Reader Mike8813′s local ABC affiliate decided that the last minute of game 3 of the NBA Finals was a good time to conduct a monthly required test of the EAS. Whoops!
I’m a little pissed off right now. I missed the last 30 seconds of Game 3 of the NBA finals because the local ABC affiliate (KAKE in Wichita, KS) decided to run a test of the emergency alert system. That’s right, a TEST! On what proved to be Boston’s last shot at closing the gap, I was treated to a series of bleeps and bloops accompanying a gray screen, and was reunited with game coverage in time to see the players walking to the locker room. I soon found out that there was no miracle, and that the Celtics did indeed lose. But that’s besides the point.
I called KAKE, politely explained what happened, and asked if anyone else had called in to report this. She said no, and also added this: “It’s a required monthly test, and I’m not sure that we can do anything about the timing of it.” I find that very hard to believe. Is FOX helpless to stop the EAS test from popping up during the last 30 seconds of the Super Bowl? Will they simply shrug their shoulders and say that there was nothing they could do about it? Unlikely.
I asked if she could bring it to someone’s attention, and said that I was very disappointed that this happened. She said that she would “look into it”, and made no apologies.
…Unbelievable.
Wikipedia says that EAS tests aren’t supposed to be scheduled during important live events such as the Oscars, or the Superbowl, but we weren’t able to find anything on the FCC’s website that confirmed that rule. Anyone work in TV? Want to enlighten us?
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The season finale of NCIS was on and was interrupted on the Charter HD cable in the living room. The cable box display read ‘EAS’ and went through its spiel. The tv in the other room is directly wired to the cable [with no converter box] and the feed was not interrupted. I have noticed the ‘test’ is just a crawl on the hard wired cable, while the converter box test locks up the remote and hijacks the tv with a full screen message.
Speaking as someone whose enjoyment of Star Trek and other sci-fi shows has been negatively impacted by sports broadcasts running long, I have this to say, “Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!”
But seriously, that’s lousy timing. I feel your pain, sports fans.
@Bruce_A: Not just sci-fi shows. Networks like to preempt almost ANY show with sports. Who cares? You can always just get the score from another source?
@Bruce_A: As a wrestling fan who’s watched Smackdown get constantly pre-empted in favor of baseball and basketball games that I have no interest in, I echo that sentiment.
@silencedotcom: Agreed. I fell asleep before the end of the game. What ever happened to “prime time”?
The basketball season’s still going on??? Yawn.
The testing is automated on the local warning systems.
Sorry, no great conspiracy.
@bobfromboston: +1!
Can the condescending “sports are for brain-dead jerks” trolls please give it a rest?
So when do they activate the EAS for real? The other night, during severe thunderstorms moving through our area, there was a report of a tornado touching down in our town. The NWS issued a tornado warning. The Weather Channel had a red crawl. A Fox semi-affiliate had a live report. Other than that, nothing on the other broadcast or cable stations. And this is a major metropolitan area.
The EAS is a joke is it is never used when appropriate.
That’s what we call “a wicked pissah.”
This is idiotic. They should have done this EAS during infomercial time, or when nobody is likely to watch TV. Hey, why DON’T they do that?
The EAS system is useless. its never ever used. Ive been through blizzards, earthhquakes, hurrricanes, and floods. Ive seen our country attacked on 9/11. NONE of these items required the EAS. Get rid of it.
@wdnobile: It’s a must by law.
Well I volunteer at a local emergency ops center. First I can say that you stated it was a monthly test. This is an important piece of information. Of it was a weekly test, then it was scheduled by the station. However, if it was a monthly test, then it was scheduled and transmitted either by the state EAS agency or by the primary relay station (eg WGN 720am for Chicago, or WABC or NYC), and sent down the chain of TV & radio stations that the relay station controls. So IF it was a MONTHLY test, then the person at the station was correct in saying there was nothing they could do. That is the way the EAS is setup. If it was a WEEKLY test, then the station scheduled it and the person at the station was wrong.
This is the information that is outlined in a EAS state plan regarding the scheduling of tests:
“The Originating Station is requested to use discretion in scheduling times for RMTs. Since all broadcasters and cable operators are required to rebroadcast this test within 15 minutes of receiving it, care should be taken not to put undue hardship on broadcasters when they are carrying their highest-revenue programming. On a daily basis, these periods would include all major newscasts: early morning, noon-time, evening, and late-evening. In addition, the times of major events should be avoided, such as pre-planned Presidential speeches, hours of a major national or local news story carried outside of normal newscast hours, local and national election coverage, and major sporting events like World Series games and the Superbowl.” Which means the NBA finals should be considered under this rule a major sporting event