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The National EAS Test - Blink, And You'll Miss It

DToTheJ

DToTheJ

The FCC has confirmed that the national Emergency Alert System, scheduled to take place on Wednesday, November 9, with thousands of television and radio stations, as well as cable and satellite carriers expected to participate, will be dramatically cut in length. Instead of the originally scheduled three minutes, the test will now take place for thirty seconds.

Heaven forbid people miss "The Chew."

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/476150-FCC_Shortens_Emergency_Alert.php
 
Haven't you heard? Obama was going to schedule one of these Monday thru
Friday every week for the next year, all running between 12 and 3 Eastern. ;D
 
Channel 4 here in Nashville airs Access Hollywood a day late at 12:30 p.m. central time because it airs so early in the day, so I figure that if they run the EAS test immediately afterward, I won't see it until Thursday! ;D
 
Comcast made a point of 'instructing' its customers on 'powering down' their cable boxes, just in case the boxes got 'stuck' during the test and didn't switch back.
Personally, this whole thing sounded like it might have problems all along. Now, it's no different from any other EAS test.
 
Hmmm, I wonder if, after the Comcast boxes power back up after the test, they magically land on one of the NBC-owned stations as the default channel? ???

Oh, and I guess we won't hear much piping out of Rush for the test impacting his radio show (not that it would in the first place - TOH)...
 
DToTheJ said:
Hmmm, I wonder if, after the Comcast boxes power back up after the test, they magically land on one of the NBC-owned stations as the default channel? ???

Oh, and I guess we won't hear much piping out of Rush for the test impacting his radio show (not that it would in the first place - TOH)...
Click to expand...

Oddly enough, in the San Francisco Bay Area, the default channel is KRON, the former NBC affiliate(prior to 2001).
 
Now, how does this test apply to modern times?
There was no internet when it was first introduced.
What about those who are watching something on Hulu instead of using their television?

As times change, should services like HULU perhaps blend in and run the test as well?
What's the deal?
 
Don't worry, they'll shut off the internet first to make sure they get your attention to other media.

IP per se, will still probably work, but large swaths of what we see as a "commons area" like these forums
may no longer work, to better protect us.

A National emergency could be "too darned much connectivity between real people".

What if we somehow organized and required our elected officals to prosecute those responsible for
high financial crimes? Didn't Oakland decide that shutting down social media is an important
tool in controlling their local "unpleasantness"?
 
Awhile back, the feds entertained the thought of adding EBS / EAS chips and reception components into Walkmans, CD players, computers and other household appliances, but the concept never left the drawing board.
 
If I recall correctly, Bill Clinton signed something that required televisions to have a code recognition/instant-on/pretuned
methodolgy for an activation such as this. We'll see if it works.
Well, I won't personally.
I may just unplug the TV to prevent an "unintended turn-on occurance".
 
Very good point. The instant-on capability would obviously ignore normal tests, but since this one includes an actual EAN we'll see if they work.

Does anyone know if any sets came on automatically as a result of the two statewide EAN tests?
 
It seems like there have been more EAS tests on Charter lately in Jackson, TN, and everything else is blocked out at the time. But it seems like every time regardless of what channel I'm watching the test comes in right after going out of a block of ads and after the program has started back. It's like they can't interrupt the ads but the programs don't matter. ::)

Why can't they set it later where they're more likely to interrupt infomercials? "Don't forget that toll free number is BUUUUUZZZZZ!!!" ;D
 
azumanga said:
Awhile back, the feds entertained the thought of adding EBS / EAS chips and reception components into Walkmans, CD players, computers and other household appliances, but the concept never left the drawing board.
Click to expand...

I've heard the same things about MP3 players and phones
 
Would this be needed if players outside hazardous weather areas keep the civil defense sirens? Places inside tornado alley and hurricane alley still have them but NYC and LA have let them rot and no longer test them every first monthly Wednesday
 
onairb said:
Comcast made a point of 'instructing' its customers on 'powering down' their cable boxes, just in case the boxes got 'stuck' during the test and didn't switch back.
Click to expand...
Comcast has had trouble keeping the LOCAL EAS announcements & tests FROM CUTTING IN & OUT all year long here in Denver

The BIGGEST problem child channels I noticed have been 65 & 129 (Both MSNBC)

Cheers :D
 
onairb said:
DToTheJ said:
Hmmm, I wonder if, after the Comcast boxes power back up after the test, they magically land on one of the NBC-owned stations as the default channel? ???

Oh, and I guess we won't hear much piping out of Rush for the test impacting his radio show (not that it would in the first place - TOH)...
Click to expand...

Oddly enough, in the San Francisco Bay Area, the default channel is KRON, the former NBC affiliate(prior to 2001).
Click to expand...
Here in Denver, that distinguished honor belongs to Indie KCDO 3 which is odd considering that CBS O&O KCNC is the next one on the dial & KCDO is newsless. But this is offset by the fact that bulletin audio comes from KOA Radio talent

Cheers :D
 
ssetta said:
Just curious, is this going to be on radio as well as TV?
Click to expand...

Yes it is -- radio, TV and cable. The only radio not participating is NOAA Weather Radio, which has a different EAS protocol.
 
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