Editor’s note: In a haste to get this article out, we originally announced the incorrect date. It should be November 17, not 16. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
In a Public Notice issued today, the FCC has announced the 2026 National Periodic Test (NPT) of the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The test is scheduled for November 17, 2026 at approximately 2:20 EST with a backup date on December 3, 2026.
For those who are new to all of this, the NPT is coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the FCC which is intended to test the system that is utilized to be able to transmit a national emergency alert notification (EAN) from the President to be played over all broadcast stations.
This year’s NPT will require the filing of all three forms:
Form One (station information) is due on October 30, 2026.
Form Two (brief acknowledgement of NPT receipt) is due on November 19, 2026 at 2:20PM EST.
Form Three (detailed debrief of this year’s test) is due on January 18, 2027.
These dates will shift if a backup date is used.
At this time (September 16, 2026), REC has not announced a service offering to support NPT requests. REC is currently under serious resource bandwidth issues due to the upcoming FM Translator filing window. We will make an announcement, likely by the end of September.
For more detailed information on the National Periodic Test, see REC Advisory Letter #17. (updated September 16, 2026)
REC IS NOT ACCEPTING TELEPHONE INQUIRIES AT THIS TIME REGARDING THE NATIONAL PERIODIC TEST. ALL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE DIRECTED THROUGH EMAIL. Thank you for your understanding.