Coordinated EBS tests

[vchimpanzee]

Yesterday at 3, just after CBS News started on WBRF Galax, VA, the EBS signal went off and was more annoying than usual. Finally, a voice said it was a "coordinated" test for Roanoke area stations. I didn't try this but I wonder if would have aired on all Roanoke stations at once? That's what it sounds like it means. If this had been an actual emergency, the voice said, listing several types, we would have received instructions.

 

[K.M. Richards]

"Coordinated" means that the test message should have been received at all stations nearly simultaneously and that the stations were aware of the test beforehand, rather than having it come at a random unannounced time. The usual rules for retransmitting a test would apply (for example, most radio stations will air an EAS* test at the next commercial break and not interrupt programming) so I doubt it meant there would be a real-time all-stations broadcast.

It is likely this test was coordinated so that all stations in the area could verify that their equipment was working. The fact that it came at a time when appropriate station personnel could supervise such a test is another reason why that is likely.

The language at the end is pretty standard, as I'm sure you know by now from having heard the tests over the years.

* - BTW, EBS was renamed EAS back on November 29, 1997.

 

[vchimpanzee]

The language at the end is pretty standard, as I'm sure you know by now from having heard the tests over the years.

That was more detailed than any EAS test I've heard recently.

 

[K.M. Richards]

The language at the end is pretty standard, as I'm sure you know by now from having heard the tests over the years.

That was more detailed than any EAS test I've heard recently.

Here's a possibility: Perhaps the EAS close tones have usually come before that announcement and many stations have dumped out upon airing them. This coordinated test may well have caused some stations (like the one you were tuned to) to manually exit instead ... or perhaps everyone was asked to air that closing language for a change as part of the special test.

Only guesses, short of finding a management person who knows what went on.

 

[b-turner]

I know in my market the monthly test is rebroadcast either by delay at the first available stop set or via the 'automatic option' for unmanned stations while the weekly has only the chirps on most stations at a time of the station's choosing. The monthly has the tone like in the days of the EBS Test. If I recall the monthly uses the language "coordinated" test.

 

[bossbill]

Weekly test is supposed to be RANDOM. It is not regenerated. Every station must do one. The monthly test is generated by State, County, or region, and it is required that it be rebroadcast within X minutes, not at the first available stop set.

EBS used a two-tone system. The two-tone system has not been used for some time.

 

[K.M. Richards]

Weekly test is supposed to be RANDOM. It is not regenerated. Every station must do one. The monthly test is generated by State, County, or region, and it is required that it be rebroadcast within X minutes, not at the first available stop set.

EBS used a two-tone system. The two-tone system has not been used for some time.

None of that precludes a coordinated test for the purpose of checking that all stations' EAS equipment is functioning properly, if done in addition to the above. That was the purpose of that flawed nationwide test a couple of years back, and it did not replace any of the required weekly or monthly tests.

Again, I am only guessing as to what happened in the OP's market. Are you in a better position to know precisely what the circumstances are there? Is anyone reading this thread able to shine some light on that?

 

[K.M. Richards]

EBS used a two-tone system. The two-tone system has not been used for some time.

Guess what? Wrong.

The FCC yesterday granted a waiver of sections 10.520, 11.45 and 11.46 of the Commission’s rules to allow Twin Cities Public Television to broadcast a simulation of the EAS tones for a campaign on educating the public about EAS.

And -- just as I had remembered, and as b-turner said -- there is a footnote in the FCC notice which does reference the use of the old EBS tones during EAS transmissions (emphasis mine):
The EAS header codes are combined with a “Preamble” code and broadcast three times in short tonal bursts followed by the Attention Signal, which is broadcast for 8 seconds as a single, dual-frequency audio tone, consisting of the fundamental frequencies of 853 Hz and 960 Hz transmitted simultaneously. See 47 C.F.R. § 11.31(a)(2). The three tonal bursts comprised of the EAS header codes and Preamble code activate EAS equipment at the EAS Participants’ premises, thus initiating alert’s broadcast if the data contained in the codes is valid. See 47 C.F.R. § 11.33(a)(10).

It's footnote #12 in this document, if you want to verify.

 

[b-turner]

Random times for the weekly can be a station instantly running the weekly EAS following reception of the test from the primary station. When the EAS unit is set on automatic, the test or activation immediately happens at the conclusion of the primary's weekly test. While the weekly test might occur at random times originating from the primary station, the secondary, in the automatic setting, immediately broadcasts their own weekly. This is permitted for manned and unmanned facilities in our operational area but such a setting means the test interrupts programming and actually is encouraged but not required.