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Emergency Alert System

At about 1:55 pm today continuing for several minutes, all channels on all my set-top boxes were displaying EAS on the front panel and the TV's were seeing an "Emergency Alert System" test message that said this was a required periodic test.I have seen this happen at one channel only at various times but never on all channels at the same time. How often are such tests performed? Is it a Federal Law or do all networks do that on their own or was done only by Verizon FiOS?

I was watching a news program and they were in the middle of a discussion about terror threats and then this "Emergency Alert System" appeared on all channels so I was momentarily concerned until I realized it was only a test.

Comments

Alisongoldfrapp

It is a federal regulation that all broadcasters in the US must adhere to.

In this case, the cable company, FiOS, received the EAS test signal and was required to broadcast it.

Usually they do this in the early morning if it was a test, so that is strange.

jtarheel

Yea, I get those weekly alerts. Sometimes 2 or 3 nights in a row.

I guess if one station broadcasts an alert then the cable co. may be required to send it out all across the board.

Carl

The last time we received an EAS message it lasted for one hour. Next time that happens, I am calling in! 🙂

js2317

I completely understand how the EAS system can be triggered when expanding the Fios service area. However - riddle me this - how do you justify the EAS system changing channels to something completely different and then holding the DVR hostage? And then this happens multiple times in an hour? and then changing the channel to something pornographic? Who is running the show at 400 EST in the morning? College dropouts? Never have I been so embarassed as what happened when the EAS system took over my system the other morning while watching Red Eye, and having my girlfriend exposed to such trash.

Ugh. Hope this never ever happens again.

Mad_T_I

Emergency Alert System Test.

11-9-11 2pm EST, Federal Emergency Management Agency (‘FEMA’) first nationally announced date and time for a test of the “Emergency Alert System” on a Federal level was a failure. I have ‘Fios’ and was watching a ‘DVR’ program, recording to the ‘DVR’ and was not interrupted for this “First National Test of the Emergency Alert System.”

Verizon says they have no control of FEMA's “Emergency Alert System” testing. And it seems that no one has control of the testing.

What I mean by an interruption, the “Fios Box” should have stopped any and all programs being recorded, stops the playing the ‘DVR’ program you are watching and any ‘live’ program. The “Fios Box” runs only the “Emergency Alert System Test” on all channels, then drops you in the last ‘live’ channel you were on with an interruption or lost of about a 1 min. on ‘live’ channels and about 1 min. on recorded programs.

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I live in Los Angeles County. I receive uncoordinated and unannounced tests of the “Emergency Alert System” from five Counties. Each one is independent from each other. This means each one of the 5 county runs their own uncoordinated and unannounced test of the “Emergency Alert System.” The counties are: Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County Riverside County and Ventura County. The counties run weekly and /or monthly uncoordinated and unannounced test of the “Emergency Alert System.”

I am half way threw Oct. 2012 and have had 16 uncoordinated and unannounced test of the “Emergency Alert System” for the month.

Below is a list of recorded programs interruption by “Emergency Alert System Test” to date for the month of October 18, 2012:

10-4-12 Thu 5:13am Antiques Roadshow, 188 - Ovation
10-4-12 Thu 5:16am Antiques Roadshow, 188 - Ovation

10-9-12 Tue 4:38am Antiques Roadshow, 188 - Ovation

10-11-12 Thu 12:23am Attack of the 50 ft. Cheerleader 395 - Epix
10-11-12 Thu 12:23am Dead of Night, 230 - TMC

10-11-12 Thu 2:42am Terror Trip, 870 - SHO2 HDw
10-11-12 Thu 2:42am In America, 920 - Max HD

10-14-12 Sun 1:10am In Bruges, 929 - ATMAX HD

10-15-12 Mon 10:14pm The Brokaw Files, 125 - Milty

10-16-12 Tue 5:04am Ghosts of Goldfield, 388 - TMCxtr w
10-16-12 Tue 5:05am Ghosts of Goldfield, 388 - TMCxtr w

10-18-12 Thu 2:32am Monte Carle, 908 - HBOcom HD
10-18-12 Thu 2:32am The Plague of the Zombies, 230 - TCM

10-18-12 Thu 10:23am Antiques Roadshow, 188 - Ovation

10-18-12 Thu 1:25pm Commanders at War, 125 - Milty

10-18-12 Thu 4:22 pm C.I.A. Secrets, 125 - Milty

On October 18, 2012, I had 5 uncoordinated and unannounced test of the

“Emergency Alert System.”

Uncoordinated and unannounced test of the “Emergency Alert System” for

June - September 2012 was from 8 to 13 interruptions each month.

Is our country at a war and these test must be done or what ? ? ? ? ?

************************************

Mad_T_I

November 11, 2012

I live in Los Angeles County. I am subject to at least 5 counties each month running their own uncoordinated and unannounced test of the “Emergency Alert System.”
This interrupts all channels: Stopping recorded programs and interrupts what I am curently watching.

Uncoordinated and unannounced test of the “Emergency Alert System” for
October 19, 2012 - October 31, 2012

10-21-12 Sun 1:10am Pulp Fiction 905 - HBOsighDw
10-21-12 Sun 1:10am Ghosts of Goldfield 887 - TMCxtr HD

10-26-12 Wed 11:50pm Ultimate Weapons 125 - Milty
10-26-12 Wed 11:50pm Spirits of the Dead 230 - TCM

10-25-12 Thu 4:26am Fortress 928 - WMAX HD

10-27-12 Sat 7:21pm Weapons Of W W 2 / Sands of Iwo Jima 1949 John Wayne 125 - Milty

10-28-12 Sun 1:10am Goin’ Back - Iwo Jima 125 - Milty
10-28-12 Sun 1:10am The Tempest 865 - Sho HD

10-29-12 Mon 10:32pm Elizabeth 1998 188 - Ovation

Is our country at a war and these test must be done or what ? ? ? ? ?

Carl

Mad_T_I

Thanks for this. I get the same EAS as you do, as I live in Orange County. It does get exteremly annoying.

It is worse for me, as I use Windows Media Center and there is a bug where I have to restart WMC every time to clear the bar (known MS Issue).

Hubrisnxs

the EAS scares the crap out of my two year old 😞

Mad_T_I

November 20, 2012
I live in Los Angeles County. I am subject to at least 5 counties each month running their own uncoordinated and unannounced test of the “Emergency Alert System.”

The “Emergency Alert System Test” (EAS) interrupts all channels,
Stopping recorded programs and Interrupts what I am currently watching.

Uncoordinated and unannounced test of the “Emergency Alert System” for
November 1, 2012 - November 15, 2012

11-1-12 Thu 2:02am Cracks 867 - ShoShc HD
11-1-12 Thu 2:02am Katie Morgan’s Quiz Show 901 - HBO HD w

11-2-12 Fri 10:12pm The Grudge 926 - ThrMax HD

11-4-12 Sun 1:10am Infamous Assassinations 125 - Milty
11-4-12 Sun 1:10am Howard the Duck 907 - HBOfam HDw

*** *** Time Change *** ***

11-4-12 Sun 1:10am Log Howard the Duck 907 - HBOfam HDw
11-4-12 Sun 1:10am Shootout 126 - Mil Hist

11-6-12 Mon 11:41am The Jack Benny Program 466 - AntennaTV
11-6-12 Mon 11:41am Book of Love 887 - TMCcxtr HD

11-8-12 Thu 3:57am Lost Horizon 230 - TCM

11-8-12 Thu 11:12pm The Jack Benny Program 466 - AntennaTV
11-8-12 Thu 11:12pm World War 2 in Color 125 - Milty

11-8-12 Thu 3:57am Femme Fatales 921 - Max HD w

11-11-12 Sun 1:10am Click 840 - Starz1H
11-11-12 Sun 1:10am Twelve 885 - TMC HD

11-12-12 Mon 10:53pm Top Gear: 50 Years of Bond Cars 189 - BBC AM

11-12-12 Mon 11:12pm World War2 in Color 125 - Mility

11-15-12 Thu 3:02am Shadow Island Mysteries 885 - TMC HD
11-15-12 Thu 3:02am Wes Craven’s New Nightmare 903 - HBO2HDw

Is our country at “War” and these test must be done or what ? ? ? ? ?

******* ******* *******

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