Zombies are coming...maybe not yet..

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and it happened to a couple other stations too

A prank Emergency Alert System message about zombies in Montana has generated plenty of national attention, and engineers in Michigan and Wisconsin are also investigating how similar messages ended up on their stations. The Mining Journal of Marquette reports that two stations -- ABC affiliate WBUP/10 (Ishpeming) and PBS station WNMU/13 (Marquette) -- aired a message about zombies Monday (Feb. 10) more than four hours apart. The paper reports that WNMU believes overseas hackers got into its EAS unit. Meanwhile, CBS affiliate WKBT/8 reports that it carried an alert about zombies Tuesday morning. WKBT says the message arrived in its EAS unit when the morning show at WIZM-FM/93.3 rebroadcast Monday's Montana message. Stations should never rebroadcast EAS "chirps" manually.
 
The concept of mandating a system to protect the public that relies on the public internet and connectivity WITH the public internet is probably the dumbest thing the FCC and our Government have done of late in communications law for the United States. Forced on all of us with no thought to its full, proper, and secure implementation. "Egg on the government's face" is how I'd describe this as a broadcaster, and NOT the fault of the (hacked) broadcaster in my humble opinion as long as the (EAS) device is installed to minimum recommended standards for compliance with current EAS regulations.
 
article from the Mining Journal

http://www.miningjournal.net/page/c...s-Emergency-Alert-System-hacked.html?nav=5006

and this tidbit
"This is the first time since the Emergency Alert System was put together in the 1940s that something like this has happened. It has been about one year since we went online with an Internet system."

Previously, the alert system had been a telephone-based system. Now, the EAS has equipment that allows an "autopilot" system to go into use when station personnel are not physically present.
 
Wow, Ice! Articles that seem to attempt to justify the one year "joke" we've had known as the new EAS. Sadly, I believe my state broadcasting association likes the EAS.

I'm sure we all remember the "nationwide" EAS test that failed miserably with multiple feeds of audio, or no audio, or not disconnecting from a "parent" trigger station.....

And I DO hope when they refer to a "telephone based system" they meant the system used TWO generations ago, previous to the one called the "Emergency BROADCAST System." That system was in place for quite some time, and was not telephone based, but rather like today, a daisy-chain of on-air station to station monitoring with alerts relayed over the air. It had the longer alert tones but the same format as today's system.

A much EARLIER (radio version) emergency system of broadcasting was called the "Conelrad" system and is seen on many olders AM receivers with markings on the dial for where to tune no matter where one lived in the nation for emergency info, and..if memory serves, involved the signing OFF of stations that were not part of the system or capable of frequency changes in emergencies. (not designated as the alert station.) Perhaps someone with a bit more knowledge can verify or correct me on this. It was before my time. Not sure that TV did the same, but they may-have.

The EAS, one generation ago was adapted to be an autopilot system. This current system is not the first to be designed to alert the public with no personnel. Both systems fail miserably in the replacement of live bodies giving information with short bursts of emergency info relayed station to station.
 
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A much EARLIER (radio version) emergency system of broadcasting was called the "Conelrad" system and is seen on many olders AM receivers with markings on the dial for where to tune no matter where one lived in the nation for emergency info, and..if memory serves, involved the signing OFF of stations that were not part of the system or capable of frequency changes in emergencies. (not designated as the alert station.) Perhaps someone with a bit more knowledge can verify or correct me on this. It was before my time. Not sure that TV did the same, but they may-have.
Here ya go; 100_0444.JPG
And yes it has tubes!Tune to the triangles to see if you need to duck and cover.:eek:
 
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All I can say is Lock n' Load... and aim for the head... and pretend you're playing Left 4 Dead 3. Probably wouldn't hurt to polish those Cricket bats and sharpen those Katana. If you come in contact with Zombies, axe them a question first.
 
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