US Cable Support > Comcast Cable TV > Nationwide EAS Test 11/9 2:00 PM EST

reply to Mike Wolf

Re: Nationwide EAS Test 11/9 2:00 PM EST

New hardware updates should solve this problem in future tests, Just gotta wait for IPAWS and CAP *sigh*

In January 2010 Alaska conducted a live code emergency action notification (the same code used for this national test) and proved that the national EAS was functional but identified necessary improvements. The next Alaska EAS test in 2011 the following year proved a success and reinforced the idea that continued EAS testing and exercising improves the system. It’s important to remember that this is the first test. The Nov. 9 test should provide us with an accurate snapshot on where we are as a nation so we can improve the EAS incrementally.

reply to Oregonian
This isn't the first time directv has played music during an EAS lol »youtu.be/zhrWUG8MO7Y

reply to Mike Wolf
Directv plays music on the holding / info slides / channels.

An article on the Broadcasting & Cable site about today's test:

EAS Test Reveals Deficits - Emergency alert worked in most areas of the country, not in others
»www.broadcastingcable.com/articl···cits.php

reply to wdsnls
I was listening to a local radio broadcast when the test occurred. The sounds went off and someone started to speak saying it was only a test and then it went silent cutting off the message.
--
I know you think you understand what you thought I said, but I am not sure you realize what you heard is not what I meant. Nixon

As we say in the I.T. world, this is why we test. Now that we know what doesn't work, it can be fixed. The only problem is that it hasn't been tested sooner.

Of course, if we ever do have to use it, the point will be moot, as it would be such a catastrophic event that it really won't matter if we were warned or not. It will just be BOAKYAGB.

reply to telcodad
"Many of the reported failures affected cable and satellite television subscribers, and some were quite head-scratching: Some DirecTV subscribers said their TV sets played the Lady Gaga song Paparazzi when the test was underway"

I can hear it now on tomorrow's 700 club: "that here queers with directv are trying to indoctrinate our youth!" haha!
--
The day the child realizes that all adults are imperfect, he becomes an adolescent; the day he forgives them, he becomes an adult. The day he forgives himself, he becomes wise.
Alden Nowlan

reply to owlyn
true but it gives us engineers something to do so we don't become bored and build robots out of old set top boxes lmao

reply to djdanska
what's sad is that that will actually happen! lmao

reply to owlyn

The whole point of the EAS system on a national scale is a last resort. Us on the broadcaster and government side hope it never has to be used, but if it does we want to make sure it freakin' works.

And it won't, and it will never get used, but we'll waste lots of time and money on it anyway.

You’re missing the big picture. The EAS isn't just a countrywide thing, it can also be used more locally, like statewide, countywide, township wide, and with IPAWS it will even be accurate down to the street. That means the alert will only be given at specific location(s) if needed. Take New York City for example, say a water pipe broke between 42nd street and 45th street and the water is now contaminated, officials can send out an alert to just those residents living between 42nd street and 45th street and not to the entire city or borough. Watch this video »www.fema.gov/emergency/ipaws/
Plus the improvement in equipment and new standards will ensure audio can actually be heard and not the fiasco seen during the national test, ie Lady Gaga or massive echoing or nothing at all.

But that has nothing to do with the purpose of the test, which was to ensure that everyone in the country receives a nationwide alert at the same time.

Still a waste of money IMO, in this day and age. Cellphones, internet, and local news sources are far better means of distribution, and much faster than a gov't action.

dude I'm 23, You can't get more modern day of age then me >.quite yet Anyway FEMA and FCC expected there was going to be issues with the national test but it shows the issues that didn't work that will be fixed, and shows what did work, and a byproduct of replacing hardware, tweaking settings, slapping engineers silly, is that county and local alerts will be better. Did you see the video I posted? It reincorporates cellphones and the internet. The problem with the local news aside from a large amount of "other issues", is that they can choose to not pass on any alerts how it's worded and just paraphrase it, not pass it on at all, or hold off on announcing the alert until the 11pm news so primetime programming isn't interrupted, but they generally do pass on weather alerts as a courtesy to their viewers.

reply to owlyn
two major disasters pearl harbor and 9-11 and the national system wasn't used.

Prior to 1951, there was no method that the U.S. government could use to broadcast warnings to citizens in the event of an emergency. However, radio stations and networks could interrupt normal programming and issue a bulletin in the event of an emergency, as happened during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, as well as the first successful tornado warning near Tinker Air Force Base in 1948. This type of broadcasting was the forerunner to CONELRAD. CONELRAD was replaced by the Emergency Broadcast System in 1963 which was later replaced by the Emergency Alert System in 1997. There was no need to activate the EAS for 9/11 because news stations already covered the topic and informed the public. A national EAS activation is mostly to allow the President to speak to the nation during an emergency when normal methods are not possible.

reply to GTFan