now asking for spectrum reallocation.  As a result of this meeting, all of Nevada\'s radio and television stations will have input into the direction and prioritization of your NBA lobbying efforts and goals - as we prepare to work with a new Congress following the November 2nd Elections. 

This important meeting will be held in the Board Room of the Nevada Broadcasters Association one week from this Friday, on August 27, 2010.  The meeting will be held from 12 Noon to 2:00 PM.  Lunch will be served.

TRIBUTE TO KENNY GUINN

One week from this Saturday, on August 28, 2010, the Nevada Broadcasters Association will welcome hundreds of broadcasters, elected officials, community leaders and family and friends to our 15th Annual Hall of Fame Gala.  Once again the Gala will be held at the Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa. 

The evening will begin with a Tribute to Kenny Guinn. 

Nevada AMBER Alert became fully operational on July 1, 2003.  On August 23, 2003, we honored Governor Kenny Guinn and First Lady Dema Guinn for their support of the NBA and proudly inducted them into the Nevada Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame.  Whether meeting together in Washington, D.C., or spending an afternoon or evening at the Governor\'s Mansion in Carson City, the Governor and Mrs. Guinn were always gracious and wonderful hosts. 

Governor Guinn was instrumental in developing the statewide AMBER Alert Plan.  The Governor also selected our NCSA Program to produce a four year public awareness campaign for the new Millennium Scholarships.  And in cooperation with the NBA, the Governor secured funding through the Nevada Homeland Security Commission to remodel the Capitol Annex Building in order to construct a television and radio Media Room on the 2nd Floor. 

Next Saturday night, our friend and former press secretary for the Governor -- Greg Bortolin, will remember \"The Boss\" and dedicate the 15th Annual NBA Gala in loving memory of Kenny Guinn.

NEVADA\'S VETERANS, SUSAN MARTINOVICH,

JIM ROGERS, 32 BROADCASTERS AND BONNICI

SCHOLARSHIP HIGHLIGHT GALA FIFTEEN

In what has become an NBA Gala tradition, the program next Saturday evening will open with a Salute to America.  Once again, we will be joined by the Nevada Army National Guard.  And once again, we will ask the men and women who have served our country well, to take the stage, to be acknowledged and receive a standing ovation from a grateful Nevada audience. 

This year we will thank Susan Martinovich, Director of the Nevada Department of Transportation, for the strong partnership that NDOT has established with the NBA.  Highway fatalities are down in Nevada.  Through our NCSA Program and millions of dollars worth of donated station air time to NDOT-- resulting in tens of thousands of radio and television spots aired over the past five years, broadcasters have truly helped to save lives.  Susan will announce that NDOT has extended their NCSA contract with the NBA for an additional two years.  

All one has to do is look at the extraordinary sponsorship list for this year\'s Gala.  Jim Rogers is a broadcaster\'s broadcaster, who has carved out a special place in the history of Nevada.  He is about to start his 40th year in our business.  He remains a champion and advocate for education.  And his personal philanthropy and commitment to community is legendary.  Those are the qualities that have resulted in his unanimous selection this year to receive the highest honor bestowed upon a Nevada broadcaster -- the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award.

Under the leadership of Earlene Lefler, 32 broadcasters will take the stage as they are individually inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame.  And as each name is called out, the audience will be asked to note their biography page in the Tribute Journal.  Collectively, their written paragraphs tell the story of the history of broadcasting in Nevada, and in America.  

We hope that you will join us and raise your glass of champagne at the end of the evening to acknowledge, thank and salute Jim Rogers and the Class of 2010.  THERE IS STILL TIME TO BECOME A SPONSOR, PLACE AN AD, DONATE AN AUCTION ITEM, AND

PURCHASE GALA TICKETS.  For information please contact the NBA office at (702) 794-4994.

Towards the end of dinner, Linda and Tony Bonnici will take the stage to thank everyone for their support of the Nevada Broadcasters Association Scholarship Fund.  100% of the proceeds from both the Silent and Live Auctions will be donated to the scholarship fund that is named in their honor.  Tony will thank his brother Eric for his tireless fundraising efforts for this year\'s auctions.  And Linda will announce the establishment of the Nevada Broadcasters Foundation.  Linda will serve as the first president of the foundation, and as the first chairman of the scholarship fund.

LARGEST DEBATE AUDIENCE IN NEVADA HISTORY

PROJECTED FOR THE 2010 NBA GOVERNOR DEBATE

Concern over the economy and jobs, education and the state budget, and whether the 2011 Legislative Session will include raising taxes -- provides the backdrop for the 2010 Governor Debate sponsored by the Nevada Broadcasters Association.

Republican Brian Sandoval and Democrat Rory Reid have agreed and committed to debate on Thursday evening, October 7, 2010.  The debate will be produced at the new facilities of Vegas PBS in Las Vegas.  The debate will be aired live from 6 PM - 7 PM.  The moderator will be veteran broadcaster Mitch Fox.  Closed captioning will be provided.  The debate will also be broadcast in Spanish. 

It is expected that between 50 to 60 television and radio stations will carry the 2010 Governor Debate.  It is also expected that there will be a national viewing audience as the debate will be carried on C-Span. 

For further information please contact Bob Fisher.

FCC PLEADING FILED LAST NIGHT

NBA IN STRONG SUPPORT OF TELEVISION INDUSTRY'S RETRANSMISSION CONSENT RIGHTS

Yesterday, the Nevada Broadcasters Association joined with many other State Broadcasters Associations in vigorously opposing the rulemaking effort by a number of cable and satellite television operators and others to persuade the FCC to radically change, through governmental fiat, the negotiating dynamics of the Congressionally-mandated, market-driven negotiating process by which television stations exercise their must carry/retransmission consent rights.  We pointed out that, not surprisingly, the "MVPDs" (Multi-channel Video Programming Distributors) want the FCC to change those dynamics in ways that will benefit them, and severely prejudice the television broadcast industry, in all future retransmission consent (RTC) negotiations.

The Associations stressed that the Petitioners are urging the FCC to grant every MVPD mandatory interim carriagethe equivalent of a compulsory signal carriage licensein circumstances where an MVPD and a television station are unable, for any reason, to reach agreement on the terms and conditions of a renewed or extended retransmission consent agreement before expiration/termination of the then current RTC agreement.  Under such license, the MVPD would have the right to continue carrying the stations signal (and thus all of its programming), on the frozen terms and conditions of the former RTC agreement for as long as it took the FCC, and presumably the courts, to finally decide if one of the parties had acted in bad faith.  During that period, the television station could not charge the MVPD additional consideration for the right to retransmit the stations signal even if the station, as is likely, was incurring higher and higher programming acquisition costs.  Such licenses would be automatically available to any MVPD that took the position that it was negotiating in good faith and would last as long as it took the FCC and the courts to decide if that was true.

The Associations demonstrated that neither the Communications Act nor the Copyright Act grants the FCC the statutory authority to impose either mandatory interim signal carriage or arbitration in connection with must carry or retransmission consent negotiations.  The Commission has repeatedly acknowledged that fact.  For good reason, a change in the law is not warranted.  We demonstrated that adoption of the Petitioners proposals would lead to (a) substantially fewer mutually successful, timely RTC negotiations; (b) substantially more FCC-based litigation; (c) the loss of RTC-related compensation that television stations need to continue to produce and otherwise acquire increasingly expensive and responsive local, syndicated, and network informational and entertainment programming, including sports and other types of compelling programming; (d) a weakening in the ability of television stations to compete and survive against the combined subscription/advertising-based model of cable and satellite MVPDs; and (e) as a  result of the diminished capacity of the television broadcast industry to compete vigorously in the marketplace for programming, an acceleration in the already strong trend of sports and other types of compelling programming migrating from free local over-the-air television to pay TV. 

The Associations also asserted that informed subscribers, not governmental intervention, is the only lawful and otherwise appropriate way to address potential MVPD service disruptions of the type complained of by the Petitioners.  Their wails of distress on behalf of MVPD subscribers are no more than cries of self-interest from MVPDs more worried about losing subscribers to over-the-air viewing or to competing MVPD providers than about arming their subscribers with timely information about RTC negotiations and informing those subscribers of their options for ensuring they will be unaffected by the MVPDs loss of a particular stations programming.  We pointed out that MVPDs are in the best position to eliminate subscriber uncertainty by beginning RTC negotiations well in advance of the RTC expiration date and by providing their subscribers with timely and truly helpful information the subscribers can use to prepare to implement an over-the-air antenna option and/or switch to an alternate MVPD provider if they wish.  In short, we make clear that if subscribers face programming disruption, it is caused by deliberate decisions on the part of MVPDs to keep their subscribers in the dark during negotiations, and not by television stations exercising their statutory rights in those negotiations.

In concluding, the Associations urged that, as the Petitioners have failed to demonstrate any need to fix the current retransmission consent process, much less addressed the harm that their proposals would create, the rulemaking sought by the Petitioners should not proceed, and their petition should be dismissed or denied in its entirety.  

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The "voice" of Nevada's free, over-the-air television and radio stations continues to be protected by an extraordinary triangle of proactive lobbying, led by the Nevada Broadcasters Association with strong assistance from the National Association of Broadcasters and the leadership of the National Alliance of State Broadcasters Associations.  To read the complete filing, click here.

COMMUNITY ORIENTED NEWS PACKAGES

From Tom McCoy, Nevada Director of Government Relations, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Chairman of the Nevada Cancer Coalition,  and founding member of

Cover Up, Nevada.

If any Las Vegas television news directors or assignment editors need to evaluate their decision to run or not run a soft news clip about a particular cancer and local efforts to bring awareness to that cancer   -- they

need only to consider the results of the past week. By legislative resolution, the second week in May each year is Melanoma and Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Week in Nevada. The across the channels' coverage was outstanding and brought viewers from throughout the valley to various locations. Beyond educating Las Vegans to the dangers of sun exposure and the realities of the deadliest form of cancer -- Melanoma -- the events offered skin analyses and many said they came only because of what they saw on television. As a result, many persons were advised to go see a dermatologist to have some questionable skin issues checked out. A few showed dangerous signs of Melanoma. One mother contacted a Melanoma awareness week organizer to tell him that after watching one of the TV reports she immediately took her daughter to a doctor and Melanoma was confirmed. Each Nevada broadcaster gets a license "in the public interest, convenience, and necessity." It is more than words from the early days of the FCC; it is what local broadcasters should do because they can do it better than any other form of media. The public interest truly was served in Las Vegas this past week. We continue to receive requests to do more community outreach as a result of the coverage. Thank you Las Vegas broadcasters you did yourself proud and more than likely saved suffering and lives.

JIM ROGERS TO BE HONORED WITH

NBA LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

The old West will come alive on Saturday evening, August 28, 2010, as the Nevada Broadcasters Association produces our fifteenth annual Hall of Fame Scholarship Dinner.  The Gala returns to Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa -- a venue which has been very popular with our guests.  The theme of the evening will be "Home Means Nevada."  The theme will honor Jim Rogers who has a passion for collecting western art; will acknowledge the importance of the 2010 Mid-Term Elections; and will pay tribute to the contributions of rural radio and television throughout the history of Nevada.

Jim will receive the highest honor the NBA bestows upon a Nevada broadcaster -- our Lifetime Achievement Award.  His work in broadcasting over the past forty years has been legendary.  His philanthropic work is unparalleled.  And his dedication to education has set a standard that few can equal.

We are looking forward to a rip-roaring good time this August.  Statewide general managers have just received a letter from Earlene Lefler, asking stations to nominate deserving employees into the Hall of Fame Class of 2010.  Save the date cards are being mailed out.  And work on obtaining sponsorships, Tribute Journal ads and auction donations is just beginning.

CHARITIES FACE DOOMSDAY WITH

LOSS OF TAX-EXEMPT STATUS

As Nevada's major community voice, we hope that our stations throughout the state will get the word out and remind the public of a very important deadline.  At midnight May 15, any nonprofit group that hasn't filed a new tax form will lose the tax break that is the lifeblood of most small nonprofit organizations.  It allows them to raise money tax-free and enables the public to write off their donations to them.  Thousands of Nevada nonprofit organizations and hundreds of thousands nationally are estimated to lose their tax-exempt status -- an event that is now being called "Doomsday."

For decades, nonprofit organizations that raised less than $25,000 a year didn't have to file tax returns.  Thousands apparently don't have a clue that changed in 2006.  That was the year Congress amended the law to track nonprofit organizations closer.  This year is the first requiring mandatory filing of the new IRS forms.

If a nonprofit organization misses the deadline, organizations will have to start paying taxes on the money they raise.  Fundraising could become even tougher than it already is.  Contributors who cannot get a tax break for their donations, may think twice about giving.  The affected nonprofit organizations span the state and include well-known names.  Fraternal groups such as Rotary, the Lions Club, Knights of Columbus, American Legion.  Athletic leagues that include neighborhood baseball and softball teams that dot the state.  Boy Scout chapters.  ROTC chapters.  Habitat for Humanity chapters.  NAACP chapters.  Social service groups, chapters of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; and even Labor unions.  The list goes on and on.

All that is needed is for an officer of the organization to file electronically -- click onto the IRS website.  Type in your federal tax identification number and fill out the 990 N form that is the law of the land.  It takes approximately 35 minutes to complete.

The bottom line is that the IRS wants to make sure that everyone who is supposed to be paying taxes is paying taxes.  And organizations that are exempt are properly exempt.  Please help to spread the word --

so that contributions will continue going to the charities rather than being taxed.

Adrienne Abbott, the highly respected, well-liked and competent consultant engineer of the Nevada Broadcasters Association has begun a series of ABIP inspections that will continue throughout the year.  She has indicated that we will have a record number of Nevada stations inspected this year.  

The inspections in Northern Nevada are being scheduled and under way as weather permits. She is also about to start scheduling the Southern Nevada stations for their inspections, and is scheduled to return to Las Vegas in June. 

Our east coast readers may find the following report from Adrienne to be very interesting: 

"The Northern Nevada station inspections are underway as much as the weather is letting us do. I had one trip up Slide Mountain via snowcat that was very productive as I inspected three TV stations and two radio stations.  There was so much snow that we had to go into every building from the roof or the second story balcony.

We have had two storms since then and the winds from last week's storm were so strong that they took a number of radio stations and one TV station off the air for several hours. The winds also took out the back up transmitters on McClellan Peak so stations up there were also off the air. The problem was mainly related to NV Energy power outages and generator problems. I think McClellan Peak is probably going to be inaccessible until early June just like last year. Our border inspections will resume when the weather clears at transmitter sites around Lake Tahoe. I have been told that there still is snow in Elko and Grindstone Peak which is inaccessible right now. Martin Stabbert from Citadel together with Bob Fisher and I are planning to go out next month to spend some time working in Elko.  Here is what is already contracted for 2010:  LAS VEGAS AND SOUTHERN NEVADA:  19 STATIONS.  RENO AND NORTHERN NEVADA:  16 STATIONS. EASTERN NEVADA: SIX STATIONS." 

NBA AND BOB  FISHER TO BE HONORED THIS SATURDAY NIGHT

The University of Southern Nevada is proud to present its Eighth Annual Scholarship Gala, Run for the Roses, this Saturday night, May 1, 2010 at The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas. This extravaganza will be the final farewell and last event held at the luxurious hotel.

The Kentucky Derby-theme gala takes place on the actual opening day of the Worlds most famous horse racing event at Churchill Downs.  Guests arriving into the Grand Ballroom will be greeted with the intoxicating smell of hundreds of roses.  To begin the evening, guests will enjoy cocktails, mint juleps and hors d'oeuvres. There will be both a fabulous silent and live auction.  Following the live auction featuring nationally acclaimed auctioneer Christian Kolberg -- a lavish dinner prepared by The Ritz-Carltons award-winning chefs will be served.  Throughout dinner composer and recording artist Tim Boatman will perform.

The highlight of the evening event will be the presentation of the USN Champions of Health Care in Education Awards with honorees Larry Ruvo, Timothy Wilson, D.D.S. and Bob Fisher.  Larry is the CEO of Southern Wine & Spirits and founder of Keep Memory Alive and the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health; Dr. Wilson and his Star Smiles Children's Dentistry -- is known as the Ambassador of Smiles.  He has been recognized nationally for his philanthropic surgeries for underprivileged kids with cleft palates, both in this country and in South America.

The NBA and Bob will be honored for all the years of airing health issues and educating listeners and viewers through OBSERVATIONS -- the NBA produced weekly statewide radio and northern television public affairs programs.  OBSERVATIONS has been an award-winning platform for promoting health information and events.  Bob has been and remains a very strong advocate promoting life saving information for the public.  In addition, Bob, together with Adrienne Abbott -- have been credited with bringing AMBER Alert to the state of Nevada. 

Proceeds from the gala benefit USN Pharmacy, Nursing, Dental and MBA student scholarships and services. For more information about the event, including sponsorship and tickets, please contact Barbara Wood at 702-968-2055 or bwood@usn.edu.  Sponsors include KLAS-TV, Lotus Broadcasting, In Business Las Vegas, Cox Communications, 3.78 Irish Acres, United Healthcare Nevada, St. Rose Dominican Hospital, Rite Aid, SavOn Drugs, Nevada State Bank, HealthSouth, Vons/SuperValu, Bank of America, You Name It Events, Global Flowers, Quality Medical Imaging, Southern Wine & Spirits, and Pahrump Valley Winery.

End of an Era?

It is with great sadness that we inform you that the era of the LasVegasSun.com Career Fairs has come to an end. Several factors influenced our decision to cease production of the quarterly career fairs including: the troubled economy, lack of available jobs, decreased employer participation and declining job seeker attendance. Job fairs were once a popular and productive meeting ground where employers could source, screen and hire qualified employees and job seekers could meet and interview with dozens of employers in one day. Today, job fairs do not accomplish that. With the advent of online applications, social media web sites and employer held open houses and hiring events; the days of job fair as we know them are numbered. In the upcoming months we will develop a new prototype (Career Fair 2.0) that will incorporate the successes found in the job seeker seminar series and integrate those into a social networking environment that appeals to both the job seeker and employer. The environment created will lead to qualified job referrals and allow us to achieve the goal of "putting Las Vegas back to work."

EDITOR'S NOTE:  The above NBA release was written by Doug Geinzer.  Doug and the NBA have worked together for almost fifteen years in partnership to provide quality job fairs for Nevada's radio and television stations. Prior to the LasVegasSun.com Career Fairs / Opportunity Boulevard Career Fairs -- we sponsored job fairs (working with Doug and Jim Stock) under the umbrella of JobsAmerica.  These job fairs were held at Cashman Field in Las Vegas and would typically attract over 5,000 job seekers.   

CAPTURE THE MOMENT

What follows are three different NBA reports summarizing the 2010 NAB Convention that was held last week in Las Vegas.  Bob Fisher writes about his day spent with Sue Keenom, NAB Senior Vice President, State Associations; our time at the NBA office with Senator Gordon Smith, NAB President and CEO; the annual NASBA Barbecue; and the NAB / BEA Career Fair.

Adam Sandler writes a very positive overview of the convention -- from the excitement of the new technology on display, to the hundreds of the workshops that were offered.  He summarizes the State of the Industry Address and highlights the amazing future ahead with both 3D TV and Mobile DTV.

Adrienne Abbott concludes our coverage of NAB by sharing her week of important meetings.  Combining together the thoughts of Bob, Adam and Adrienne -- we hope that we were able to "Capture the Moment" for you.

_____________________________________________________________________

STRATEGY

BOB FISHER

One of the first decisions that our new NAB President and CEO made was the appointment of his long-time Senate staff member, Sue Keenom to become the Senior Vice President for State Associations.  His recognition of the importance of state associations opens the door for a new partnership era as together -- we will fight for Nevada's broadcasters and America's broadcasters.  It was my honor to pick Sue up at the airport and spend the day together.  With the support of Tom Axtell, Sue and toured Vegas PBS.  The new facilities showcase how a local broadcaster really uses spectrum for education, health, safety and public programming.  Just a few days earlier, Aneesh Chopra, President Obama's CTO also had the opportunity to tour Vegas PBS.

On Saturday prior to the start of the NAB, Senator Gordon Smith came to the NBA office and met with a group of general managers and owners who represented southern, northern and rural stations.  A report of this meeting appeared in the April 12, 2010 issue of The NEVADA Broadcaster, and currently is archived on our new website, www.nevadabroadcasters.org

Senator Smith was very generous with his time and also taped a half hour interview at the NBA radio studio for OBSERVATIONS -- which began airing statewide over the past weekend.  On Tuesday evening, I hosted our annual NASBA Barbecue at my house in Henderson.  Thirty people were in attendance with representation coming from 18 states. 

On the last day of the NAB, the annual NBA / BEA Career Fair was held.  I was asked to be part of the event enhancement that enabled job seekers to sit down for a one-on-one meeting to review an applicant's resume, to answer questions about networking for a job and to provide positive reinforcement for a career in broadcasting.  There were eight of us sitting at different tables.  For five hours straight (with no breaks and no interruptions) I met with anxious but hopeful job seekers.  I spoke with a diversity of applicants -- a college Junior who wanted to get ahead of the process; an experienced woman from the east coast who had received a number of Emmy Awards, but was unable to find a job.  There were a few engineers with strong resumes.  And I was surprised by how many people had left stations to become independent videographers.  Another constant theme heard was the desire of these folks to be a "storyteller"  and to make a difference in broadcasting.

It was a great experience to meet so many wonderful people from Las Vegas, California and all over the country.  It was also painful, knowing just how tough it is going to be for these job seekers to find employment at a television or radio station.

NABSHOW 2010:  2-D and Beyond

Adam Sandler

Last week, close to 90,000 broadcasters, technologists and video and audio enthusiasts descended on Las Vegas for NABShow 2010.  Anyone who stepped inside the Las Vegas Convention Center could immediately sense that this really is "where content comes to life."  For some who have said broadcasting is a dying medium and ancient, they would have experienced close to two million square feet of bleeding-edge content creation and consumption.  If they had attended any one of the hundreds of conference sessions, they would learn that broadcasting is better than it's ever been and is only getting better. After a financially poor 2009, the excitement inside the convention center pointed to a much improved 2010 for the industry.

This year's show, the first for NAB president & CEO Gordon H. Smith, kicked off with the customary State of the Industry Address.  Smith, who was the U.S. senator from Oregon for twelve years, had a chance to lay out his vision and priorities for the future.  Coming from the political world, his address was filled with reminders that he knows how to get things done in Washington and plans to use the relationships he's built to broadcasters' advantage.  If you didn't have a chance to attend the speech, the full text has been 

posted to the NBA blog.  

The biggest buzz, by far, was 3D television.  For many this show was the first time to see this new technology in action.  While still a technology in its infancy, it's clear the future is here and it's three-dimensional.

One technology which will undoubtedly transform how we watch TV is mobile DTV. An entirely free service courtesy of your local broadcasters that allows you to watch TV on your DTV-equipped cell phone, laptop or any other device with a proper receiver. Expect to see devices with mobile DTV capability hit the market this summer.  For more on mobile DTV, 

visit the NBA blog.

HOW I SPENT MY TIME AT NAB

Adrienne Abbott

NAB is known as the nexus of broadcast technology but it is also a gathering place where broadcasters share information on both a formal and informal basis. Over the years, this one-on-one contact between broadcasters, vendors and regulators has built valuable relationships that have been of benefit to our audiences. This year was no different and considering the challenges facing our industry, this years conference was one of the most intense and valuable in recent years.

FEMAs visit to KDWN

Last Monday, Walter Florence and other FEMA officials toured the KDWN transmitter site with Chief Engineer Stephen Rutherford and Beasley Corporate Chief Mike Cooney. The FEMA representatives indicated their approval of projects that Beasley had recently finished at the site. They declared that the site was now ready for installation of the dedicated phone line and other equipment needed to tie KDWN into the nation-wide Primary Entry Point network. KDWN becomes Nevadas second PEP station and will provide coverage for Southern Nevada including the densely populated Las Vegas area as well as Northern Arizona. Once achieved, a 15 year goal of the NBA will have been achieved.

Meeting with Rear Admiral (Ret.) James Barnett, Chief of the FCCs Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau.

Admiral Barnett brought Tom Beers and Lisa Fowlkes of the FCCs Enforcement Bureau with him to Wednesdays invitation-only meeting with representatives of several state broadcaster associations. During his distinguished Navy career, Admiral Barnett, known as Jamie to friends and associates, was responsible for operations at Naval Air Station Fallon and toured the area several times. I reminded Jamie that we had met during one of those tours and that the experience gave him an idea of the particular issues facing Nevada broadcasters and broadcasters in other Western states. The discussions centered around the role of broadcasters in EAS and what his agency could do to improve EAS as the Next Generation project becomes reality. Several broadcasters stressed the need to get Emergency Managers at the state and local level involved in EAS so the network that broadcasters provide them will be used in disasters and emergencies.

The Sunday afternoon meeting of the Society of Broadcast Engineers EAS Committee.

Committee Chairman Ralph Beaver told the group that the new SBE Board of Directors wanted the group to refocus on educating and informing the SBE membership about EAS issues. SBE President Vinny Lopez backed up the Boards position.  Beaver also told committee members that the Board wanted to see the specific member benefits clearly defined before they would approve any future FCC filings on EAS related matters. Beaver added that the Board would like SBE to partner with other organizations in filing any comments with the FCC. Several members of the committee voiced their concerns about the change in direction and pointed out that the FCC has been very forthcoming in their expectations of receiving comments from the group.

Personal Meeting with Dick Zaragoza Sunday

Dick was helpful in providing direction for several complex problems that had been brought to my attention by NBA members who had been unable to find solutions on their own. In addition, I brought to Dicks attention several areas of conflict and shortcomings in the FCC Broadcast Checklists.  He agreed to present my suggested changes to the FCC for the next update to the Checklists.

In addition.....

I met with engineers, general managers and other broadcasters to answer their questions about technical problems, license and compliance issues, employment prospects, and station operations. I also met with Wade Witmer of FEMA; Chris Murray, the SECC Chairman for Oregon; Art Botterill, designer of CAP; Gary Timm, SECC Chairman for Wisconsin; and broadcast consultant Tom Fahy at the FEMA booth  where we all received a briefing and live demonstration on how the Next Generation EAS equipment functions.

Most useful info to come out of the NAB

The FCCs 180 day countdown to the Next Generation EAS deadline will likely begin on Sept. 30. The manufacturers say they will be ready to go and capable of meeting the demand for the new equipment. That new equipment will include both a totally new, CAP-compliant EAS box as well as a CAP-compliant interface box that will tie into most existing or legacy equipment. Prices will vary with the various features.

Two days ago -- prior to the opening of the NAB Convention in Las Vegas,  NAB CEO Senator Gordon Smith attended a small luncheon meeting with a cross section of Nevada's broadcasters.  In attendance this past Saturday, April 10, 2010, were general managers (and station owners) representing Las Vegas television and radio; Reno television and radio; and rural radio.  There was strong representation from Hispanic television and radio. Senator Smith also brought along his wife and several key NAB staff members.  The meeting was held in the board room of the Nevada Broadcasters Association.

The meeting was led by former NBA board chairman and current member of the NBA Executive Committee, Tony Bonnici.  Prior to the arrival of Senator Smith, there was an hour provided to network together, to talk about immediate lobbying goals for the NBA and to have lunch.

Upon his arrival, Senator Smith, spoke about his background and his 12 years working in Washington, D.C., as a United States Senator.  He then outlined the three top priorities facing the NAB:  Performance Tax, Broadband and Retransmission Consent.  For those in attendance, there was a strong sense that there was a new sheriff in town -- a leader who is both knowledgeable of the challenges facing Nevada's broadcasters, and competent to win the battles that we will face in the future.

Following the meeting, Senator Smith became a guest on the NBA's public affairs radio program, OBSERVATIONS.  The program -- recorded in the NBA studio, will air statewide this weekend over 24 radio stations.

Yesterday, the NAB held a small, private event with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.  Tony Bonnici, Bob Fisher and Adam Sandler represented the Nevada Broadcasters Association at this event.  In what was an emotional moment, Senator Reid thanked Senator Smith for their work together on the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act, which President George W. Bush signed into law in 2004.  $82 million was set aside for suicide prevention and awareness programs in colleges.  Senator Smith's son Garrett committed suicide six and a half years ago when he was 21.  Senator Reid's father also committed suicide when he was a young man.

In his remarks Senator Reid talked about the other Senate races around the country, and he also spoke of his own tough race.  When asked about the "Piggy Radio" billboard advertising campaign, Senator Reid responded by saying, "No legislation will be brought to the Senate floor during this session.  There is too much opposition in Congress."

The Nevada Broadcasters Association is grateful to the Majority Leader for giving us the opportunity over the past six months to hold two meetings in Washington, D.C., and one meeting in Las Vegas -- with members of his staff, to discuss at length the issue and impact of a Performance Tax on Nevada's radio stations. 

Last night, at a NASBA Dinner attended by both Bob and Adam, one of our colleagues mentioned a quote made by a leader of the opposition who said that the broadcasters had "overreacted" to a "Performance Royalty".

A media advisory has now been distributed announcing protests being planned outside the NAB Convention.  Unfortunately, while writing " The protestors are calling attention to the ongoing refusal by radio corporations to pay musicians a single penny for their work" -- the advisory forgets to address the hundreds of millions of dollars radio stations currently spend on airing the musicians and promoting their music; and forgetting to talk about what the record labels are not doing for their artists!.

Nevada\'s broadcasters -- like all of America\'s broadcasters, seem to be entering into a \"Perfect Storm\". Broadcasters have every right to be concerned. We are facing live or die issues. Our President, the FCC Chairman, the FCC Commission and Congress all seem to now have an agenda that appears to be dangerously anti-broadcaster.

In response to all of the above, statewide general managers have been invited to a private luncheon meeting this Saturday Noon, April 10 at the NBA Board Room. For the first hour, we will seek input and consensus on what should be our immediate lobbying goals. This discussion will be led by Thom Porterfield, NBA Board Chairman. Nevada\'s broadcasters need a plan. What is happening in Nevada is happening all across America. We will partner with the NAB and provide extraordinary support. The question needed to be answered is simply, \"Can we win?\" and \"What do we need to do now to ensure that we do win.\"

At 1 PM, we will have a Q & A with Senator Gordon Smith, the new CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters. With NAB coming to Las Vegas this was the best day and the best time to have a private meeting with Senator Smith. We apologize for holding a Saturday meeting.

Senator Smith will hopefully convey a strategy that will result in the Performance Tax failing to pass in this Congress or in any future Congress. However, this morning, Nevada\'s broadcasters awoke to find out that the Department of Commerce has come out in favor of a Performance Tax. The NAB\'s Dennis Wharton immediately responded that, \"We\'re disappointed the Commerce Department would embrace legislation that would kill jobs in the U.S. and send hundreds of millions of dollars to foreign record labels that have historically exploited artists whose careers were nurtured by American radio stations.\"

Senator Smith is also expected to reassure broadcasters that the Spectrum fight for the future of Nevada\'s free over the air television stations can be won, rather than be \"put off\". These are do or die issues. We ask all general managers to make every effort to be present for this meeting. And to welcome Senator Smith.

FINAL REMINDER: NBA Board Room, 1050 East Flamingo Road, Suite 102. Saturday, April 10. 12 Noon - 2 PM. Please RSVP with Adam Sandler at adam@nevadabroadcasters.org.

Lunch buffet from P.F. Changs will be provided by the NBA.

On Thursday, March 18, 2010, SBE Chapter 128, met in the NBA Board Room.  The purpose of the Las Vegas meeting was to reorganize, rebuild and to move the chapter forward.  There was much discussion around the table as to what direction the chapter would go in.  In the current atmosphere where "less is more" and broadcast engineers have more responsibilities with fewer support staff, the challenge of finding the time required to run an SBE chapter is challenging.  There were many excellent thoughts expressed and  the outcome produced a successful election of officers.

Raymond Fodge, Jr., Chairman.  Bill Croghan, Vice Chairman.  Troy Kinch, Secretary / Treasurer

Ray is the Chief Engineer at KOAS and KVGS.  Bill is the Chief Engineer of Lotus Broadcasting in Las Vegas.  And Troy is the Operations Supervisor / Maintenance Engineer at Sinclair Broadcast Group.

Jack Smith, KVVU Fox 5 will continue as Frequency Coordinator.  And Bill will continue as Certification Chairman.  

Ray's outlined his goals and focus as Chairman.  "GROW the membership, OFFER programs that relate to what we do daily and EDUCATE our owners and peers as to the SBEs purposes and benefits. Also to provide a place where the members and guest want to go to share and acquire information, camaraderie and once in a while just to have a good old Vegas time. Lets all look forward to sharing ideas with our group, lets have the courage to change what we need to and lets have the smarts to keep it as simple as possible."

On behalf of Andrew Hall and AMI Studios; and on behalf of Adam, Earlene, Monique, Gary, Adrienne and myself, we would like to welcome you to our newly reconstructed NBA web site.  You will find a more professional look, and easier to navigate links.  At the bottom of the Home Page you will find the Site Map and the six major categories.  We encourage your comments and suggestions.

In addition to the web site, beginning today the NBA increases communication through interactive Social Media, providing important opportunities to blog and comment.   Watch us grow!

BUDGET, FOUNDATION, SCHOLARSHIP, ABIP, DEBATES, STRATEGIC PLANNING AND GALA

HIGHLIGHT AUGUST 2010

The past four weeks have been a busy time for the Nevada Broadcasters Association.  Bob Fisher spent almost a week in Carson City holding meetings with a number of NCSA sponsors.  As a result, we now have several new public awareness NCSA campaigns that will begin airing next month and into 2011. 

With approval from the Executive Committee, the association has transferred our investments to a new broker.  Through the dedicated efforts of Adam Sandler, we have established the Nevada Broadcasters Foundation.  This new C-3 classification will give us the opportunity to do many new things as far as programming and fundraising.

The second meeting of the NBA Scholarship Committee was held.  Under the leadership of Linda Bonnici, we are moving forward.  If anyone is interested in serving on this committee, please contact Adam Sandler.

While in Carson City, Bob met with Adrienne Abbott.  Together, they outlined her upcoming Alternative Broadcast Inspection Program calendar for September - December.

The 2010 NBA Debate Schedule has been finalized.  Each debate will be produced at Vegas PBS and will be aired statewide on all interested television and radio stations.  There will be no cost to the stations for airing these debates.  Each debate will air live from 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM. Closed Captioning will be provided and the debates will be simulcast in Spanish.  For further information, please contact Adam Sandler.

Thursday, October 7, 2010    The Governor Debate

Thurday, October 14, 2010    The Senator Debate

These days as broadcasters, it sometimes seems hard to separate our issues -- and then know if what we are hearing and watching and reading is fact or fiction. The flow of information never stops and sometimes we don\'t really know who to believe and what to believe. NAB Strategic Planning Vice-President Chris Ornelas comes to Las Vegas at the end of this week.  The NBA Executive Committee returned from State Leadership in Washington, D.C. excited and enthused by the new NAB leadership. This Friday, you will learn why.  Nevada\'s broadcasters -- like all of America\'s broadcasters, seem to be entering into a \"Perfect Storm\". Broadcasters have every right to be concerned. We are facing live or die issues. Our President, the FCC Chairman, the FCC Commission and Congress all seem to now have an agenda that appears to be dangerously anti-broadcaster.

Three days from now, every general manager of a television and radio station should make every effort to attend one of the most important group meetings sponsored by the Nevada Broadcasters Association.  Chris Ornelas will sit down with our general managers and do critical strategic planning for the next Congress and beyond.

Concerned with Spectrum Reallocation ?  Concerned with Performance Tax ?  Chris is waiting to hear from you.  FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 2010.  12 NOON.  NBA BOARD ROOM.  LUNCH WILL BE SERVED.  

This Saturday night, beginning at 5:30 PM, 500 guests are expected to attend the Gala at Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa. 

On behalf of the Nevada Broadcasters Association, we would like to thank our board of directors, our staff, our stations, our volunteers and so many friends who helped to make this 15th Annual Gala a success.  Thank you for becoming sponsors, buying ads, purchasing tables and donating auction items.

We would like to thank Pat Wall and Audible Tsunami Productions for helping to restructure and bring innovation to this year\'s program.  We would like to thank Bob Cummings for volunteering his time to design the majority of the ads which you will find in both the Tribute and Program journals.  We would like to thank Bob and Trish Williamson who formed a partnership that set a fifteen year fundraising record for the NBA Gala.  We especially would like to thank Eric Bonnici whose auction fundraising commitment will ensure that the broadcasters scholarship named in honor of his brother and sister-in-law will continue to provide educational opportunities for Nevada students who want a career in broadcasting.

Last winter in Washington, D.C., the Executive Committee met together and voted to (1) endorse an NBA sponsored Governor Debate; (2) endorse an NBA sponsored Senator Debate; and (3) approved the expenditure of NBA budget funds to cover the entire cost of these two debates.  These debates will be provided at no cost to participating television and radio stations.  Immediate Spanish translation and closed captioning will also be provided.

Last week during an Executive Committee conference call, these NBA leaders reiterated the goals and objectives we hope to achieve by sponsoring what has already become the two major statewide debates of the 2010 Nevada General Election. All four major candidates -- Sharron Angle and Harry Reid; Rory Reid and Brian Sandoval have accepted our invitation to participate.  We have been in ongoing communication with each campaign staff..

What we have begun to do with each of the campaign staff, we are also about to do through a meeting of the NBA Board of Directors on June 29th. The purpose of the meeting is to receive input -- the sharing of ideas and recommendations as we begin to build consensus in order to finalize together the plans for the upcoming NBA sponsored debates.  In a letter that will be handed to each candidate we made our goals and objectives very clear:  "We want to move away from the editorials and political punditry; from the negative campaign commercials and press releases.  We want to present a positive discourse, giving you the opportunity to outline your positions on issues impacting Nevada / and this country."

Members of the Executive Committee believe that these two debates have the potential to be the most watched and listened to debates in the history of the state of Nevada.  We estimate participation at being between 50 - 60 television and radio stations.  We have already been contacted by C-Span who will air the debates nationally. By having the NBA produce these two debates, we are able to strengthen our lobbying positions for the legislative concerns that we all share -- both in Washington, D.C. and Carson City.  As "Switzerland", the NBA provides a neutral sponsorship,  demonstrating how we use our spectrum and provide community service.

The National Association of Broadcasters provides their political forms and election guide to the NBA.  We are happy to make them available to our member stations by request.  Contact Adam Sandler at 702 794-4994 to receive the material at no charge.

The Pillsbury (our longtime Washington legal counsel) "Political Guide" can be found on www.nevadabroadcasters.org  as a link in the calendar items for the opening of the political window.

Governor Jim Gibbons signed an executive order establishing the Nevada Crime Commission on June 3, 2010.  Today, at 2 PM the first meeting of this new commission will be held simultaneously at the Nevada State Capitol in Carson City and the Governor's Office in Las Vegas.  The Commission will be tasked with examining existing and emerging crime problems statewide and seeking innovative methods and solutions to combat those crimes.

Governor Gibbons -- who has always been supportive of the partnership and role that Nevada's broadcasters have with first responders and emergency providers, proudly signed the first-in-the-nation Broadcasters First Responder legislation into law at the close of the 2009 Legislative Session.  He also appointed Bob Fisher to serve on the Crime Commission.  

The Commission will face a full agenda today including:

*  Goals and Objectives

*  Open Meeting Law

*  Ethics in Government Law

*  Overview of the Crime Problem

*  Are Crime Boards and Commissions Meeting Their Purpose

A hearing of the Rural Communities Committee to the Nevada Commission on Homeland Security will be held in Eureka, Nevada at 8:00 AM on Tuesday, June 22, 2010.  The meeting -- which will be held at the historic Eureka Opera House, will be led by Bob Fisher, Chairman of the Rural Communities Committee.

This meeting is open to the public.  This will be an important meeting for the first responders and emergency providers in Eureka -- and neighboring Nye, White Pine, Elko and Lander counties.

The agenda will be highlighted by an open forum discussion on Homeland Security issues of interest to rural Nevada.  The intent is to hear the concerns and issues from rural Nevada for presentation by this committee to the Nevada Commission on Homeland Security.  Larry Casey, Commission staff member will report on the 2011 Homeland Security Grant Program, explaining the process and programs that make up the 2011 HSGP. Glade Myler, Senior Deputy Attorney General -- who oversees the Commission,  will address those legal issues that the public should consider; explaining NRS Chapter 239C and the organizational and legal issues that the Commission has faced.

For further information, please contact Larry Casey at (702) 486-0707.

At the invitation of Aaron Kenneston, Washoe County Emergency Manager, Bob Fisher will represent the Nevada Homeland Security Commission at a task force planning summit next week in Eureka, Nevada.  Bob will be joined by Larry Casey, Commission staff member and Glade Myler, Senior Deputy Attorney General -- who oversees the Commission.  The summit will be held at the Eureka Opera House and will be held from 10 AM - 4 PM on Tuesday, June 22, 2010.  As of this morning, school districts in nine Nevada counties will be represented at the summit as well as representation from the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe.  Nevada's Broadcasters remain the Voice of Homeland Security and the Voice of Community. 

The S.P.A.R.T.A.N Rural Task Force Summit will serve to identify issues unique to and specifically for rural, private, home and charter schools. Information related to the Project and integration of rural components into the planning process will also be shared.

S.P.A.R.T.A.N. (Schools Prepared and Ready Together Across Nevada) is a collaborative project that is an investment in our future Nevadas children.  This project will build capacity within each community across the state by bringing people together through emergency planning and preparedness.  Ultimately, S.P.A.R.T.A.N. will have a direct impact on safety and security for schools in Nevada.  This project will result in:

The development of a State Standard

Give School Districts guidance / develop training cadre

Districts will infuse plans / concepts into local Schools

Schools / Responders will in turn teach Students, Parents, Community

Private, Parochial, and Home Schools also engaged

This investment will provide years of benefits to schools in Nevada.

Tony and Linda Bonnici met together with Bob Fisher and Adam Sandler to begin the process of establishing the policies and procedures foundation for the NBA Scholarship Committee. The Bonnici's want a diverse group of community leaders and broadcasters to sit on what will be an important "working" committee. Their desire is for the allocation of several significant scholarships to a few deserving students, rather than allocate a nominal scholarship to many.  Their thought is to follow-through the college career of these students, and perhaps allocate another scholarship every year until they have graduated. They are looking for students who are graduating from a Nevada high school and who will attend a Nevada university, college or community college.  The committee will need to formulate criteria including whether financial assistance will be based on merit or need.  Tony and Linda would like to see personal interviews to determine if a student has a deep passion for broadcasting.  Linda has agreed to serve as chairman.  Bob and Adam will coordinate setting up internships at television and radio stations for these scholarship students.

Tony and Linda want statewide representation on the committee.  We currently have a nominal $20,000 in our scholarship fund, and hope to raise an additional $30,000 between now and the end of the year.  It is just the beginning, but with $50,000, we will be able to do something significant.  And with hard work, these broadcaster scholarships will be an important and permanent part of the NBA.

One half of the annual NBA Gala program has been missing for the past nine years.  After September 11, 2001, the NBA Board of Directors voted unanimously to end what had been a very successful six year NBA sponsored golf tournament. Nicknamed "The Broadcasters Cup",  the reason for the decision was based upon the uncertainty of the economy following 9-11.  The board felt that by not sponsoring a golf tournament, stations would be better able to provide stronger financial support for the Hall of Fame Dinner through the sale of ads and sponsorships; and stronger attendance through table sales.  The yearly tournament was always popular, attracting 80 golfers --broadcasters and advertising agencies from throughout the state;  as well as elected officials and community leaders.  Who will ever forget the tournament when then Nevada Secretary of State Dean Heller shot a drive ending less than six inches from the hole and missing what would have been the first hole-in-one in tournament history. There is a photo on display in the NBA office of the late entertainer Danny Gans, whose foursome ended as one of the top three teams the year he played.  An awards luncheon immediately followed each tournament; later that evening, the Hall of Fame Dinner was held.  The first four years, "The Broadcasters Cup" was played on the storied Desert Inn golf course; the final two years were played on the new Revere golf course.   

Now, NBA Board Chairman Thom Porterfield has raised the possibility of bringing back "The Broadcasters Cup".  The golf tournament would be played on Friday morning.  The dinner would then be held on Saturday night and the awards would be presented at the dinner.  The NBA would arrange for a special hotel rate for northern golfers who would be coming down for the weekend.  Brandy Newman -- who is experienced in planning successful golf tournaments has already volunteered to help with the planning.  It is Thom's feeling that what we have done for the dinner -- attracting 500 people last year, while providing more for less at an affordable price -- we can do the same for the golf tournament.  The NBA staff is going to do extensive research and will present our findings later this fall -- to both the Executive Committee for their recommendation; and the Board of Directors for their approval. 

We welcome your feedback.

NBA TO OFFER COMPLIMENTARY WEBCASTNavigating the FCC's EEO RulesBrendan Holland, Davis Wright Tremaine LLPTuesday, May 11, 2010 10 AM - 12 Noon The FCC's current Equal Employment Opportunity rules have been in place for nearly seven years, but now is not the time for broadcasters to coast on auto-pilot.  With annual EEO public file reports due for stations in Nevada  and the next broadcast station license renewal cycle just around the corner, stations need to make sure that they are familiar with the FCC's EEO rules and are taking all the steps necessary to ensure that they stay out of trouble.  EEO continues to be a hot issue for the FCC, and one that draws many fines from the Commission, both at license renewal time and in connection with the ongoing random EEO audits that the FCC conducts several times a year. With the changes in ownership, personnel, and hiring efforts that inevitably occur at Nevada stations over time, it is important that station owners, managers, and hiring personnel are on top of the FCC's rules.  We have accepted an invitation from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters who will provide a primer on the FCC's Equal Employment Opportunity rules.  The NBA will fully subsidize this webcast.  Among the highlights of the two hour session will be: (1) outreach required for the opening of jobs at the stations; (2) the non-vacancy related activities that stations should be engaging in; (3) and the record keeping requirements to make sure you keep all the necessary documents to support what the station did.  The goal of the session is to refresh your understanding of the rules, provide insight into the FCC's enforcement, guidance in the past few years, and highlight some common pitfalls.About The Speaker:

Brendan Holland is a communications attorney with the law firm of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP in Washington, DC.  He has been involved with broadcast stations and the broadcasting industry for over a decade. His practice primarily involves the representation of television and radio broadcasters before the Federal Communications Commission and encompasses all aspects of FCC regulatory practice, including rule making proceedings, licensing issues, auctions, transfers, and hearings and adjudications.  He regularly counsels stations regarding compliance with the FCC's indecency rules,DTV, EEO, sponsorship identification, payola, and children's television programming rules, among many others.  Mr. Holland represents broadcast clients before the FCC with respect to spectrum auctions, contested mergers, digital television transition issues, and radio and television licensing matters.  In addition, Mr. Holland has also represented clients before the Commission with respect to wireless services, unlicensed devices, and broadband over powerline systems.  Mr. Holland is also a contributor to DWT's BroadcastLawBlog.com, which chronicles issues relevant to the broadcast industry, including FCC actions, copyright issues, and industry news.

Registration Procedure:

Please contact Adam Sandler at the NBA office (702-794-4994 or adam@nevadabroadcasters.org to register.  This is a great learning opportunity provided to stations at no cost.