[EAS] 'improving' EAS

[Sean Donelan]

On Thu, 19 Jul 2018, Mike McCarthy wrote:
> I don't wish to re-engage and repeat the arguments for and against here.
> Just point out a reality that most of these live code tests will simply be
> logged as received and nothing more. Even on LP-1 and LP2 stations. The
> hits play merrily on and the talking heads continue to flap their jaws
> unabated.

I agree that's what will happen.

However, after some disaster happens, it does change for a little while.

After the Derecho hit the Washington DC area in 2012, I did notice an 
increase in non-news radio/TV stations carrying severe weather alerts for 
several months afterwards.  Not a huge change, but several. But then the 
NWS message flooding (a dozen of EAS alerts for every storm), and the 
non-news radio/TV slowly stopped carrying severe weather alerts again.

Likewise, after the Joplin tornado in 2011, some of my old friends from 
the midwest near but not in Joplin, mentioned more local stations had 
tornado warnings for months afterwards.

After the wildfires in Tennessee and Northern California, there were 
likely changes too.  But I don't have good reports from people in those 
areas.

According to the FCC report, several radio/TV stations in Hawaii added CDW 
and CEM alerts to their EAS boxes after the false missile alert/all-clear.
They may have already removed them due to the CEM non-tsunami messages 
after every volcano trembler.

Garbage-In/Garbage-Out. Chicken and Egg. Whatever phrase you want to use.

Disasters are compelling programming. Why does emergency alert content 
suck so much?