Federal agencies will conduct a first-time nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) today at 1 p.m. Central Time. Broadcast and cable television, radio and satellite radio stations are supposed to participate in the one-minute test, which will be conducted jointly by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Communications Commission and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The test, including the usual announcement that “This is a test,” followed by a data transmission test that will be heard as a series of electronic tones, is designed to ensure the public can receive critical information during emergencies. Separately, the government is working on an expanded emergency alert system capable of reaching new channels, including mobile phones.