[EAS] EAS is serious business

[Sean Donelan]

On Tue, 4 Mar 2014, Dave Kline wrote:
> There is quite a difference between playing the sound of a siren on TV as opposed to playing EAS tone/codes.
> Most notably, the EAS monitoring equipment at other stations/cable outlets won't activate on tornado sirens.
> It is much easier to distinguish a tornado siren playing on TV from the real thing. Much less chance of confusion.
> EAS tones/codes... not so much.
> And 1.9 mil does send a message.

No EAS monitoring equipment was triggered by the advertisments in question 
because the advertisment used "sound-like" but not valid EAS data bursts.

Humans aren't as good at distinguishing a "sounds-like" alarm.

If the concern is about EAS monitoring equipment, that solution is to stop 
using "in-band" signalling for EAS equipment.  If the concern is about 
confusing people, then context is important.  The advertisment included 
"THIS IS NOT A TEST" and video of government buildings exploding; which 
including the EAS sound-like tones could reasonably be considered alarming.

Comcast, owner of NBC Universal, also has a big merger pending FCC 
approval which has more attention than a fine.