WNYB Buffalo 49 Emergency Broadcast System Test 1987

[tommyboy6181]

I remember WKBW's old EBS tests where it had that weird blocky font that made it look like the apocalypse was coming. Then they had the satellites in there like the beginning of this test, and of course the decibel display similar to a radio station. But, WNED/WNEQ had the scariest looking ones of all with the EBS logo in retro font.

[TheJoebassrat]

Did the EBS post info for weather?

[rizer912]

"concentrate your firepower on the nearest starship"

LOLOLOLOL!

[fieldsfan336]

Someone uploaded the WGRZ test, it's just how I remembered it

[unclefestus]

In my town, the man didn't sound so laid back. He was all serious and direct. THIS IS A TEST! Scared me to death as a kid.

[dennyfrontier]

I remember this one

[sr71ablackbird]

1987, the year I graduated high school, that there still sticks with me to this day from the early 70s on . In a way, I would rather hear this one, than the current one which is way more annoying .ty for posting.

[walleyrt69]

Sometimes when Im driving and really have to take a shit.I wish they would activate that.

[nicka727]

Fieldsfan336, check out KNBC 4 Los Angeles EBS test. It's now on YouTube. Out of all of the Buffalo stations EBS test you've seen all had the customary open including the WXYZ test. It eliminates the "this is a test" line. Watch KNBC's test now on YouTube and compare it with the tests that you've seen from the Buffalo stations and WXYZ in Detroit.

[nicka727]

Fieldsfan336, I seen the WXYZ test and I seen the scrolling text in white letters before and after the tone in between the wavy lines and the CD logo and BTW did you catch the opening of the WXYZ test before the wavy lines appeared?

[nicka727]

I don't understand about the dissolving images during the tone for WKBW and WUTV what did the dissolving images look like? As for the WUTV test with the cloudy gray screen with the customary open, it makes me think of the opening of the WXYZ test. Did the opening words crawl or enlarge on the opening part of the WXYZ test? WUTV's opening looks similar to the WXYZ open.

[fieldsfan336]

The first part of the WUTV test was just the text as kind of like a movie credit scroll like we saw in the WNYB test. Then during the tone it went to the blue screen with the dissolving images - just random ones dissolving in and out. It stayed on that screen for the remainder of the test script.

The WXYZ test had no text scroll - just the voice pattern of the announcer followed by the wavy lines of the alert tone

[nicka727]

Fieldsfan336, you've seen all of EBS tests from Buffalo and you've seen WIVB test less times than any other Buffalo station. As for WUTV's what did its slide look like because you've seen it more times than WNED's. WKBW was third most with weekend tests. WGRZ took fourth place as well. You know the slides from WUTV, WNED, WKBW, WGRZ, WNYB, plus WXYZ in Detroit.

[fieldsfan336]

From what I know, the WUTV slide started with a text crawl over a cloudy gray background. Then it changed to a blue screen with "Emergency Broadcast System" across the top and a frame of dissolving images in the middle as the tone sounded. The second part of the test script was shown in blocks of text below the image frame at the bottom of the screen

[Retrontario]

That sounds AMAZING. I hope someone can find a copy of it

[nicka727]

Fieldsfan336, did you catch WIVB 4 or WUTV 29 EBS test? Which Buffalo stations conducts EBS tests on weekends like on a Saturday?

[fieldsfan336]

I don't really recall the WIVB test, but I saw the WUTV test many times. It was mostly WKBW from my recollection that aired tests on weekends - mostly Sundays

[hugh750]

The ebs test used to scare me back in the 70's when i was a kid, i would change to the pbs channel until the ebs test was over.

[ChavoMysterio]

Even PBS had the EBS Test. Now, the cable system and/or possibly digital television automatically switches to the EAS Test on every channel and it is scarier than the EBS Test.

[856956sinewavetones]

man look at the sky in the background! it looks like a tornado could come any second!!! i mean that goes great with the 856 and 956 sine wave tones and the EBS Test!

[DorvellTStewart]

I think it was a combo of 853 and 960 sign wave tones.

[wmbrown6]

@856956sinewavetones - 853 and 960 Hz, actually.

[nicka727]

fieldsfan336 have you seen WTVF channel 5 (CBS) from Nashville, TN's slide? All I know it was a white screen and EBS is white letters in the middle of the screen. If I get the full details on the WTVF screen. I'll reply to you about that screen along with the Buffalo stations you had seen plus Detroit, Michigan WXYZ's test screens.

[puttputtking]

I saw it. I remember seeing it, if anyone has that test I would like for them to upload it. I would love to see it again. Also, if anyone has the KBSI test from 1990 in Cape Girardeau, MO that had a blue screen with red letters that spelt out "Emergency Broadcast System" if anybody has these two tests, please upload them. I would love to see them again. It would bring back so many memories! Especially the KBSI one, that was the first EBS Test I saw.

[sarahyehudit]

These used to scare the s**t out of me.

[LitaFan03]

Me too.

[Empressofwar]

This was as scary as fuck when I was about 5.

[SuperSonicTailsEas]

On a broad spectrum of EBS Test cards, why on earth would they make a final consensus for 2 giant satellite panels in the background. Could it be the station transmitting this test?

[Geno2733]

EAS is just as scary (if not even worse). Although for "Actual" emergencies, they use an abbreviated version of this alert tone after the header bursts.

[nicka727]

retrontaio besides WNYB, what test card have you seen from Buffalo and what did it look like. Very neat when the tone played was just like WBZ's from 1993.

[fieldsfan336]

The WGRZ card was a map of western New York with the CD logo in black and white in the bottom right corner and EBS stackt vertcally in the top left. The slide was squeezed as the test script scrolled along the bottom before and after the tone, when it filled the screen for the tone's duration

[fieldsfan336]

As well, the WNED test script was done in the same way as on the WSPA test video. The slide was black with "EBS" in chunky orange letters and the words "This is a test of the Emergency Broadcast System" right below it in smaller yellow script

[simon726]

I remembered seeing that. It was creepy. I wonder if anyone has that video just to relive the memories....

[nicka727]

What filled the screen during the tone in WGRZ NBC 2's card. I pictured the card the CD logo on the bottom right (a la WDIV spinning lines test), the map because I like maps as the stacked EBS on Lake Ontario in the upper left and at least the scrolling script at the bottom.

[fieldsfan336]

It was the slide itself with the map, CD logo and EBS thing that filled the screen during the sounding of the tone. It would retract after the tone as the test script scrolled at the bottom of the screen

[fieldsfan336]

I also vaguely recall what the WKBW-7 slide looked like. It looked like a set of gray panels, the top panel read "This is a test of the Emergency Broadcast System" and the lower panel would show the test script. The middle-left panel had "Emergency Broadcast System" stacked vertically on it and during the tone and second part of the test script, the right panel (which had the CD logo on it) would slide open to show dissolving images

[julielenore]

Those used to scare me Do they still do emergency broadcast system tests?