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An On-Air First For The Emergency Alert System
At 1-PM next Wednesday an usual and first ever national test will be broadcast on every radio and television station nationwide.

Within a three minute window, a White House representative is expected to repeat an announcement indicating this is a test.

WGIL engineer Rick Heath says its important listeners and viewers across the country don't panic during the nationwide emergency alert system.

"Nobody has ever tested the system from the top-down," Heath said. "We test it regularly on the local level, we test it regularly on the statewide level, But nobody has ever tested if the White House has issued something, does it get to every place it's supposed to go."

"They're proposing this test to make sure there are not any places where there are holes in the system."

Heath says a blank screen with lettering explaining this is just a test is expected to consume TV screens. For radios, just a standard loop making the public clear it is only a test.

November 9th's 1-PM slot for the national test, may not start on time, and it may fail in some areas according to Heath. But he says this is the opportunity for the FCC, FEMA and White house to fix the holes.
11 02 11 by Newsroom
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