@Againya23 actually back then the FCC mandate was 20-25 seconds because most receivers setup to trigger would wait for the tone to last more than 15 seconds or so because high pitched dialogue or sounds could cause false triggers to unmute receivers if that wasn't the case. Of course it also helped get people's attention. Now if an EBS tone is used it can be 8-10 seconds but it usually is just the EAS digital bursts used now.
You know whats worse then a station doing an EBS test changing the channel and finding the next station also running an EBS it happened to me one Saturday Morning years ago. I wiish someone would find some test slides from St. Louis
@bradhig yeah in the new EAS system stations have 30 minutes to rebroadcast a test message but in a real emergency it is designed that all stations would simultaneously broadcast the message so it is not surprising that more than one station would be airing a test at the same time.
@OnyxRocker No, I mean that specific sound. I don't seem to remember ever getting that grating two-tone note. Did they add it recently, or am I just remembering weekly tests?
Everytime that appeared on TV, it scared me. I kind of miss it though, because I can say the whole speech that was always being said during the test. I wish there were some from here in the Washington area, so if anyone can get that, post it up there.
I never thought I'd say this, but I miss it as well...granted, that attention signal still scares the crap outta me, but @ least they were confined to local breaks and didn't interrupt the shows themselves.
Yeah. Nowadays it's like you're watching your favorite show, and all of a sudden... "This is a test of the Emergency Alert System" and/or AAAANNNNK!!!!!!!! AAAAAAANNNNNK!!!!!
This is because the cable company is doing it, not the network or station where the program is originating from. When I worked as a master control operator for KSTP-TV we only ran the EBS test during scheduled commercial breaks.
@OnyxRocker 1997 was the year every station got it. 1994 was the year the first station got it, and by 1996, half of them did. 1997 was when the government made it a requirement, I believe.
jmerbrick1980 what about WCAU (as CBS) and KYW (as NBC) what did these two EBS tests looked like give details to both of what did it show while the tone played?
WCAU I don't remember too well, but KYW was a black screen with the CD logo, the words Emergency Broadcast System in blue lettering and KYW 3 in white lettering (a little foggy on my memory of it as I didn't watch KYW or WCAU that much) I remember mostly WPVI 6 ABC, WTXF Fox 29, and WHYY PBS 12, and somewhat remember WPHL 17's test screens
Because a lot of people aren't awake at that time, and it's important to know what it sounds like. Plus, would you rather be awake during the day and they test it then? Or be woken up by the attension signal in the middle of the night, not knowing if it's a test?
Imagine if ya saw what the WGBH-TV (Boston's PBS channel) Test card of the 1980's looked like (Red w/crawl screen), then that would really scare the hell out of anyone!!!
PBS channels always have the most fucked up test cards. The WETA (Washington D.C.) card from the mid-90s was all black with big white text and seemed to last forever.
Tell me about it! The WNED test card just had "EBS" in big, chunky orange letters and the words "This is a test of the Emergency Broadcast System" in smaller script below it on a black screen. The script was read much like the WSPA test
When I was a kid and they had these EBS things on TV, I'd close my eyes and cover my ears. It used to scare me so much ... that sound. And I didn't understand what it was for back then. It was just really weird to me.
You know what I liked about ebs tests (other than my ability to resite the entire test script from memory since the age of 2 or 3?) At least ebs tests were conducted during commercial breaks and the didn't just sound the attention signal without letting you know, "This is only a test." With the eas, tha'ts not done! Will someone put up a kctv 5 or kshb tv fox 41 ebs test from the 90s?
digging through tons of tapes that i've had in storage for far too long and starting to get them dubbed to DVD. alot of the real early stuff is labeled so i can find it easier, but many of the tapes require alot of searching through because they are not labeled. i have alot of real gems to come.
For some strange reason that looks very similar to the test they used to have on one of the stations in Philadelphia during the early 90s. Think it might have been WPHL or WTXF.
I don't know which one in Philadelphia had conducted during cartoon hours on stations like WXON in Detroit and KPLR in St. Louis both former WB affiliate. I'll bet that is WPHL.
How did I know? Explain WPHL's test card what was the background and did it have CD in there too. The reason is WPHL was one of the independents that beacme the WB (versus WXON and KPLR) had tests during cartoon hours is this true?
Actually WPVI channel 6 ABC had the Civil Defense logo and the words Emergency Broadcast System on a purple background (mid-late 80s). WTXF Fox 29 was an odd one though as it had 3 logos, 2 of which were diamond-shaped (intro to test and when att'n. signal was played), and then a square-shaped logo at the end of the test...all on a black background. Odd how I remember all of this since I saw it so much! LOL
jmerbrick1980 about Philadelphia's WPVI 6 test card where was the civil defense logo and the work Ememgency Broadcast System? Tell me more about WPVI's test e.g. what did it show while the tone played?
Well from what I remember....the early 80s showed a light blue background w/the civil defense logo in white w/orange 'C' 'D' letters and script running at the bottom. The late 80s it was a purple background I believe with the word Emergency at the top and Broadcast System on the bottom with the same CD logo sandwiched in between. Script ran at the bottom as well.
I like this better than the EAS. I think the voice is a better sound.
gallagher123123 7 months ago
IT DOESNT NEED TO BE THAT LONG! DARNIT!!!!
Againya23 7 months ago
@Againya23 actually back then the FCC mandate was 20-25 seconds because most receivers setup to trigger would wait for the tone to last more than 15 seconds or so because high pitched dialogue or sounds could cause false triggers to unmute receivers if that wasn't the case. Of course it also helped get people's attention. Now if an EBS tone is used it can be 8-10 seconds but it usually is just the EAS digital bursts used now.
indylre 7 months ago
@indylre I ment the sound.
Againya23 7 months ago
@Againya23 yes the EBS tone was what I was referring to.
indylre 7 months ago
when did this change to eas? i was two when this came up
Articunoboy12 1 year ago
@WhiskasIII this was the EBS which was the system before the EAS. The EBS only had the 2-tone attention signal. The EAS has the digital SAME headers.
indylre 1 year ago
You know whats worse then a station doing an EBS test changing the channel and finding the next station also running an EBS it happened to me one Saturday Morning years ago. I wiish someone would find some test slides from St. Louis
bradhig 1 year ago
@bradhig yeah in the new EAS system stations have 30 minutes to rebroadcast a test message but in a real emergency it is designed that all stations would simultaneously broadcast the message so it is not surprising that more than one station would be airing a test at the same time.
indylre 1 year ago
Am I the only person who gets the "EEEEEHHHH-eeeehhhh-EEEEEEHH! EEEEEHHHH-eeeeehhhh-EEEEHHH! EEHH! EEHH! EEEHH!" one?
ThePhantomSafetyPin 1 year ago
@ThePhantomSafetyPin Do you mean the weekly test? Nah, we all get 'em.
OnyxRocker 1 year ago
@OnyxRocker No, I mean that specific sound. I don't seem to remember ever getting that grating two-tone note. Did they add it recently, or am I just remembering weekly tests?
ThePhantomSafetyPin 1 year ago
@ThePhantomSafetyPin That's a weekly test. Very rarely you'll get the two tones for a weekly test.
OnyxRocker 1 year ago
Why do the annoucer talk fast at the end?
blondie87tv 1 year ago
Any other EBS tests slides you seen from Louisville other than WHAS 11?
nicka727 1 year ago
JRNripper, what did KSTP's slide look like when you worked there?
nicka727 2 years ago
The ones that are used in a real emergency scare the living shit out of me.
Tributor123 2 years ago 4
Everytime that appeared on TV, it scared me. I kind of miss it though, because I can say the whole speech that was always being said during the test. I wish there were some from here in the Washington area, so if anyone can get that, post it up there.
luisgav88 2 years ago
Either way, I miss the EBS. You still got the emergency message, minus the jarring computer tones.
OnyxRocker 2 years ago 3
I never thought I'd say this, but I miss it as well...granted, that attention signal still scares the crap outta me, but @ least they were confined to local breaks and didn't interrupt the shows themselves.
WhatsAYak 2 years ago
Yeah. Nowadays it's like you're watching your favorite show, and all of a sudden... "This is a test of the Emergency Alert System" and/or AAAANNNNK!!!!!!!! AAAAAAANNNNNK!!!!!
OnyxRocker 2 years ago 2
Exactly...and it's a pain in the ass if the EAS just happens to cut in during a critical moment in the show you're watching!
WhatsAYak 2 years ago
This is because the cable company is doing it, not the network or station where the program is originating from. When I worked as a master control operator for KSTP-TV we only ran the EBS test during scheduled commercial breaks.
JRNipper 2 years ago
Does anyone know exactly when EBS was replaced by EAS? I've heard 1994, 1996, 1997...
OnyxRocker 2 years ago
1997
indylre 2 years ago
Thank you so much. That's when I thought it was.
OnyxRocker 2 years ago
@OnyxRocker 1997 was the year every station got it. 1994 was the year the first station got it, and by 1996, half of them did. 1997 was when the government made it a requirement, I believe.
jacobdallen2 11 months ago
jmerbrick1980 what about WCAU (as CBS) and KYW (as NBC) what did these two EBS tests looked like give details to both of what did it show while the tone played?
nicka727 2 years ago
WCAU I don't remember too well, but KYW was a black screen with the CD logo, the words Emergency Broadcast System in blue lettering and KYW 3 in white lettering (a little foggy on my memory of it as I didn't watch KYW or WCAU that much) I remember mostly WPVI 6 ABC, WTXF Fox 29, and WHYY PBS 12, and somewhat remember WPHL 17's test screens
jmerbrick1980 2 years ago
Because a lot of people aren't awake at that time, and it's important to know what it sounds like. Plus, would you rather be awake during the day and they test it then? Or be woken up by the attension signal in the middle of the night, not knowing if it's a test?
DorvellTStewart 3 years ago 3
Woken up? They have their TV on while they sleep?
trailbreakeradk 3 years ago
Yes, some people do.
DorvellTStewart 3 years ago
I was born in Louisville! I can remember this! thanks for adding it
bigfalcor 3 years ago
Why can't our tests be like this?
Flamingopink86 3 years ago
to make the test realistic, be it EAS or EBS, the tests have always been required to be at random days and times.
indylre 3 years ago
Imagine if ya saw what the WGBH-TV (Boston's PBS channel) Test card of the 1980's looked like (Red w/crawl screen), then that would really scare the hell out of anyone!!!
dft432 3 years ago
What did the red with crawl screen look like?
nicka727 3 years ago
It was a plain red screen
dft432 3 years ago
What exactly is so scary about a red television screne?
DorvellTStewart 3 years ago
PBS channels always have the most fucked up test cards. The WETA (Washington D.C.) card from the mid-90s was all black with big white text and seemed to last forever.
BojanglesUdon 3 years ago
Tell me about it! The WNED test card just had "EBS" in big, chunky orange letters and the words "This is a test of the Emergency Broadcast System" in smaller script below it on a black screen. The script was read much like the WSPA test
fieldsfan336 2 years ago
When I was a kid and they had these EBS things on TV, I'd close my eyes and cover my ears. It used to scare me so much ... that sound. And I didn't understand what it was for back then. It was just really weird to me.
lesliekwan80 3 years ago 4
You know what I liked about ebs tests (other than my ability to resite the entire test script from memory since the age of 2 or 3?) At least ebs tests were conducted during commercial breaks and the didn't just sound the attention signal without letting you know, "This is only a test." With the eas, tha'ts not done! Will someone put up a kctv 5 or kshb tv fox 41 ebs test from the 90s?
DorvellTStewart 3 years ago
will somebody put KLFY TV-10 Emergency Broadcast System Test form the 1990s
Tlz444 3 years ago
will somebody put in KLFY TV-10 EBS Test from the 1990s?
Tlz444 3 years ago
That tone is still freaky to me
fieldsfan336 3 years ago 9
Me too, I still have nightmares about the attention signal from the emergency alert system (e.a.s.) test, and e.b.s. too.
LitaFan03 2 years ago
Where do you find all of this stuff you've been posting as of late?
tpirrules19 4 years ago
digging through tons of tapes that i've had in storage for far too long and starting to get them dubbed to DVD. alot of the real early stuff is labeled so i can find it easier, but many of the tapes require alot of searching through because they are not labeled. i have alot of real gems to come.
indylre 4 years ago
For some strange reason that looks very similar to the test they used to have on one of the stations in Philadelphia during the early 90s. Think it might have been WPHL or WTXF.
jmerbrick1980 4 years ago
probably a similar graphics package, especially if it was a corporate or network package that just had to be modified for each market.
indylre 4 years ago
I don't know which one in Philadelphia had conducted during cartoon hours on stations like WXON in Detroit and KPLR in St. Louis both former WB affiliate. I'll bet that is WPHL.
nicka727 3 years ago
I think you are right it does remind me of WPHL's in the 90s.
jmerbrick1980 3 years ago
How did I know? Explain WPHL's test card what was the background and did it have CD in there too. The reason is WPHL was one of the independents that beacme the WB (versus WXON and KPLR) had tests during cartoon hours is this true?
nicka727 3 years ago
Actually WPVI channel 6 ABC had the Civil Defense logo and the words Emergency Broadcast System on a purple background (mid-late 80s). WTXF Fox 29 was an odd one though as it had 3 logos, 2 of which were diamond-shaped (intro to test and when att'n. signal was played), and then a square-shaped logo at the end of the test...all on a black background. Odd how I remember all of this since I saw it so much! LOL
jmerbrick1980 3 years ago
jmerbrick1980 about Philadelphia's WPVI 6 test card where was the civil defense logo and the work Ememgency Broadcast System? Tell me more about WPVI's test e.g. what did it show while the tone played?
nicka727 2 years ago
Well from what I remember....the early 80s showed a light blue background w/the civil defense logo in white w/orange 'C' 'D' letters and script running at the bottom. The late 80s it was a purple background I believe with the word Emergency at the top and Broadcast System on the bottom with the same CD logo sandwiched in between. Script ran at the bottom as well.
jmerbrick1980 2 years ago