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Prime-Time Oddball EAS Snafu

jal41

jal41

I am asking this question here because it might have involved radio stations as well.

At 9:15 PM, Comcast ran an EAS test during primetime. For those with digital cable, the boxes freeze up and force-tune to the alert (analog viewers get a crawl over programming). When the boxes were released back to normal, I tuned around, and noticed that WATC/57 (Comcast Channel 2) was running an EAS crawl as well (seperate from Comcast).

The alert type was a Required Weekly Test. I say all of this because during Wednesday's Required Monthly Test from GEMA, the Comcast boxes froze up, but showed a couple of different channels in slow-motion rather than the test.

What I don't get is why the test was on WATC seperately from Comcast at the same time, unless something happened at the two Primary stations, WUBL (94.9 the Bull) or WSB-FM (B98.5).

Comcast and WATC should only be monitoring the Bull and B98.5, and no one else (other than NOAA Weather Radio) as per the state EAS plan. Also, a RWT from the primary station (or anyone else) is not suppost to be rebroadcast.

Also, Comcast should not be stupid enough to do an EAS test during prime time, even if they were fixing a problem.

This all doesn't add up. Anyone got any clue to all of this?
 
I see them in prime time ALL the time. and tonight's was particularly messed up, took 3 times as long, as if there was a glitch
 
The Nose said:
I see them in prime time ALL the time. and tonight's was particularly messed up, took 3 times as long, as if there was a glitch
Click to expand...

Why can't they just mandate a 3am to 5am window?
 
That would make the most sense. However we are dealing with a Government agency here. the almost NEVER come up with the solution that makes the most sense.
 
WATC's was probably co instance. All the broadcast stations have to run their own EAS test as well.
 
Plus, it's just an automated relay. The could've either a) scheduled a weekly test, or b) received a weekly test and the automated system just bounced it through.

I know when I was working at terrestrial stations, the test was programmed into the playlist during a commercial break. (For the time, I think the FCC requires random intervals, because the test was programmed at various times, just at least once a week.) The EAS system also had its own weekly test that the relay station didn't broadcast, but only through the EAS system. We just had to take the tape and attach it to the program log at the time we received it, and log the time.

Now, the MONTHLY test is a different puppy. It's supposed to be broadcast within five minutes (I think, I remember it was a short window, maybe even two minutes) of reception.

Nevertheless, like I said before, as more things are automated, this was probably just an automated relay.
 
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