EAS- SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS

[KPLEXCOMPLEX]

Last friday severe weather was in the dfw area. A friend of mine was working their shift,when the eas went off warning of a tornado, later a severe storm,then flash flooding. Only the headers were heard over the air,not the NWS message. They notified the PD. The Pd said they established that only Tornado warnings would override programming,everything else would not. When the program takes a break then read the other warnings. This supposedly was agreed to by the engineer!!!

Excuse me if I am wrong but isn't a WARNING ( not watch) suppose to be broadcast immediately,including overriding a program?

Is the "Ken Baker " at Warm 97 syndrone now a standard rule?
For those who don't know. Ken was an announcer at warm 97 in the late 80's when a tornado warning was issued. He interupted a song to announce it.The PD chewed him out for reading it,and said "we are a music station,not a news station". Ken quit afterwards.

 

[OKCRadioGuy]

The government doesn't require ANY weather warnings. (you'd think they would, but the gov't is foolish) It sounds as if the engineer might have something set improperly on the EAS box, or there is something wrong with it.

Good luck!

;D

 

[Robert Bass]

Yes, unfortunately this is correct. Stations are not “required” to use the EAS system for any weather bulletins, be it watches or warnings. It is up to the station as to whether or not to use it for weather bulletins.

What really gets my panties in a bunch, is when NOAA issues a weather warning, WBAP doesn’t forward it with the same header code! What’s up with that??? ??? This causes stations monitoring NOAA and WBAP to broadcast the same alert twice!

R

 

[Kent]

The state EAS plan dictates what the LP's will forward, and what the other stations send is up to them. Most of the stations I've worked for that aren't LP's don't forward any EAS messages unless they're running unattended. In most states, the LP-1 must forward Tornado Warnings, Flash Flood Warnings and Blizzard Warnings. The TAB has the Texas plan at its website (http://www.tab.org).

 

[PaulBWalkerJr]

However, I do think.. even though stations aren't required to air alerts, they MUST conduct RWT's and RMT's...

 

[KPLEXCOMPLEX]

So stations aren't required to warn the citizenry of an approaching danger,or civil emergency. So why bother with having an EAS,and the required monthly/weekly tests? Its having it both ways. In "the day" alerts were broadcasted immediately,Of course then stations served a local community of its license. I suggest one should purchase a weather radio to go along with that new ipod,home theatre,and sony three or just use the "SAP" channel on ch.8 ( accept during the news and some abc primetime programming when its spanish) when "it appears" a storm is approaching.
What's the need for an FCC?" Funded by Clear Channel?

 

[Robert Bass]

Stations “should” warn the public about these things. But they are not required to use the EAS system to do so. Take KRLD for example, they have never used EAS to report on the weather. Instead it’s always been Brad Barton talking over some sort of beeping tone. RMT’s and RWT’s are the only local requirements, but the equipment is supposed to be used in the event of a national emergency when the President needs to address the nation, etc.

Personally the only thing I like about the EAS is the fact that the system automatically prints each event, unlike the days when we had the EBS. But I also think neither system is the best way to go. I can’t stand the “duck farts” that those EAS boxes emit. :

R

 

[PaulBWalkerJr]

LOL Robert, I'm glad I'm not the ONLY one who refers to them as "duck farts".

When I first used that term when talking to the broadcast engineer at my station here, he looked at me weird.

 

[KPLEXCOMPLEX]

Ya know its really dumb to have a PD/OM decide when and how to issue an emergency. It should be mandatory fo rthe eas to overide with warnings not watches. I wonder how many individuals were out running errands,going home,or out of towners visiting that had the radio on,but didn't know a twister or flash flooding was entering their location due to some PD's wise idea not to air it.

 

[Kent]

Ya know its really dumb to have a PD/OM decide when and how to issue an emergency. It should be mandatory fo rthe eas to overide with warnings not watches. I wonder how many individuals were out running errands,going home,or out of towners visiting that had the radio on,but didn't know a twister or flash flooding was entering their location due to some PD's wise idea not to air it.

While I have my share of problems with the EAS and how it's used, I have to disagree with your statement, at least when a station is attended. I've received far more complaints from listeners for airing EAS messages than for not. In fact, the only times I've ever received complaints for not talking about weather have been when there have been no warnings issued and someone was mad their car got damaged or something of the like. When I've worked for LP's (about the only stations that ever air EAS alerts), I've gotten far more complaints like, "Why don't you just talk about the weather rather than let that stupid robot tell me about it?" or, "Why don't you just tell me there's a flash flood warning rather than play that annoying buzzer. It really disturbs me when I'm trying to go to sleep!!"

When someone is present, the radio stations themselves will almost always do a better job of alerting the public than the EAS. I've never worked at a station that hasn't announced severe weather warnings as a matter of policy, and every station I've ever worked at has announced them multiple times during the 45 minutes they're in effect. The EAS will just run them once and may even delay airing them for up to 15 minutes. In other words, if a station is unattended or decides to use the EAS instead of letting the announcer talk about the weather, hopefully, you weren't in the store when that tornado warning went out. Otherwise, you'll never hear it and won't know a tornado is expected until you have to duck and cover in a ditch!

Keep in mind that the EAS was designed to be less a system for alerting the public than a system for disseminating information to those who have the ability to alert the public. My experience with the old EBS was that even it was seldomly used for weather alerts by anyone other than the CPSC's (the old version of the LP's). Both were more of a way to alert the stations, the highway patrol, etc. that there was a potentially important warning than to be the only alert for the public.

 

[PaulBWalkerJr]

Here's how EAS works at the stations I've worked in the past.

Station #1: I conducted every legally required test and if it was severe weather affecting my area.. I aired ever siongle alert for Brevard County.

Station #2: We aired every test and any watch/warning for our area in The Williston Bason was aired automatically.

Station #3: I'm the OM here...we air every test and watch/warning/alert...

 

[johnqdoe]

If you broadcast every single warning, you'd have nothing BUT weather on a day like last Friday. Tornado warnings are a bit more important than the other warnings. The warning generates automatically...then I mention the tornado warning every break after that until it expires....Not so much with severe Tstorm or FF warnings.

 

[PaulBWalkerJr]

Ok, maybe I shouldnt say every warning, but then again.. i've been "blessed" that i dont live in an area threatened with bad weather all the time./

 

[Robert Bass]

I would only use EAS for the weather warnings, not the watches.

Don't get me started on severe weather approaching during Friday night high school football either. I've had nights where weather warnings are a constant game b-cast interruption.

That's what ticks me off so much about WBAP not using the same header codes as NOAA. Sometimes I just have to leave the box in auto forward, and it's stupid when we end up b-casting the same warning from two different sources!

NOAA is usually faster in those cases.

R

 

[KPLEXCOMPLEX]

Kent and I disagree. That's the problem with deregulation,we forget the station is licensed to serve its community,not the advertiser. I am reminded when Troy over at Ch.8 in a rare moment got very disgusted in 1980 when he had to interupt a "Barysnikov" ballet special to inform the populace that a tstorm packing 90 mph with basebale size hail was entering Arlington,and Irving. He got calls from folks in Highland Park and North Dallas complaining about interupting the special. He went on saying they(WFAA TV) was obligated to inform ALL OF ITS viewing area of an dangerous situation. Pardon me,but isn't flash flood,t-storm,tornando,ice storm WARNINGS( NOT WATCHES) messages of emminent danger? Since deregulation,there are more and more 'warm bodies" in front of a board with bare minimum training than ever before. To them they hear an eas ,they log it ,not re-transmit it,nor read it over the air,because they were trained not to interupt a program OR wait for a break. In sporting events that break could be at least 20 min after the warning first sounded. In some cases the board op is NOT allowed to open the mike..period. Meanwhile Irving mall's south entrance was being.blown out by a 100 mph gust and baseball size hail was hitting the appliance section inside Sears. The overide is needed.

 

[TheLaffer]

Kent and I disagree. That's the problem with deregulation,we forget the station is licensed to serve its community,not the advertiser. I am reminded when Troy over at Ch.8 in a rare moment got very disgusted in 1980 when he had to interupt a "Barysnikov" ballet special to inform the populace that a tstorm packing 90 mph with basebale size hail was entering Arlington,and Irving. He got calls from folks in Highland Park and North Dallas complaining about interupting the special. He went on saying they(WFAA TV) was obligated to inform ALL OF ITS viewing area of an dangerous situation. Pardon me,but isn't flash flood,t-storm,tornando,ice storm WARNINGS( NOT WATCHES) messages of emminent danger? Since deregulation,there are more and more 'warm bodies" in front of a board with bare minimum training than ever before. To them they hear an eas ,they log it ,not re-transmit it,nor read it over the air,because they were trained not to interupt a program OR wait for a break. In sporting events that break could be at least 20 min after the warning first sounded. In some cases the board op is NOT allowed to open the mike..period. Meanwhile Irving mall's south entrance was being.blown out by a 100 mph gust and baseball size hail was hitting the appliance section inside Sears. The overide is needed.

I like the way the Wolf handles alerts. Very simple. Briefly The jock reads some info about incoming storms. If a Tstorm or Tornadso Warning is issued a wx intro comes on short and sweet and the jock reads the warning. Boom it's all over in 30 seconds. You get the info out without pissing people off with long drawn out reads. I hear people on KLUV, KSCS and a few others go on and on and on and many times they have no idea what the hell theyre saying! I HAVE heard some music stations put people on the air that's caught in the middle of a flash flood, or a Tornado/Severe tstorm, that can be entertaining and informative.

 

[johnqdoe]

Kent and I disagree. That's the problem with deregulation,we forget the station is licensed to serve its community,not the advertiser. I am reminded when Troy over at Ch.8 in a rare moment got very disgusted in 1980 when he had to interupt a "Barysnikov" ballet special to inform the populace that a tstorm packing 90 mph with basebale size hail was entering Arlington,and Irving. He got calls from folks in Highland Park and North Dallas complaining about interupting the special. He went on saying they(WFAA TV) was obligated to inform ALL OF ITS viewing area of an dangerous situation. Pardon me,but isn't flash flood,t-storm,tornando,ice storm WARNINGS( NOT WATCHES) messages of emminent danger? Since deregulation,there are more and more 'warm bodies" in front of a board with bare minimum training than ever before. To them they hear an eas ,they log it ,not re-transmit it,nor read it over the air,because they were trained not to interupt a program OR wait for a break. In sporting events that break could be at least 20 min after the warning first sounded. In some cases the board op is NOT allowed to open the mike..period. Meanwhile Irving mall's south entrance was being.blown out by a 100 mph gust and baseball size hail was hitting the appliance section inside Sears. The overide is needed.

I like the way the Wolf handles alerts. Very simple. Briefly The jock reads some info about incoming storms. If a Tstorm or Tornadso Warning is issued a wx intro comes on short and sweet and the jock reads the warning. Boom it's all over in 30 seconds. You get the info out without pissing people off with long drawn out reads. I hear people on KLUV, KSCS and a few others go on and on and on and many times they have no idea what the hell theyre saying! I HAVE heard some music stations put people on the air that's caught in the middle of a flash flood, or a Tornado/Severe tstorm, that can be entertaining and informative.

The music jocks aren't weathermen and shouldn't try to be when warnings fire off. Personally, I'd stick with JUST the tornado warnings overriding. FF, and sever T'storm warnings are certainly important....but the area is used to severe weather and SHOULD know what to do when it hits. A severe thunderstorm is just that...a severe thunderstorm. It's gonna rain like hell, the wind is gonna blow like hell, and you may get your car dented by hail. If there's a system moving thru the area strong enough to produce a severe T'storm, chances are the audience KNOWS the bad weather is happening. The tornadoes that pop up from these thunderstorms are different matters. They need to be broadcast immedietly. Maybe I'm giving Joe Blow listener too much credit here...but as a guy that's grown up and lived most of my life in Texas, I know the drill when it comes to the storms.

 

[Robert Bass]

Which explains why drivers who should know better than to drive through flooded areas, do it anyway.

 

[eatspaste]

Station #3: I'm the OM here...we air every test and watch/warning/alert...

Each part of the country has its own definition of what severe weather is, but I would think that if you tone-out every watch that's issued, you're doing more harm than good (depending on what size audience you have). In my opinion, if you run tones for every watch, people will eventually get tired of hearing them; it just becomes background noise.

Ask yourself, is a winter storm watch (for a potential snowstorm 36 hours away) an "emergency" situation?

 

[PaulBWalkerJr]

Ok, I got my terminology a little confused, so please accept my apologies.

if I feel the "watch" is important enough, I will air it.
in most cases, if theres a warning coming thru and it directly affects my listeners in some fashion, i will air that.. with discretion.