The FCC today proposed a $272,000 fine against CBS Broadcasting for the April 12, 2018, episode of the sitcom Young Sheldon that included a simulated Emergency Alert System tone.
As the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau made clear in an Enforcement Advisory last month, broadcasting actual or simulated alert tones during non-emergencies and outside of proper testing or authorized public service announcements is a violation of the commission’s rules and a serious public safety concern. The FCC recently reached settlements with ABC, AMC, Discovery, and Meruelo Radio regarding the unlawful broadcast of actual or simulated alert tones.
On April 12, 2018, CBS transmitted an episode of Young Sheldon via at least 227 television stations, including 15 of CBS’s owned-and-operated television stations. The episode included a sound effect accompanying a tornado warning, which the producers modified, but still audibly resembled actual EAS tones.
