[BC] NWS wake-up call

[tpt at literock93r.com]

Front passing through the area, NWS issues a "tornado watch" at 4:16.   
At least that is what the print-out says.  Weekend guy calls me at  
quarter to six. The Gorman Redlich is stuck in a loop--runs  
header--silence--then runs a header again. I talked him through  
pulling the plug on the Gorman & getting program audio back on both  
stations. We don't run audio through the EAS--we have the EAS control  
a pair of Broadcast Tools 2X1 switchers on the program line--so once  
he pulled the tail on the EAs he just had to punch program up for both  
stations.

Luckily he was there that early--normally comes in around 8:30 to cut  
weather forecasts, load some Sunday programs in the computer & check  
for any last-minute Friday spots changes that need to be programmed  
in. He teaches at the local college--and his wife work for the college  
food service on special events. School's out--but there is a  
conference in town at the college this weekend.  So he had to drive  
his wife in to the college real early to help get breakfast for the  
attendees; and just decided to drive in to the station since he was  
already up.

The Gorman said there was a stored message 70 seconds long--it kept  
trying to run a header--but the printer would not recognize it. After  
I pulled the unit from the rack, I got the "stored mesg" deleted and  
it settled down. Later in the morning it seemed to be working  
OK--pulled in a severe thunderstorm alert without a problem.

What was this all about? Some kind of bizarre encoding from NWS? They  
are getting sloppy again--later this morning they sent a header, no  
audio, then EOM.