I've gotta admit that I was surprised to hear an actual EAS interrupted Flash Flood Warning on KROQ @ 7:02 PM PST on 1/9/2023. No PD that I have ever worked with would allow anything more than a Tornado Warning to be programmed into the EAS boxes that I was responsible for in the past, to interrupt programming. The on-air KROQ DJ (not sure if he was was VT'd at that time) did not acknowledge the warning in any way, or stop music and restart it (no big deal I guess). With the constant heavy rain and winds the west coast is experiencing, I personally think it's a good thing that the NWS alert was broadcast.
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EAS NWS Flash Flood Warning on KROQ 1/9/2023
- Thread starter Brian Bowers
- Start date
It happens more often than not. KLOS has bounced into NWS alerts recently too. The first crack of storms a month or two ago triggered an alert for high surf warnings in the Santa Barbara & Ventura areas with the former being a bit dicey to receive the KLOS signal at all.
The DJs tend not to acknowledge the alerts, they just happen and the world continues it's revolve around the Daystar.
The DJs tend not to acknowledge the alerts, they just happen and the world continues it's revolve around the Daystar.
Stations themselves have no choice in what the subject of an EAS alert contains. In fact, stations can not originate an EAS alert themselves (although they can originate the required tests). Those alerts come from government organizations from the White House down to the local or regional weather authorities.
For all we know, as you are guessing, the show was voice tracked. The EAS alert was triggered by a state authority or local office and the system overrides station programming with no local station intervention.
I'm aware of that, but no station is *forced* to broadcast (or forward) NWS alerts or warnings (of which this Flash Flood Warning originated from), if they don't want to. That's a choice that each station makes (and can make), and someone has to physically program an EAS box to interrupt programming for example a Flash Flood Warning. Station's EAS boxes don't even have to monitor a NWS radio frequency (as part of their EAS plan) if they don't want to. What I was surprised at, was someone determined that KROQ should interrupt programming for a Flash Flood Warning. I was impressed by that, even to the point it went over the stream (some stations do not include EAS audio on their stream).
I had to show to the FCC in the logs we were monitoring all the sources in the plan and getting RWT/RMT tests. That included weather radio.
No option there.
Stations can and do delay alerts so they play at breaks in programming. You can do it with automated stations.
No option there.
Stations can and do delay alerts so they play at breaks in programming. You can do it with automated stations.
The two EAS Monitoring Assignments listed in every State EAS Plan as outlined in the FCC EAS Part 11 rules must both be a source of the President's EAN message. Since NWR does not carry the President's EAN message, it cannot be one of the two mandated EAS Monitoring Assignments. There are some States who are misguided and think they can "assign" monitoring of NWR, but that is in fact a misinterpretation of the Part 11 rules. The FCC right now is in the midst of reviewing all State EAS Plans, so presumably all of this misinterpreted monitoring will get cleared up.
NWR/NWS is NOT a required monitor source for EAS. It may be required by your *State* EAS Plan, but it isn't required by the current National Plan (and never has been). Required National EAS Plan sources are SR, LP-1 (and depending on your State Plan, sometimes LP-2 can be monitored instead of LP-1) and IPAWS. No radio station is forced or required to interrupt programming with EAS for weather related warnings or alerts from NWS, but IMO, you're a better broadcaster if you do.
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If it's required by the state plan then it's required and the FCC will enforce it.
That's the question here.
What the FCC does in the future is not relevant to this discussion.
And I highly doubt the FCC will force state plans to drop the requirement.
That's the question here.
What the FCC does in the future is not relevant to this discussion.
And I highly doubt the FCC will force state plans to drop the requirement.
And that is the main point. I'd rather carry such notices than opt out, as listeners may be annoyed by having a favorite song (that they have heard 300 times before) interrupted, the longer lasting positive image is a good thing to have.
As I stated: The FCC right now is in the midst of reviewing all State EAS Plans, so presumably all of this misinterpreted monitoring will get cleared up. Speaking from my own past personal experience, I've gone through numerous official and simulated FCC inspections, and not once did anyone ask to see a State EAS Plan (for two states). I completely understand if your situation is different than mine.
I know this probably should be on the Engineering Board, but this is also kind of a hot issue right now, because Buffalo's WBEN didn't forward or rebroadcast the NWR/NWS Blizzard Warnings when their last major blizzard took place, so they had a little splainin' to do to listeners that were calling in wondering why. You're damned if you do, and damned if you don't. They obviously didn't have their EAS box programmed to forward Blizzard Warnings. In Buffalo? What were THEY thinking?!
I know this probably should be on the Engineering Board, but this is also kind of a hot issue right now, because Buffalo's WBEN didn't forward or rebroadcast the NWR/NWS Blizzard Warnings when their last major blizzard took place, so they had a little splainin' to do to listeners that were calling in wondering why. You're damned if you do, and damned if you don't. They obviously didn't have their EAS box programmed to forward Blizzard Warnings. In Buffalo? What were THEY thinking?!
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KROQ is following the EAS requirements because their sister station KNX Radio is the main EAS radio station in Los Angeles among the Audacy stations in the area. Audacy is right to release the EAS emergency warnings.
If running an EAS alert saves the life of one person listening to your station, it is absolutely worth it.
In my case, I always went to each individual PD, and asked them, "in addition to the mandatory tests and alerts we have to send or forward, what else do you want me to program into your box," and I would give them a list of what other warnings THEY'D (potentially) like to interrupt THEIR airwaves for. We'd openly discuss it of course, and if I felt strongly about a particular warning or watch, I'd vocalize that. That put the responsibility on THEIR shoulders, and not mine (as I had enough already maintaining 5 stations). I didn't want them coming after me asking why *I* was interrupting their programming for such and such EAS alert, if they hadn't already approved it. Catch my drift?
I would think, in southern California, tornadoes are a very limited/rare threat. But they do get wildfires in fall and floods in winter.
Probably a regional difference.
This may surprise you. It’s not Oklahoma, but…
Tornadoes in California since 1950
This interactive map pinpoints where a cyclone touched down and traces its path of destruction.
data.redding.com
So exactly as I said: tornadoes in California are rare, and on average less severe than in the south and midwest.
Over the course of 5 years, California had about 7% of Texas's tornado count, and the last time the LA area had a tornado even do property damage was December 2019, when "very minor" damage was reported near Ventura harbor.
Over the course of 5 years, California had about 7% of Texas's tornado count, and the last time the LA area had a tornado even do property damage was December 2019, when "very minor" damage was reported near Ventura harbor.
It's all in how you look at it...rare by comparison to Texas, but if I'd asked you cold, would you have guessed California gets 6-7 tornadoes a year, averaged out over 72 years? Would you have guessed that there were 15 four years ago? Or 30 in 2005?
Los Angeles basin has more tornadoes per square kilometer than Oklahoma. Difference is between and F0/F1 and an F4/F5.
This may surprise you. It’s not Oklahoma, but…
Tornadoes in California since 1950
This interactive map pinpoints where a cyclone touched down and traces its path of destruction.
Yes and at the same time there is a reported tornado taking place as the storms hit the state. In this case there is a tornado scare in Calaveras county. Yes these things do happen but it's being covered up with flood and landslides hitting the rest of the state.
Right, because, to your point, far more people are endangered by floods and landslides. And I wasn't busting you---I was genuinely surprised at how frequent (and consistent---there hasn't been a year in 72 years that we've had zero tornadoes) they are.
Good point too given where we are today.
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