[jsmthrowaway]

Most stations have that device configured to only automatically take over air for the most egregious emergencies, with the rest aired on a discretionary basis. You generally only see full auto relays with full auto stations; pretty much every station with a butt in the big seat is wired discretionary, with individual station policy regarding which alerts to rebroadcast. I wouldn't generally retransmit a severe thunderstorm warning, for example, though I repeated every test. To my knowledge, only a Presidential Activation of EAS bypasses everything, and by law there's a book next to every eligible transmitter that describes the procedure for that (it's a bit unique).

For those who don't know, the tones -- which are indeed received from well-known designated primary stations -- come with a textual representation of the bad news, which is printed out on a little receipt-size slip from a box called a EAS-911 (a few vendors make them). One of two things happen next: either the EAS-911 takes over air automatically and rebroadcasts the bad news as it is received, or it is recorded instead and a little button begins blinking to indicate that the device is waiting for you to give it permission to take over air and rebroadcast the bad news. Pretty much everyone with resources is set up the latter way, partially for the very reason mentioned.

The real ugly scenario with the automatic relay stations is when the primary forgets the "I'm done" tones, and then every station in the state plays WGN for an hour. That's happened before. Fines have been levied.

[jacquesm]

> To my knowledge, only a Presidential Activation of EAS bypasses everything, and by law there's a book next to every eligible transmitter that describes the procedure for that (it's a bit unique).

Let's not give anybody ideas here, twitter is bad enough.

[jsmthrowaway]

Don't worry, half the country probably doesn't know how to operate an actual EAN, nor where the book is when it comes. I have a feeling the Wikipedia page on it is going to be very busy in the first ten minutes after a president decides to pull the trigger.

This is backed up by me skimming the relevant section of the binder when I was training on a station, saying out loud "I didn't know there was a Presidential Activation of EAS," and my boss at the time replying "there is?" rather surprised.

[makomk]

The nationwide tests of the EAS have apparently not gone terribly smoothly, and that was with advance notice and planning. So it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

[dom0]

Volksempfänger would be damn classy propaganda. But Trump is not classy, never was, and never will be.