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Emergency Broadcast System

B

badbug

Inactive
Inactive User
I miss the EBS. I had the television and radio versions memorized in my youth.

Can anyone recall if it was ACTUALLY used for an emergency here in Seattle? If so, when? Or - is it one of those items where it was only tested?

History is interesting - and I have Da Insomnia<P ID="signature">______________
I'm a badbug - A very badbug!
-----------------------------</P>
 
> I miss the EBS. I had the television and radio versions
> memorized in my youth.

You are in need of semi-superfluous help, my friend. Then again, so am I. How could one forget them - right down to the "CD" logo. And that attention signal? Talk about ear worms...


> Can anyone recall if it was ACTUALLY used for an emergency
> here in Seattle? If so, when?

I don't recall a Seattle-specific one off hand, but there have been occasions when the ol' EBS (or EAS) was activated during flood seasons in Skagit County. Also, KLKI Anacortes once sent out the Attention Signal, et al, when a tank of ammonia leaked.
 
> > I miss the EBS. I had the television and radio versions
> > memorized in my youth.

"This is a test. This station is conducting a test of The Emergency Broadcast System. This is only a test...."

(1 kHz tone plays)

"This has been a test of the Emergency Broadcast System. The broadcasters in your area in voluntary cooperation with federal, state and local authorities have developed this system to keep you informed in the event of an emergency. If this had been an actual emergency, the attention signal you just heard would have been followed by official information, news or instructions. This station serves the (INSERT COUNTY OR REGION) area. This concludes this test of the Emergency Broadcast System..."

Some poorer, small town stations ended the announcement with this tag:

"If this had been an actual emergency, the attention signal you just heard would have been followed by information on where to tune in your area for official information, news or instructions...."

>
> You are in need of semi-superfluous help, my friend. Then
> again, so am I. How could one forget them - right down to
> the "CD" logo. And that attention signal? Talk about ear
> worms...

Conelrad. Those weird upside down triangles that marked 640 and 1240 AM on Cold War era AM radios....
>
>
> > Can anyone recall if it was ACTUALLY used for an emergency
>
> > here in Seattle? If so, when?
>
> I don't recall a Seattle-specific one off hand, but there
> have been occasions when the ol' EBS (or EAS) was activated
> during flood seasons in Skagit County. Also, KLKI Anacortes
> once sent out the Attention Signal, et al, when a tank of
> ammonia leaked.

Yes, not much happens in Seattle. But it's gone off in Bellingham too on KGMI after some chemical leaks from the Georgia-Pacific plant....
>
<P ID="signature">______________
"Never keep up with the Jones's. Drag them down to your level" - Quentin Crisp

[email protected]


</P>
 
Don't forget the two drops of audio carrier in those days. You remember the drill...

"This is a test. (For the next 60 seconds) This station is conducting a test
of the Emergency Broadcast System. This is only a test...."
SCHPREEEEEEEEEECCCCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHH!
(deafening silence)
SCHPREEEEEEEEEECCCCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHH!
(shrill tone, sometimes after a brief second of silence)
"This is a test..."

Somehow, after all those years of that, two sets of databursts with or without announcements (or crawl on TV) just doesn't satisfy - or scare. Just the sight of the "CD" logo was enough to make my skin crawl.

BTW: For as long as I remember, KVOS seemed to have their "CD" slide completely screwed-up. The CD part was fine, but the triangle pointed down. They never fixed it until the days when TV stations had to print out the announcements on screen.
 
The EBS Song

..and don't forget AFTER the tone:
-------------------------------------
> "...and that con-cludes our test..

(barnyard fiddle follows)

..of the Em-er-gen-cy Broad-cast Systeemmmmmm...

(drum roll with tympany)

..did you PAY us?"
=================================
(That's the 'CHEAP RADIO THRILLS' version..)
 
> If I recall, as a kid, the name was
> CONNEL RAD (Not sure of the acronym, but that's what it
> sounded like)
>


http://www.conelrad.com/<P ID="signature">______________
"Never keep up with the Jones's. Drag them down to your level" - Quentin Crisp

[email protected]


</P>
 
Did they have something in place during the 1965 earthquake? That was a pretty significant event back then.

> I miss the EBS. I had the television and radio versions
> memorized in my youth.
>
> Can anyone recall if it was ACTUALLY used for an emergency
> here in Seattle? If so, when? Or - is it one of those items
> where it was only tested?
>
> History is interesting - and I have Da Insomnia
>
 
Re: The EBS Song

There was also the fast-talking version John Moschitta recorded, with room for the obligatory operational area reference.

Both this and the Cheap Radio Thrills EBS jingle are and were frowned upon by the FCC, though they were kinda fun and if I remember KBRC used both.
 
> Did they have something in place during the 1965 earthquake?
> That was a pretty significant event back then.

Only that KJR played "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On" and teens around town were supposed to extrapolate the emergency....

I remember trying to save my "Mary Poppins Soundtrack" LP during that quake --- needle was skipping all over the place and I was afraid my record was gonna get scratched. For whatever reason, Dad was more concerned about the freakin' HOUSE --- clearly the first of a series of traumatic events leading to millions in ongoing therapy.
 
Re: The EBS Song

> There was also the fast-talking version John Moschitta
> recorded, with room for the obligatory operational area
> reference.
>
> Both this and the Cheap Radio Thrills EBS jingle are and
> were frowned upon by the FCC, though they were kinda fun and
> if I remember KBRC used both.
>

The FCC also frowned upon Robin Leach reading the EBS script for KUBE in the Gary Bryan days.
 
Robin Leach's EBS Bit

Derby posted:

> The FCC also frowned upon Robin Leach reading the EBS script for KUBE in the Gary Bryan days....


..and they didn't know WHY!....
 
Re: Robin Leach's EBS Bit

> Derby posted:
>
> > The FCC also frowned upon Robin Leach reading the EBS
> script for KUBE in the Gary Bryan days....

Hmmm. Never heard that before. There must be more to this story. What did Robin (or Bryan or KUBE) do to the EBS statements that got them in hot water? If he read it verbatim with no embellishments - including background music - there shouldn't have been a problem.
 
Re: Robin Leach's EBS Bit

> > > The FCC also frowned upon Robin Leach reading the EBS
> > script for KUBE in the Gary Bryan days....
>
> Hmmm. Never heard that before. There must be more to this
> story. What did Robin (or Bryan or KUBE) do to the EBS
> statements that got them in hot water? If he read it
> verbatim with no embellishments - including background music
> - there shouldn't have been a problem.

Leach didn't do anything off script...that's what made that gag so funny. You could easily recognize Leach from his "Lifestyles of rich & famous" voice overs from that era --- and having him blast through this all-too-familiar EBS copy was the kind of stuff that used to make this business so interesting!! The joke was subtle but really funny to those who really paid attention....!
 
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