The oldest and most well-known enthusiast relay network is joining the GWES family, turning a new page in the program’s history. Starting Jan 26, the Nationwide Encoder Relay Program (NERP) has merged its operations into the Global Weather & EAS Society’s EAS Relay Network (GWES ERN).
NERP has a long history within the EAS community, being the first relay program for enthusiasts to join. The program started back in 2019.
“It will give NERP participants access to ERN’s growing library of internal resources,” said ERN Network Participant manager Don Kinney. “It will bring a better sense of community, as well as encourage better interaction between participants. It will also bring an increase in activity to the network. Alert flow through the program will increase as well as add to our nationwide coverage.”
NERP and GWES agreed to merge the two programs due to dwindling activity within NERP, breathing new life into internet radio stations participating within NERP.
In this merge, GWES has agreed to allow any existing NERP participants to become a participant in ERN, bypassing the usual application process.
With this merge, existing participants now enjoy the benefits of GWES ERN, including, but not limited to:
- In-house CAP server, compatible with commercial EAS units
- Centralized Icecast streaming/monitoring server
- Customizable EAS logging software
- “Hub-and-spoke” network design, allowing for maximum flexibility and minimal regulations
If you would like to listen to GWES ERN stations, you can find them all by clicking here. To fill out an application to join the network, join our Discord server. You can find the application within the #join-the-network channel.
To close out this chapter of history in the EAS community, here is a statement from NERP owner Evan Vander Stoep:
“Proudly representing NERP, a group shaped by Nick and past participants. Over the last 5 years, we’ve gained friends and opportunities. With the advancements in EAS through IPAWS, it’s time to evolve from traditional relay chains being the only method relay programs utilize. Ultimately, the EAS community is about personal enjoyment, a fondness for the old SAME encoding technology still being used in present day. Here’s to embracing the future together!”