Comcast tests the Emergency Broadcast System (or whatever it’s called nowadays) very frequently – seemingly more frequently than monthly. Or maybe they’re monthly, but they just broadcast them several times.
Anyway, we just had an emergency broadcast: ‘The National Weather Service has issued a HIGH WIND WARNING. Tune to channel 10 for details.’
Only the graphic says channel 8. And anyway, you can’t change the channel when the alert is on. And when I went to channel 10, there was nothing about a high wind warning.
Why can’t you change the channel to the specified one while the broadcast is happening? I mentioned this to a friend in L.A., and she said she was unable to change channels during the announcement to see about a flood warning.
I never understood why the damned thing needs to be tested so much anyway. It is just a tone followed by a message. There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot that can go wrong. If it works for 2 seconds, it should work for 2 minutes and there shouldn’t be any reason we have to listen to it for that long. Seems like they can just assume that the piercing scream will work and they could just keep a whistle and microphone handy at the station just in case.
Okay, you’re talking cable. My knowledge is broadcast, but let’s try.
These days it’s the EAS test for Emergency Alert System. There are required weekly tests in addition to the required monthly test so it’s not your imagination.
Our Chief Engineer says that when an EAS is carried over cable it locks in the channel so you can hear it all.
As for telling you to go to Channel 10 by giving you a graphic that says Channel 8?
??? This is just speculation but…
a) It could be a screw-up on the part of the cable company, or b) In broadcast there is a primary and secondary station designated by the FCC to handle emergency information. Perhaps one of those channels is the primary and the other is the secondary
IIR, the tone contains data. Does anyone know anything about that?
I never heard it stopped you changing channels!
Do they have pre-planned announcements for particular (expected) crises? That is, in Washington-Oregon-California they might broadcast something such as:
"We have just registered a large earthquake. The emergency services may be overloaded at this time. Do not make unnecessary telephone calls.
“Everyone should look around themselves and survey the situation, looking for sensible actions to take. Priorities are injury and fire prevention.
If you are in or near a weakened structure, move away from it. There may be aftershocks, or delayed collapses.
If you see a fire starting, please put it out immediately.
If there is a gas leak, bring a gas tool or pliers and go to the location where the gas pipes enter the building, and turn the valve to a right angle to the pipe.
If someone is injured, assist them as appropriate. Seek assistance of someone trained in first aid, if possible.
If someone is under debris of any sort, lift the debris off the person.
It may be desirable to have a long pry-bar, braces, rope, etc, to assist in a rescue.
Avoid fallen or disrupted electrical wiring. Avoid broken glass.
Survey your immediate family and neighbors. Assist the elderly, invalids, and injured according to their needs.
…”
I’ve gotten carried away here. It’s also hard to write this such that people won’t blame any subsequent dumb actions on the announcement, so maybe our esteemed authorities aren’t recording any such thing…
EAS and it’s predecessor the Emergency Broadcast System was established by Congress to allow the President to quickly address the entire nation over broadcast and cable networks in the event of a national emergency.
The essential idea is, should the President give the word, the “relay source” in each state will broadcast emergency tones. These are monitored by local primary (LP) stations in each state’s broadcast market, who then also broadcast the emergency tones. Every radio, TV, and cable head-end in the market (should they qualify to participate in EAS; this usually depends on size, but I should say that even 100-watt college radio stations are typically included) has a radio/TV dedicated to monitoring this LP station and special equipment to detect when the tone is broadcast.
An alert of some type (a light usually) turns on in an area where the broadcast/cable operator can be notifies, and the operator checks to see if this is one of the weekly tests or if there is an actual activation. If there is an actual activation, the broadcast signal is turned over to the key station, or a continuous message is broadcast intructing the listener/viewer to tune into the key station. For cable, the head-end must be able to interrupt programming on all channels in the event of an emergency and broadcast either the key station or an instruction for the viewer as to where they can find on-air information.
The system can also been used to broadcast local emergency information; local emergency officials, for example, have the authority to tell the LP to activate the system.
Personally, I thought the success of American Idol was in itself a sign of the End Times.
Watching American stations carried over Canadian cable networks, I sometimes see a scroll along the bottom of the screen and hear a lot of chirping sounds. Offhand, I can’t recall the last time I saw the “This is a test, this is only a test. MREEEEEEEPP!”
Hee! Remember the scene from War of the Worlds where…Tom Cruise and the kids are trying to escape from the tripods in the minivan. Earth is being taken over, all hell is breaking loose. We hear a test of the EBS come on over the radio. It ends with “If this had been an actual emergency…”
A few years ago, these EAS things went to our small town city hall, and someone there would read the required warning.
I happened to be home one day watching TV during the test. Aunt Bea of Mayberry forgotten to turn off the microphone for about 10 minutes after the test so viewers like myself were able to hear the chit chat, like where the city hall gang were planning to eat lunch, who had had a hot date last weekend and so forth. It was really funny.
