Bobby Bones Emergency Alert Snafu Leads To FCC Inquiry About Inadvertent EAS Activations

Inquiry

The FCC has issued an advisory and is opening an inquiry about the inadvertent EAS message transmitted on BOBBY BONES' syndicated PREMIERE NETWORKS Country morning show.  On OCTOBER 24th, BONES played a YOUTUBE clip of an EAS activation from 2011 while discussing an EAS interruption during a WORLD SERIES game, and the playing of EAN tones may have activated the system on some outlets, including AT&T UVERSE systems in several markets.

The Commission is seeking comment on how unauthorized EAS alerts affect the program's participants, public safety and other government and local agencies, and the public, and how authentication can be improved.

Among the questions being asked by the Commission are:

• How do EAS Participants determine the authenticity, or lack thereof, of an alert message?
• How is EAS equipment programmed to manage message authentication (including whether stations are using "strict time" filters)?  And what can be done to enhance EAS alert authentication?
• How do EAS Participants and industry associations assess network integrity, accepted risk, and effectiveness of mitigation measures?
• How do public safety agencies and other state and local government agencies do when there is an unauthorized EAS or EAN alert, and have they received calls from the public about unauthorized EAS alerts?
• How do state and local governments act to mitigate public confusion over unauthorized alerts, and what do they plan to do in the future?
• How can the agencies and participants better educate the public about the EAS?
• How do unauthorized alerts affect the public, including the disabled and foreign-language speakers?

Comments are due DECEMBER 5th, with replies due DECEMBER 19th.

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