[EAS] False alert, WEA, Hawaii

[Kenneth Otto]

So true, Barry. So true.  Cable networks do not get the same set of rules as broadcast, i.e. fines. (Noting here that it was discussed elsewhere that the crawls which aired on television were only cable network crawls not broadcast.)

I noticed others commenting that the system hardware is at the mercy of some with the intelligence of Homer (Homer Simpson as in The Simpsons on FOX).

That is the other problem. In some cases, the budgetary cuts of news and other media outlets have put people who lack the common sense to check and cross check that procedures are followed to avoid such accidents. Or who want things setup so simple that they need not enter passwords or load software first before issuing an alert that could effect the lives of so many people.

We can be thankful for the citizens of Hawaii that no deaths or major injuries were reported as a result of this major mistake.

Ken Otto
Broadcast Engineer

From: Barry Mishkind

        It might be interesting if there were fines,
        but the FCC has no control over cable nets.

---