On November 9, at 2 PM EST, FEMA will transmit the EAS code for national level emergencies to Primary Entry Point (PEP) stations in the national level of the EAS. The PEP stations will then rebroadcast the alert to the general public in their broadcast vicinity, as well as to the next level of EAS Participants monitoring them. This should continue through all levels of the system, until the national alert has been distributed throughout the entire country. 

This will only be a test.  Please do not panic when all radio and television stations simultaneously conduct this test tomorrow afternoon at 2 o'clock.  Find out more HERE.

Winter Music Conference (WMC) opened its 2012 season in South Florida today with the announcement of the Winter Music Conference 2012 dates. This will be the 27th annual program for what is largely regarded as the pre-eminent platform on the global music industry calendar for launching new music, technology and trends. Winter Music Conference Week 2012 happens March 16 – 25, 2012 in Miami Beach, Florida.

For 2012, WMC plans to further enhance the WMC experience by delivering ten non-stop days of music programming in Miami Beach and Miami. This expansion will wrap the program week with two full weekends of parties and events. WMC Co-founder, Bill Kelly, explains, "Expanding the WMC dates was an easy decision given the high demand of artists, businesses and industry delegates. Miami Beach and the greater Miami area boast some of the most celebrated event and club venues as well as the hotels and resorts that comprise South Beach's famed Art Deco District. Hotels, restaurants, cafes, shops and every sort of possible entertainment venue are filled to capacity during WMC Week to the point where five days just wasn't enough."

New for 2012, WMC will be unveiling correlated segments of its industry program dedicated to music and fashion on its opening weekend and indie rock meets electronica programming under the WMC Rocks header on the closing weekend, in addition to its standard programming and events. More details will be announced over the coming weeks.

Winter Music Conference 2012

• Music Meets Fashion: March 16 – 17, 2012
• DJ Sets, Live Performances & Parties: March 16 – 25, 2012
• WMC Music Industry Program: March 19 – 24, 2012
• WMC Trade Show & Exhibits: March 19 – 20, 2012
• Art & Record Collectors Show: March 24, 2012
• WMC Rocks: March 23 – 25, 2012
• Club & Poolside Events: March 16 – 25, 2012

Currently the WMC industry badge is being offered at a promotional Early Registration rate of $275 (over 40% off the Walk-Up rate) until October 26th, 2011. Registration includes access to panels, seminars, featured Q & A's, the 27th Annual IDMAs, WMC official poolside events, South Beach Sessions, Record Collectors Show, WMC Rocks, trade show & exhibits, workshops (with the exception of the Remixing and Editing Workshops), DJ Spin-Offs, VJ Challenge as well as complimentary or reduced admission to WMC official and sanctioned events for the full ten days of programming.

Marketing opportunities are currently discounted by 30% through December 16, 2011. The WMC registration office and housing bureau is currently open at www.WinterMusicConference.com. WMC is also accepting applications, inquiries and requests for panels and workshops, DJ Spin Off, VJ Challenge, showcasing and events.

The Radio Show will be held at the Hyatt Regency Chicago from September 14-16 and offers a multitude of benefits for radio professionals. Here are the top 10 reasons to attend the Radio Show this year:

10 - With more than 30 breakout sessions, three super sessions, an engineering track and multiple info sessions, this year's Radio Show is bursting with educational content and built on ROI!

9 - Steve Newberry, president and CEO of Commonwealth Broadcasting, will receive the National Radio Award and Dial Global's talk radio host Michael Smerconish will deliver a keynote address at the Radio Show Luncheon.

8 - The official Opening Night Party on Wednesday, September 14, will be held at the celebrated Angels & Kings club in the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago. Australian-born country music singer/songwriter Rick Caballo is scheduled to perform!

7 - The dynamic Marketplace will feature must-see exhibits offering wall-to-wall equipment and services that will help strengthen your business. The Marketplace will also be the hub for a variety of special events, where conference attendees will have the opportunity to network with key industry partners.

6 - The Leadership Breakfast will include a stalwart panel of radio's top CEOs discussing radio's financial opportunities for growth through operations, new technologies and acquisitions.

5 - Arbitron, Edison Research and Scarborough Research will present The Road Ahead: Entertainment and Information in the Car, an in-depth super session detailing the past, present and future of entertainment, information and communications in cars.

4 - Bob Pittman, chairman of Clear Channel Media and Entertainment Platforms, will present Total Radio, a super session covering the overall positioning of radio and how digital fits into the landscape.

3 - Eddie Combs, vice president and chief marketing officer, Home Appliances, Sears Holdings Corporation, will deliver a keynote address during the Advertiser Luncheon, which also features Radio Ink's Radio Wayne Awards for radio managers and sales professionals.

2 - Premiere Networks' syndicated radio host Elvis Duran will host the 23nd annual NAB Marconi Radio Awards Dinner & Show, which will include a performance by celebrated country music artist Ronnie Dunn.

1 - The Radio Show brings the best of the National Association of Broadcasters and Radio Advertising Bureau together in one place, creating a one-of-a-kind networking opportunity that anyone vested in radio simply can't afford to miss!

Visit RadioShowWeb.com and register today!

** See Dance Radio Network at the Radio Show last year.  Click HERE

Sponsor Organization: Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network
Campaign Website: ThinkB4YouSpeak.com
Volunteer Agency: ArnoldNYC

Almost 90% of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students report being verbally harassed at school because of their sexual orientation. LGBT teens experience homophobic remarks and harassment throughout the school day, creating an atmosphere where they feel disrespected, unwanted and unsafe. Homophobic remarks such as “that’s so gay” are the most commonly heard; these slurs are often unintentional and a common part of teens’ vernacular. Most do not recognize the consequences, but the casual use of this language often carries over into more overt harassment.

This campaign aims to raise awareness about the prevalence and consequences of anti-LGBT bias and behavior in America’s schools. Ultimately, the goal is to reduce and prevent the use of homophobic language in an effort to create a more positive environment for LGBT teens. The campaign also aims to reach adults, including school personnel and parents; their support of this message is crucial to the success of efforts to change behavior.

Brought to you in part by the Ad Council and your friends at the Dance Radio Network.

Your ability to shop where and when you want may depend on Congress passing a tax reform bill.  To protect neighborhood merchants, legislators are considering the Main Street Fairness Act.  Not a new tax, it's an increased effort to enforce an old one.  Right now, all purchases made online, like those in local stores, are subject to sales tax, but it's often not collected.  Learn more from the International Council of Shopping Centers at ICSC.ORG/MainStreetFairness.

This message brought to you by the ICSC, North American Precis Syndicate, and the Dance Radio Network.

This campaign was created with the Library of Congress in an effort to inspire young readers to become lifelong readers. The objective is to inspire fun and promote literacy in all types of learning. From books to magazines to comics, and in all its other forms, reading gives kids the opportunity to explore their imaginations, and "Explore New Worlds."

PSAs encourage viewers to visit read.gov, where the serialized The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is currently featured. The term "exquisite corpse" is not just some macabre part of the title, but a reference to the story's form. This wild mystery adventure is the product of multiple well-known children's authors; one writing one part of the story, before handing off to the next. New episodes are published online every two weeks.  

The campaign has also partnered with Universal Partnerships & Licensing and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company to develop PSAs featuring the iconic characters from the Curious George series. These ads encourage parents to read with their children and inspire them to become curious readers for a lifetime.

Brought to you in part by the Ad Council and your friends at the Dance Radio Network.

Betty Ford, the former first lady whose triumph over drug and alcohol addiction became a beacon of hope for addicts and the inspiration for her Betty Ford Center, died on Friday. She was 93.

The Betty Ford Center (BFC), previously the Betty Ford Clinic, is a not-for-profit, separately licensed residential chemical dependency recovery hospital in Rancho Mirage, California, which offers inpatient, outpatient, and day treatment for alcohol and other drug addictions as well as prevention and education programs for family and children. The Center was co-founded by former U.S. First Lady Betty Ford and Leonard Firestone in October, 1982. Mrs. Ford's decision to undertake such a project followed on the heels of her own battle with alcohol dependence and opioid analgesic addiction, and after her release from the Long Beach Naval Hospital, she pursued the goal of creating a treatment center that emphasized the needs of women.

If drinking or other substances interfere with daily living including your relationships and work performance, seek advice from professionals.  There are many reputable organizations, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, that help with these problems.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides links to some potentially useful resources HERE.

Brought to you in part by your friends at the Dance Radio Network.

Register now for the 21st annual DJ Expo to be held in Atlantic City.  The DJ Expo is a gathering of club, mobile, and radio disc jockeys including musicians and record labels to network, learn, and achieve.

The DJ Expo will host a series of workshops, panels, and seminars at the Trump Taj Mahal during August 8-11, 2011.  There are DJ competitions, contests, and awards show.  Several parties are scheduled including the much anticipated Promo Only/Pioneer party at the House of Blues (801 Boardwalk).  The event is free for all expo badge holders.

DJ Times Magazine is the expo sponsor.  DJ Times is a monthly publication that club and mobile DJs turn to as a source for products, technologies, news, information, and DJ interviews.  It has been published by Testa Communications since 1988.  Find out more at thedjexpo.com.

Sponsor Organization: United States Department of Agriculture
Campaign Website: ChooseMyPlate.gov

First Lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced this week the federal government’s new food icon, MyPlate, to serve as a reminder to help consumers make healthier food choices. MyPlate is a new generation icon with the intent to prompt consumers to think about building a healthy plate at meal times and to seek more information to help them do that by going to www.ChooseMyPlate.gov. The new MyPlate icon emphasizes the fruit, vegetable, grains, protein and dairy food groups.

ChooseMyPlate.gov provides practical information to individuals, health professionals, nutrition educators, and the food industry to help consumers build healthier diets with resources and tools for dietary assessment, nutrition education, and other user-friendly nutrition information. As Americans are experiencing epidemic rates of overweight and obesity, the online resources and tools can empower people to make healthier food choices for themselves, their families, and their children. Later this year, USDA will unveil an exciting “go-to” online tool that consumers can use to personalize and manage their dietary and physical activity choices.

Brought to you in part by your friends at the Dance Radio Network.

Sponsor Organization: Arthritis Foundation
Campaign Website: FightArthritisPain.org

Expanding waistlines, inactivity and increasing age are contributing to an arthritis epidemic that will impact the lives and wallets of all Americans. One in five adults in the United States (46 million people) has arthritis and an estimated 67 million people will be affected by 2030.

Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common type of arthritis, currently affects nearly 27 million people in the United States. But there are simple steps everyone can take to prevent and decrease the pain and disability of OA.

This new public service announcement (PSA) campaign features fun ways that people can integrate movement into their lives. The PSAs instill a sense of hope for those who have this disease by communicating that “moving is the best medicine.”

Brought to you in part by the Ad Council and your friends at the Dance Radio Network.