The Broadcasters' Desktop Resource

Greetings from your broadcast friends out on the Desert…
This is BDR Newsletter 896, Volume 18, #12 for October 14, 2026

ABOUT THE NON-NATIONAL NPT
If you get and relay an NPT (National Periodic Test) tomorrow (Thursday) – and you are not in Puerto Rico – the test currently planned from the FEMA means your EAS receiver filters need some attention. (For those in Puerto Rico, you should get and relay the test.) Again, these are tests. 

Last week, the FEMA sent out an NPT test, with the Alaska code 002000 (More details here). However, reports from around the nation indicate that a significant number of stations relayed this test because their EAS receiver was set to relay any NPT regardless of the coding.

AN NPT THAT IS NOT NATIONAL?
Yes, while earlier NPTs where all destined for national feeds, the FEMA decided this year to do a pair of more focused tests, to ensure the system was ready and operated as expected. Testing is good! Additionally, there has been a desire to run more than one NPT in a year, partially to avoid seasonal weather issues. Being able to segment the NPT might help stations ensure each region/state can be  addressed as needed, much like the RWTs now being sent on Mondays.

DASDEC owners: the company has put some information together so you can make sure your configuration is correct. including a video showing the configuration page.

GIVING ATTENTION TO THE AUDIO SYSTEM
For many stations, there is an item of data that is very important: TSL, or Time Spent Listening. It has been long known that by adjusting the way audio is brought into and handled in the program chain, TSL can increase – or drop off. Going from unbalanced audio to balanced audio or using a chain of analog to digital (A/D) or reverse (D/A) conversions can lead to tune-outs, even if a casual audio check does not spot a problem.

This week Hank Landsberg from Henry Laboratories is our guest, to discuss how to best get audio into the program chain – and avoid audio degradation once it is ingested..

Join us Thursday at 2 PM Eastern / 11 AM Pacific for a live demonstration to see how it works and how it will help you. The link for our presentation is at www.theBDR.net/TLG/ We will also be on YouTube live and the video will be archived on the BDR Lunch Gathering page.

By the way, we do have a Tuesday Reminder list, if you wish to be reminded of each week’s program. Just reply to this email and ask!