No More Amber Alerts

[MattParker]

What is the point of these !@#$ Amber Alerts? This evening I was watching a show (Tivo'd earlier) and the sound cut out, after several seconds there was several long blasts on some kind of horn. Then a cop on a phone line droned on reading the kind of announcement that would normally go on police radio. Then more blasts and more silence. Total time the audio was off: 1:45. My market covers parts of three states, so why is an out-of-state police bulletin on my cable system? The cop-dispatcher went on and on with a description and license plate numbers and all that Adam-12 stuff which I doubt anybody will remember. How many people will grab a pencil and write it all down as soon as they hear the horn blasts (same one they use for weather alerts but the Weather Service uses an on-screen crawl so you can still follow the program)? This is heard by people sitting at home, in the evening, watching TV. Even if they write all this stuff, who is going to spot this guy - even if he drives down your street? On top of that, this is the cops we are talking about. I don't trust them (especially this department which is noted for brutality and corruption scandals) and I'm not going to help them.

So, why is my show interrupted for this useless BS?

 

[musicman3355]

Your telling me... when my cable system activates an EAS it gives me a red screen with some disturbing staticy noise, saying "Tune to channel 6 for emergency message". I tune to channel 6 (which is QVC in my area), and guess what? No alert! How professional!

I think it is good for authorities to alert the public, but it's extremely useless when either the EAS cuts off the message or the audio is distorted. Or if the cable system screws up the EAS.

 

[gregg75]

I agree. You're sitting at home in your underware, what do they expect you to do, look out
the window and see if you see the car? There is not a lot you can do from your couch.

I can see putting such information on overhead signs or even radio, but TV should be exempt.

 

[azumanga]

The EAS is vital for broadcasting emergency information, but in terms of Amber Alerts on television, unless they leave the house to go somewhere, television is not a great medium, as it is not easily portable, unlike radio or overhead messaging (where available).

 

[searadiofreak]

Agreed, highway signs are the best media for this. Radio/tv no. In fact, most media outlets ignore them unless they are right in the immediate area. But, many times they are regional and most don't care. Add in the fact that many of these, (not all), are domestic disputes.

 

[DToTheJ]

I would rather endure an Amber Alert than another commercial with Flo, the shrieky Progressive Insurance lady. At least Amber Alerts are useful!

@Matt - Who's your cable provider?

 

[MattParker]

I would rather endure an Amber Alert than another commercial with Flo, the shrieky Progressive Insurance lady. At least Amber Alerts are useful!

@Matt - Who's your cable provider?

Somehow they never do stuff like this during commercial breaks, even when it's just a crawl.

@DJ: FIOS. And how do you think Amber Alerts on TV are useful? I can see road signs. Radio. Even emergency text messages to all cell phones in an area. Why TV? Weather alerts are different (sometimes). The storm comes to you. But do you, or anybody, stop watching and go out and try to catch the perp?

 

[firepoint525]

I remember watching local TV news during a storm about five years ago, looking for information about storms in my area, when the cable system (Comcast) interrupted the news coverage to announce a watch or warning that wasn't even in my area, and didn't affect me! The news coverage was of areas that affected me, so needless to say, the interruption was definitely NOT appreciated, Comcast!

 

[Markxxx]

Amber alerts are not meant to be active, but rather passive. In otherwords no one expects you to look for the child, but it just serves to tell you, if you're out and you see something that looks "off," keep this in miind.

In today's society it's hard to hide, but for someone like me, I wouldn't recognize a child from an amber alert, unless the kids walks up to me and says "I've been kidnapped."

It may also help that others who know the child, may not know he/she is being taken. If a father takes his child, he may have the legal right to do this. So his whole apartment building or neighborhood, will see daddy and junior and think nothing of it. But if he takes junior and fails to return the kid, well then the neighborhood will know.

I don't know if they're helping or hurting, I know I certainly don't pay attention to them, but the point is they are meant to be passive alerts. In othewords, don't take action, but keep it in the back of your head, type of thing

 

[azumanga]

Amber alerts are not meant to be active, but rather passive. In otherwords no one expects you to look for the child, but it just serves to tell you, if you're out and you see something that looks "off," keep this in miind.

Agreed, but still, do we need the EAS to announce Amber Alerts? Most people watch their local news on television. Most people have e-mail. Most people have cellphones. Most people have access to websites. Many also read newspapers. While the EAS does bring immediancy, in some cases, it can also mean overkill.

 

[musicman3355]

The only thing the EAS is mainly useful for is NWS alerts. Even if the audio is distorted the EAS scroll does tell you the warning and counties affected...

 

[Yeziknoradio]

The thing I like about the Amber alert system is that Canada has a Sim Sub to block them out.

So, if you're one of those that's into little kids, remember, Canada is your friend.

The Sim Sub will block out all American Amber alerts. You're safe to quickly round up a kid and sneak him or her into Canada. YOU WILL BE SAFE THERE.

By the time the missing kid makes it to the 11pm Canadian newscast, that could be tomorrow's news.
(if at all...)

SAD BUT TRUE.

 

[azumanga]

The thing I like about the Amber alert system is that Canada has a Sim Sub to block them out.

By the time the missing kid makes it to the 11pm Canadian newscast, that could be tomorrow's news.
(if at all...)

However, if an Amber Alert interrupts a program not being simsubbed, it will still get through on that station, if that station participates in the scheme. Also, the local and national newscasts from the American stations will still get through -- the only time they are blacked out is if they cover a Canadian court case.

And don't forget CNN, HLN and Fox News -- they're available in Canada, too.

Simsubbing applies only if a Canadian and US station carries the same episode of the same program at the same time. See:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simultaneous_substitution

 

[Yeziknoradio]

CNN HLN and FOX are all national stations. Do they do LOCAL Amber alerts?

I still say a child can be smuggled into Canada on a night where the Sim Sub is up and running on all the major networks.

They really should shut down the sim sub during an amber alert regardless of who might already be carrying it.

(BUT THEY WON'T! )

 

[BRNout]

CNN HLN and FOX are all national stations. Do they do LOCAL Amber alerts?

I still say a child can be smuggled into Canada on a night where the Sim Sub is up and running on all the major networks.

They really should shut down the sim sub during an amber alert regardless of who might already be carrying it.

(BUT THEY WON'T! )

Kids get sneaked out of town when local amber alerts are sounded too. Lots of them get away. Your comments definitely overestimate the effectiveness of the public face of the Amber alert. Now, getting that info out to law enforcement at a moment's notice is a very important thing to do and that should be part of this program. Far more useful than scaring everyone with a TV or radio with the EAS tone. And, it's law enforcement that usually spots the perps/kids anyhow. If there's any reason to think that the kidnapping will involve a border crossing, believe me that Canadian authorities (Immigration Canada, etc.) will be notified to watch the border. Whether a show is sim subbed or not makes absolutely no difference.

Look, in theory the Amber alert is a swell thing to do. But the reality is that the Amber alert cheapens the EAS concept. It should be toned down for inclusion mainly on highway signs or a QUIET crawl on local TV. But not as an EAS message, that was never what EAS was meant to do. It's overkill. Especially considering that more than 80% of these cases are parental "abductions" associated with custody disputes.

 

[azumanga]

CNN HLN and FOX are all national stations. Do they do LOCAL Amber alerts?

No, but they will cover missing children and child abductions if they are high-profiled enough.

...getting that info out to law enforcement at a moment's notice is a very important thing to do and that should be part of this program. Far more useful than scaring everyone with a TV or radio with the EAS tone.

It should be toned down for inclusion mainly on highway signs or a QUIET crawl on local TV. But not as an EAS message, that was never what EAS was meant to do. It's overkill.

At the least, the EAS should be modified for Amber Alerts, like using a beeping tone used for weather alerts on TV stations (or even use no tone at all). Of course, the "duck farts" that open and close the EAS messages have a purpose, as they are used for automated equipment and newer weather radios to relay the message. But even here, it should be quieted down or hushed up unless there is a real emergency, in a way that only the equipment can "hear" the tones.

But nevertheless, using the EAS for a tornado warning that can claim thousands of lives is much different than using it for an Amber Alert, in which only one life is at risk (if at all).