The Emergency
Broadcast System (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_Broadcast_System) has been superceded by the newer Emergency Alert
System (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_Alert_System) (EAS).
At WMBR, we have a device which monitors two other local radio stations
(WBZ and another one I forget) listening for modem-style tones. When the
appropriate tones are broadcast on either of those upstream stations,
our EAS unit automatically interrupts our normal programming and rebroadcasts
whatever alert message it received from the upstream station.
So the basic idea is that emergency alerts are first broadcast from the
local primary stations (such as WBZ). These alerts begin and end with
special tones that are detected by equipment at smaller stations, which then
rebroadcast the alerts.
It should also be noted that, if someone with tech clue within a radio
station wished to bypass the EAS system, it's not too difficult, at least not
at a station like WMBR. In fact, a couple of years ago our EAS unit failed
during a required weekly test (RWT). It was supposed to interrupt our airchain
for only a few seconds to broadcast the test tones, but it cut us off and then
croaked. A long-time hippyish DJ at WMBR with minimal technical clue knew how
to bypass the unit using our patchbays: similar to ancient phone systems, where
you use patch cables to arbitrarily route audio signals.
Other broadcasting outlets have similar requirements. See the Wikipedia
page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_Alert_System) for more on that. Hope this helps.
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Emergency Alert System
Date: 2006-12-20 09:35 pm (UTC)The Emergency Broadcast System (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_Broadcast_System) has been superceded by the newer Emergency Alert System (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_Alert_System) (EAS).
At WMBR, we have a device which monitors two other local radio stations (WBZ and another one I forget) listening for modem-style tones. When the appropriate tones are broadcast on either of those upstream stations, our EAS unit automatically interrupts our normal programming and rebroadcasts whatever alert message it received from the upstream station.
So the basic idea is that emergency alerts are first broadcast from the local primary stations (such as WBZ). These alerts begin and end with special tones that are detected by equipment at smaller stations, which then rebroadcast the alerts.
It should also be noted that, if someone with tech clue within a radio station wished to bypass the EAS system, it's not too difficult, at least not at a station like WMBR. In fact, a couple of years ago our EAS unit failed during a required weekly test (RWT). It was supposed to interrupt our airchain for only a few seconds to broadcast the test tones, but it cut us off and then croaked. A long-time hippyish DJ at WMBR with minimal technical clue knew how to bypass the unit using our patchbays: similar to ancient phone systems, where you use patch cables to arbitrarily route audio signals.
Other broadcasting outlets have similar requirements. See the Wikipedia page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_Alert_System) for more on that. Hope this helps.