Politics & Government

Only a Test: Feds To Try New Alert System

Wednesday's first-of-its-kind experiment will broadcast across television airwaves and radio bands.

The emergency messages blasting across American radios and television sets on Wednesday are only a test.

Three federal agencies — Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Communications Commission — will conduct the federal government's very first test of the Nationwide Emergency Alert System (EAS).

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The experiment will kick off at 1 p.m. Central Time and run concurrently across all time zones. It's scheduled to last about 30 seconds.

Here's some more information from FEMA:

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"...Although the EAS Test may resemble the periodic, monthly EAS tests that most Americans are already familiar with, there will be some differences in what viewers will see and hear. The audio message will be the same for all EAS Participants; however, due to limitations in the EAS, the video test message scroll may not be the same or indicate that “This is a test.”

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