1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,960 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve Camray. 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:08,880 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you get in touch with technology? With 3 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:17,600 Speaker 1: tech Stuff from how stuff works dot com. Hello again, everyone, 4 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:19,759 Speaker 1: and welcome to check stuff. My name is Chris Poulette 5 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:21,799 Speaker 1: and I'm an editor at how stuff works dot com. 6 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 1: Sitting across from me as always a senior writer, Jonathan 7 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: Strickland me. This was a test of the tech Stuff 8 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: podcast system. If this were not a test, you would 9 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:34,280 Speaker 1: have heard a pun by Now. That's so, we wanted 10 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:37,519 Speaker 1: to do an episode about the emergency broadcast system. This 11 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:39,600 Speaker 1: was actually a request that was sent in by a 12 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 1: couple of different listeners, which is interesting because it doesn't 13 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:46,879 Speaker 1: really technically exist anymore. Now we have a new system 14 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:49,640 Speaker 1: in the United States called the Emergency Alert System. Also, 15 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 1: I should apologize to all of our listeners from places 16 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 1: other than the United States. This is a very United 17 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: States centric podcast. But it's interesting anyway, trust me. Well, 18 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 1: it's it's becomes something that's uh that's important in most 19 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 1: situations too. I mean they're they're uh tragedies and big 20 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:10,400 Speaker 1: events that happen in places all over the world, so 21 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 1: that the question is you've got a country. Um, you know, 22 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 1: it doesn't have to necessarily be the United States, but 23 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: we have a country, you have millions of people living 24 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 1: there and something is happening. There's an earthquake or a 25 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 1: tsunami or uh, some other kind of accident, um, or 26 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: another country is invading or something like that. You know, 27 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 1: something big where you need to tell people, Hey, look out, 28 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 1: there's something you need to evacuate. You need to get 29 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:34,559 Speaker 1: out of there. How do you address so many people 30 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:37,840 Speaker 1: in a short time. Now, for the United States, what 31 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 1: inspired this was the need to reach out to people 32 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:44,560 Speaker 1: during World War two, um, and there there wasn't a 33 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 1: system and its subsequently the Cold War. Yeah, yeah, well, 34 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 1: I mean the the whole uh, the end of the 35 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 1: the Second World War ended, of course with the dropping 36 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: of two atomic bombs on Japan, and um, you know, 37 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 1: it was apparent because other countries had that technology pretty 38 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 1: much right away and that that The Cold War between 39 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:07,840 Speaker 1: the United States and the Soviet Union began shortly after that, 40 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 1: and then there was a um, there was a big 41 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 1: fear in the United States. But about um, what would 42 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 1: happen if the Soviet Union launched a nuclear attack on 43 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 1: the United States. How do you warn people, and they said, well, 44 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:25,119 Speaker 1: you know, judging by UH what we did in World 45 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:27,919 Speaker 1: War Two, that was fairly effective. But we need a system, 46 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: we need we need to plan, we need to figure 47 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:33,240 Speaker 1: out how we can do this effectively and let everybody 48 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 1: know in a short period of time because we're not 49 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 1: going to have long we need to have a short 50 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 1: period of time, a message in place, how can we 51 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: reach out to people? And that was basically the birth 52 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:47,960 Speaker 1: of UM what now is the Emergency Alert System. But 53 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 1: at that point UH was known as Connell rad UH 54 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:56,639 Speaker 1: in fact, which wasn't by the way, kind of sort 55 00:02:56,680 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 1: of an acronym for a control of electromagnetic radiation. Kind 56 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 1: of terrifying, right, But that was established in nineteen fifty 57 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 1: one by under the administration of Harry S. Truman, Quick quick, 58 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 1: quick trivia was the S stand for nothing, that's right, 59 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:15,520 Speaker 1: Harry S. Truman stood for nothing. Wait, no, that's not right, 60 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 1: stood for nothing. He just wanted it, you know, like 61 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:21,920 Speaker 1: Michael J. Yes. So you don't say, like the S 62 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:24,800 Speaker 1: stands for nothing, Like nothing isn't spelled with S. I 63 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 1: don't mean to confuse you. The S doesn't mean anything. 64 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:31,959 Speaker 1: So control of electromagnetic radiation getting back on track. Prior 65 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:36,600 Speaker 1: to nineteen fifty one, these alerts went out over radio stations. 66 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:38,600 Speaker 1: They would get like an emergency bulletin, and it was 67 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 1: pretty much up to the station whether or not they 68 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 1: read it. Um Connel Red kind of established a specific 69 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: protocol that needed to be followed in the event of 70 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 1: an emergency, and originally the idea was that it would 71 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 1: alert citizens of the United States of an impending attack 72 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 1: from the Soviet Union. In those days, we're talking about 73 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 1: before intercontinental ballistic missiles, so these attacks would take the 74 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 1: form of bombers flying overhead, and so Comerade had two 75 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:09,840 Speaker 1: main purposes really. One was to issue alerts to citizens 76 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 1: to try and get them to safety as soon as 77 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 1: possible in the case of the attack, and the second 78 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:19,400 Speaker 1: was to minimize the ability of the Soviets to target 79 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 1: UH specific areas based on radio frequencies. So part of 80 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:28,240 Speaker 1: the Conrad protocol was that radio stations would shut down 81 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 1: and they would only UH broadcast in a certain amount 82 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:37,480 Speaker 1: of time and under certain frequencies. So under the Comrade 83 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 1: protocol you essentially had this This is what would happen 84 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 1: if if someone were to issue alert. By the way, 85 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 1: no alert was ever issued. It was originally called a 86 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:49,160 Speaker 1: key station system, and the idea was that you had 87 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:52,680 Speaker 1: these dedicated telephone circuits that connected the Air Defense control 88 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:57,919 Speaker 1: centers to certain key radio stations called basic key stations. 89 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:01,800 Speaker 1: If there were an adependent attack, the air Defense Control 90 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 1: center would issue the alert to the key radio stations, 91 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 1: these basic key stations that would then issue that same 92 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:11,320 Speaker 1: alert to relay key stations. These would be smaller regional 93 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 1: radio stations. Uh so they It was sort of a hierarchy, right. 94 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:18,560 Speaker 1: It went from Air Defense control centers to a certain 95 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:22,279 Speaker 1: number of basic radio stations to every other radio station. 96 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:25,720 Speaker 1: Once they received the alert, the radio stations would then 97 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:28,359 Speaker 1: broadcast a predetermined message out to the listeners. And the 98 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 1: way it would work is that the stations would turn 99 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:34,719 Speaker 1: off for five seconds, so they've stopped transmitting for five seconds, 100 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:37,839 Speaker 1: Come back on for five seconds, go off for five 101 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 1: more seconds, then come on and transmit a tone for 102 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:44,279 Speaker 1: fifteen seconds. Now, this was the the audible alert saying 103 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:48,080 Speaker 1: something is up. You get the predetermined message, uh, actually 104 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 1: we're really What you had to do was tuned to 105 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:54,040 Speaker 1: one of two frequencies. There was a frequency killer Hurts 106 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 1: frequency and the twelve forty killer hurts frequency. Now, these 107 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:00,800 Speaker 1: two frequencies were the only two that were authorized to 108 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:06,159 Speaker 1: broadcast during one of these emergencies, and uh, on radios 109 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:09,080 Speaker 1: at the time, you would see this little symbol over 110 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 1: those those frequencies and it was a triangle inside a circle, 111 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:17,159 Speaker 1: and that's the civil Defense mark. Yeah, you might remember 112 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:20,159 Speaker 1: the symbol sort of red, white and blue if you've 113 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:24,280 Speaker 1: seen it around and uh it's still not terribly uncommon 114 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 1: to see it every once in a while someplace. So yeah, 115 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:29,280 Speaker 1: but that was that was saying like, these are the 116 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:32,279 Speaker 1: two frequencies. If you if your favorite radio station isn't on, 117 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:35,479 Speaker 1: tune into this station because this is where the information 118 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:38,680 Speaker 1: is going to come from. Uh. It was not the 119 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 1: best system for a couple of different reasons. One was 120 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 1: that it was prone to false alarms if like an 121 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:48,760 Speaker 1: electrical storm could set off a false alarm. Because you're 122 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:51,760 Speaker 1: talking about electricity and radio frequencies, there is a relationship 123 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:54,920 Speaker 1: there and we have talked about that extensively on this podcast. 124 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:57,840 Speaker 1: So listen to our episodes about radio to learn more 125 00:06:57,839 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 1: about electro magnetism, radio waves, and electricity. Because I can't 126 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:04,440 Speaker 1: go into it here, but the the lightning strikes could 127 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:06,720 Speaker 1: cause false alarms, which is, you know, a bad thing 128 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:11,000 Speaker 1: if if you've been told that this alert system means 129 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 1: that there's an impending attack from Soviet planes, it might 130 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:18,960 Speaker 1: cause a little stress. Also, the switching mechanism, because it 131 00:07:18,960 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 1: would make transmitters switch on and off in this this 132 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:26,239 Speaker 1: um the sequence could cause transmitters to fail over time. 133 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:29,400 Speaker 1: It just from powering up and powering down so frequently 134 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 1: within a certain amount of time. And then, of course, UH, 135 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:37,440 Speaker 1: this whole system, this idea of cutting off radio contact 136 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:41,560 Speaker 1: so that you could minimize the ability for Soviets to 137 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:47,400 Speaker 1: target in on specific regions, it became meaningless once intercontinental 138 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 1: ballistic missiles became a real thing, because now you're not 139 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 1: talking about planes anymore, you're talking about guided missiles and 140 00:07:55,840 --> 00:08:01,400 Speaker 1: UH or at least targeted missiles. So it became clear 141 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:05,480 Speaker 1: that connal red was starting to no longer be very relevant. 142 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:08,960 Speaker 1: So they the government started to think, well, what can 143 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:12,600 Speaker 1: we do that will provide a similar method for us 144 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:16,760 Speaker 1: to message out emergency notices, but use a different approach, 145 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:20,560 Speaker 1: And that was what sort of led into the development 146 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:25,720 Speaker 1: of the Emergency Broadcast System e B S YEP. In nine, 147 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 1: EBS made its debut um and uh again it it 148 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:33,720 Speaker 1: never was used, of course to uh, to communicate the 149 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:39,800 Speaker 1: threat of war, not on purpose. We'll get but I'm 150 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:44,520 Speaker 1: assuming that you listened to the w O w um. 151 00:08:44,559 --> 00:08:47,360 Speaker 1: We'll get to that. But yeah, I mean it was 152 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:51,280 Speaker 1: a much more robust system. Um. And it's during the 153 00:08:51,360 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 1: Kennedy administration for those of you keeping track, yep, yep 154 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:56,640 Speaker 1: and um. One of the nice things about it is 155 00:08:57,240 --> 00:09:00,560 Speaker 1: uh here again, well you could kind of tell kind 156 00:09:00,559 --> 00:09:03,680 Speaker 1: of judge the mood to UM. If you had heard 157 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:08,480 Speaker 1: something come over Conald Rad, you probably immediately would have 158 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:12,600 Speaker 1: thought war. But EBS was actually used for other things too. 159 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:17,280 Speaker 1: I remember weather alerts coming in using the exact same thing, 160 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:19,679 Speaker 1: and so you would hear and this was used on 161 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:22,840 Speaker 1: multiple radio stations. You didn't necessarily have to tune into 162 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:25,760 Speaker 1: one radio station to get your information. It would be 163 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:28,760 Speaker 1: broadcast over TV and radio because you no longer had 164 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:32,040 Speaker 1: to worry about that targeting issue. Then meant that all 165 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:35,160 Speaker 1: the stations could be used instead of having to tune 166 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:37,560 Speaker 1: into a specific one while everything else is turned off. 167 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:41,240 Speaker 1: And hey, that's more effective anyway to reach people. Um. 168 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:45,240 Speaker 1: But yeah, you would hear this, this tone which it's 169 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 1: hard to explain it. If you've never heard it, you're 170 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:51,600 Speaker 1: splitting other than you're splitting and annoying. But it does 171 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:55,480 Speaker 1: get your attention. Apparently it's the combined sign waves of 172 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:59,040 Speaker 1: eight hundred and fifty three hurts and nine sixty hurts 173 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:02,360 Speaker 1: specifically cho and because it does grab your attention, because 174 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:07,240 Speaker 1: it's very jarring, yes to hear it. It's just you 175 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 1: can't ignore it. If you can hear, you can't ignore it. 176 00:10:10,440 --> 00:10:13,760 Speaker 1: That's that's true. Um. And of course, uh, those of 177 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:15,560 Speaker 1: us who are familiar with it other than you know, 178 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:19,440 Speaker 1: being living somewhere where they're multiple weather uh situations like 179 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:24,960 Speaker 1: tornadoes or tornadoes. Um, you would probably have heard this 180 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:28,920 Speaker 1: through the the alerts which Jonathan and I grew up with, 181 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:31,240 Speaker 1: which was the testing. Yeah, they would say they would 182 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:32,959 Speaker 1: come on and say, well, this is a test of 183 00:10:32,960 --> 00:10:36,240 Speaker 1: the emergency broadcast system and for the next sixty seconds, 184 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:38,280 Speaker 1: we will be testing out the emergency broadcast system. It 185 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:40,680 Speaker 1: would there was actually a very specific script that would fall, 186 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:43,320 Speaker 1: and then there would be after they would tell you 187 00:10:43,559 --> 00:10:46,800 Speaker 1: there's a test coming, they would play this tone and 188 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:49,280 Speaker 1: then there'd be another message that would appear at the 189 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:51,839 Speaker 1: end saying this was a test of the emergency broadcast system. 190 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:54,240 Speaker 1: If this had been a real emergency, you would have 191 00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:57,440 Speaker 1: received more information at this point alerting you to blah 192 00:10:57,440 --> 00:10:59,240 Speaker 1: blah blah, blah blah, we now return you to your 193 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:02,040 Speaker 1: regularly scheduled programming type stuff. And they were required to 194 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:04,640 Speaker 1: do this test once in a week. Yeah, regular, on 195 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:06,960 Speaker 1: a regular basis. I didn't think it was quite that frequently. 196 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:09,439 Speaker 1: And it was once a week unless you had actually 197 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 1: had to issue a real alert. If you had to 198 00:11:13,520 --> 00:11:15,840 Speaker 1: issue a real alert, could skip over some time. But 199 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:19,000 Speaker 1: it was once a week at essentially a random time 200 00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:21,920 Speaker 1: between eight thirty in the morning and sunset at night. 201 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:27,120 Speaker 1: Uh sometime during the week. So it wasn't that we'll 202 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:29,680 Speaker 1: get into this too. There wasn't a time where every 203 00:11:29,679 --> 00:11:31,520 Speaker 1: single station had to do it at the same time. 204 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:35,840 Speaker 1: It was unique to the various stations. And like you 205 00:11:35,880 --> 00:11:38,640 Speaker 1: were saying, Chris, you know these alerts went out not 206 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:41,120 Speaker 1: just for a national emergency. In fact, they never went 207 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 1: out on purpose for a national emergency instead. Uh so, 208 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:49,240 Speaker 1: so never it was never used purposefully for that reason, 209 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:52,600 Speaker 1: even though that was the genesis of this system. It 210 00:11:52,679 --> 00:11:55,560 Speaker 1: was used more than Oh I don't know several thousand 211 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 1: times to alert for civil emergencies, sometimes an alert about 212 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:03,200 Speaker 1: to be on the lookout for a suspect in a 213 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 1: in a particularly nasty crime that could be an alert, 214 00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:08,920 Speaker 1: or for the weather alerts like the ones that Chris 215 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:12,040 Speaker 1: and I grew up with. I I can remember that 216 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:17,800 Speaker 1: happening so many times. Well. The uh, The way the 217 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:23,040 Speaker 1: emergency broadcast system worked was that the only message that 218 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:26,480 Speaker 1: no station could ignore or was supposed to ignore, was 219 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:30,160 Speaker 1: a national one. Right, So if you are a radio 220 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:33,200 Speaker 1: station in the middle of nowhere and the national alert 221 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:36,560 Speaker 1: goes out, you were supposed to to broadcast it just 222 00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:40,079 Speaker 1: like every other station in the country, whereas if it 223 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:43,040 Speaker 1: were a local or regional you may or may not 224 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:47,079 Speaker 1: have been able to ignore that message and not broadcast it. 225 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:50,400 Speaker 1: The way it worked was that, again like the connal 226 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:53,040 Speaker 1: red system, where you had the key stations, the basic 227 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:55,959 Speaker 1: key stations, and the relay key stations, there was a 228 00:12:56,040 --> 00:13:00,240 Speaker 1: similar setup for the emergency broadcast system. You had had 229 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:04,119 Speaker 1: these primary points of contact, which would be major broadcast 230 00:13:04,120 --> 00:13:07,800 Speaker 1: stations usually, but these primary points of contact had to 231 00:13:08,160 --> 00:13:11,240 Speaker 1: issue all broadcast all the alerts they got. They had 232 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:13,680 Speaker 1: no choice because they were a primary point of contact. 233 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:16,480 Speaker 1: But if you were further down the chain, like you 234 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:19,800 Speaker 1: were a secondary point or further down, then you could 235 00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:23,720 Speaker 1: elect whether or not to broadcast that alert, assuming it 236 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:25,800 Speaker 1: wasn't a national alert that was the only one. Of 237 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:30,280 Speaker 1: course everyone had to broadcast. So um, you know there 238 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:32,480 Speaker 1: were that That explains why you might be in an 239 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:37,560 Speaker 1: area where a weather service alert is being broadcast and 240 00:13:37,640 --> 00:13:39,559 Speaker 1: you saw it on one channel, but you switched to 241 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 1: another local channel, and there's nothing that could be why. 242 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:45,240 Speaker 1: It may be that that other channels not a primary 243 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:51,240 Speaker 1: point and therefore was not required to broadcast it. Um. Now, 244 00:13:51,559 --> 00:13:56,599 Speaker 1: the the incident that Jonathan mentioned, famous incident. Now, I 245 00:13:56,840 --> 00:13:59,120 Speaker 1: read an account of this from a person who was 246 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:02,720 Speaker 1: working at a radio station in St. Louis at the 247 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:05,360 Speaker 1: time it happened. Um, at the time it happened, by 248 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:09,520 Speaker 1: the way his February. And what he had said was 249 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:14,840 Speaker 1: that every Saturday at ten thirty three, the radio stations 250 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:20,440 Speaker 1: would receive a test message from Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado, 251 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:23,240 Speaker 1: and so basically it would say and there was a 252 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:27,600 Speaker 1: code word that it would include that would let you 253 00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:31,160 Speaker 1: know that it was was genuine. And so at ten 254 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:34,280 Speaker 1: thirty three, UM, there there was a teletype machine in 255 00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:36,400 Speaker 1: the other room, and he heard it and and typically 256 00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:38,480 Speaker 1: it would it would dig a couple of times to 257 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:40,880 Speaker 1: let you know, hey, there's something something on the wire, 258 00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:43,160 Speaker 1: you know, a news story on the wire. But this 259 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:48,080 Speaker 1: one rang ten times, which he knew was a big deal. Um, 260 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:51,480 Speaker 1: And so he ran into the other room and got 261 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:57,320 Speaker 1: a message that said he needed to broadcast a warning 262 00:14:57,480 --> 00:15:01,400 Speaker 1: that there was an announcement come from the national you know, 263 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:05,520 Speaker 1: from the federal government, and it was something bad and impending, 264 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:08,440 Speaker 1: and be on the alert because it was time to 265 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:12,040 Speaker 1: broadcast a message. But they really weren't told what that 266 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:16,000 Speaker 1: message was. What it was. Well, see here's the thing, hateful, hateful, 267 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:18,960 Speaker 1: the you know, which was a code word, meaning that 268 00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:21,120 Speaker 1: the code that was actually a code word. The hateful 269 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:24,440 Speaker 1: was a code word that meant there's a messages coming up, 270 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:27,280 Speaker 1: there's an attack coming up, but more details will follow. 271 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:30,800 Speaker 1: Go ahead and initiate the alert system. And it was 272 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:34,160 Speaker 1: a mistake that was made by a teletype operator who 273 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:37,320 Speaker 1: sent this authenticated code out to the system, which meant 274 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:39,960 Speaker 1: it went to all those those primary points of contact, 275 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:43,800 Speaker 1: and it didn't say it didn't say a minute later, Oops, 276 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:46,360 Speaker 1: my bad. No no, it took a while, and in fact, 277 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:48,760 Speaker 1: the first time they tried to resend it, they sent 278 00:15:48,920 --> 00:15:52,440 Speaker 1: the wrong code, so it didn't resend the message. It 279 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:56,160 Speaker 1: was only forty minutes after the initial message was sent 280 00:15:56,160 --> 00:16:00,520 Speaker 1: out that the cancelation the correct cancelation and went out. 281 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:04,359 Speaker 1: So what happened was actually very telling in a way 282 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:07,840 Speaker 1: because some radio, radio and television stations actually a lot 283 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:10,320 Speaker 1: of them didn't do anything at all, so they did 284 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:13,760 Speaker 1: not broadcast this message, and that, in a way is 285 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:16,680 Speaker 1: a problem because the whole purpose of the system is 286 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:20,760 Speaker 1: to relay a national emergency to everybody. Now. Now, in 287 00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:22,680 Speaker 1: many of these cases, it may be that the people 288 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:26,000 Speaker 1: in charge said, there's no information here, we have no 289 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:29,160 Speaker 1: real I mean, it's a confirmed code, but there's no 290 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 1: confirmed information and we have nothing to share with people. 291 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:35,760 Speaker 1: So why would we go ahead and do this when 292 00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:38,000 Speaker 1: we don't have any information we could give them. Yeah, 293 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 1: they were standing by to broadcast whatever the major announcement 294 00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:46,920 Speaker 1: was about the attack. Some of them hadn't even signaled 295 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:50,160 Speaker 1: the alert, right, They just the programming just kept on going, 296 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:53,160 Speaker 1: But other stations did. Some of them didn't know what 297 00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:56,320 Speaker 1: to do, so some of them weren't doing it. On purpose. 298 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:57,800 Speaker 1: Some of them weren't doing it because they didn't know 299 00:16:57,840 --> 00:17:00,000 Speaker 1: what they were supposed to do, and a few actually 300 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:02,960 Speaker 1: broke into programming and said, we've received an alert from 301 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:05,720 Speaker 1: the Emergency Broadcast System. We know that there is a 302 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:10,560 Speaker 1: national emergency. We're a waiting for more information. Please stand by. 303 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:13,920 Speaker 1: And what Chris was talking about earlier was there are 304 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:15,879 Speaker 1: there a couple of recordings on the internet you can 305 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:19,400 Speaker 1: listen to that we're taken from that day, and one 306 00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:22,000 Speaker 1: of them is from an radio station from Fort Wayne, 307 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:24,960 Speaker 1: Indiana called w O w OH, and you can listen 308 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:26,720 Speaker 1: to that and you can find it on the internet. 309 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:32,639 Speaker 1: The actual it's snippets from that. It's been edited. It's sorry, 310 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:36,240 Speaker 1: it's been edited down so that you get, uh sections, 311 00:17:36,359 --> 00:17:40,000 Speaker 1: the important sections of of the broadcast. It's about what 312 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:42,600 Speaker 1: six minutes or so long, keeping in mind that that 313 00:17:42,640 --> 00:17:44,840 Speaker 1: whole window was more like forty minutes, So this is 314 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:48,320 Speaker 1: six minutes of footage footage from six minutes of content 315 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:50,760 Speaker 1: from that forty minute window. Yeah, So basically what it 316 00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:53,879 Speaker 1: said was, you know, hey, there there's something coming up. 317 00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:56,359 Speaker 1: It's it's um. It's one of those things that would 318 00:17:56,400 --> 00:17:58,879 Speaker 1: be funny if it weren't. If you don't put yourself 319 00:17:58,920 --> 00:18:01,240 Speaker 1: back at that time had been terrifying. It would have 320 00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:04,040 Speaker 1: been terrifying because he's the person who was on the air. 321 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:08,560 Speaker 1: Was a you could tell, was that uh seasoned newsperson. Yeah, yeah, 322 00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:10,800 Speaker 1: he Uh, he was very serious and said, you know, 323 00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:13,960 Speaker 1: there's there's been a message. We're waiting word for what's 324 00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:16,240 Speaker 1: going on. Uh, if you are listening and you are 325 00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:19,399 Speaker 1: one of our reporters, come here immediately. We need you 326 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:23,520 Speaker 1: here right now. And and basically was talking, uh, not 327 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:26,040 Speaker 1: only to the audience but to the the other reporters 328 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:29,480 Speaker 1: who might be listening. The message itself actually said, UM, 329 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:34,360 Speaker 1: message authenticator, hatefulness, hatefulness. This is an emergency action notification 330 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:38,560 Speaker 1: directed by the President. Normal broadcasting will cease immediately. All 331 00:18:38,600 --> 00:18:42,199 Speaker 1: stations will broadcast e A N message one preceded by 332 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:46,080 Speaker 1: the attention signal. Per FCC rules, only stations holding nd 333 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:48,359 Speaker 1: N D e A may stay on the air and 334 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:53,280 Speaker 1: according and accord with State E B S plan. And uh, 335 00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:57,920 Speaker 1: that would have scared the pants off of me. Um. 336 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:00,439 Speaker 1: And it took a while. As Jonathan said, you know, 337 00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:02,960 Speaker 1: kill e A N message. It was sent in error, 338 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:05,960 Speaker 1: and it took a while for it to UH to 339 00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:09,960 Speaker 1: show up. But the person he the person who I was, 340 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:11,399 Speaker 1: I was reading, I should have gotten the the U 341 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:12,840 Speaker 1: R L if I can find it real quick for 342 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:16,639 Speaker 1: you guys, I will um. The the person who was, 343 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:21,800 Speaker 1: who has actually posted photos of scans of his copies 344 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:26,400 Speaker 1: of these messages, was saying, excuse the burn marks. I 345 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:30,080 Speaker 1: was smoking pretty heavily through this incidence. I think he 346 00:19:30,119 --> 00:19:33,440 Speaker 1: was kind of stressed out. If you listen to the 347 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:37,480 Speaker 1: recording from the w O w O UH incident, you 348 00:19:37,520 --> 00:19:42,360 Speaker 1: actually hear the the newscaster kind of chuckling once the 349 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:45,720 Speaker 1: once the order was sent out about this was a mistake, 350 00:19:46,200 --> 00:19:47,919 Speaker 1: and you know, kind of kind of because you know 351 00:19:48,119 --> 00:19:49,960 Speaker 1: clearly it was one of the stressful things, and the 352 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:53,120 Speaker 1: chuckling is him releasing that stress. And it is an 353 00:19:53,119 --> 00:19:57,119 Speaker 1: interesting moment in history to kind of pick up on that. UM. 354 00:19:57,160 --> 00:20:00,399 Speaker 1: So yeah, not that was the only time that at 355 00:20:00,640 --> 00:20:03,280 Speaker 1: a national alert went out across the system, and again 356 00:20:03,320 --> 00:20:06,440 Speaker 1: it wasn't a real one. It was a mistake. UM. 357 00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:10,679 Speaker 1: And then what was supposed to happen is that, depending 358 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:14,600 Speaker 1: upon the nature of the emergency, UH stations are supposed 359 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:18,160 Speaker 1: to read from a predetermined script like it's it's they're 360 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:20,760 Speaker 1: not supposed to just you know, kind of provide commentary 361 00:20:20,760 --> 00:20:23,240 Speaker 1: on it. There's a specific message that needs to be relayed. 362 00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:29,080 Speaker 1: And so that was the general purpose of the emergency 363 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:31,880 Speaker 1: Broadcast system, but it was starting to show its age, uh, 364 00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:35,320 Speaker 1: particularly in the nineties, because you started to have other 365 00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:40,280 Speaker 1: methods of getting content on your television besides broadcast TV, 366 00:20:41,080 --> 00:20:45,480 Speaker 1: and the Emergency Broadcast system really affected radio and broadcast television. 367 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:49,879 Speaker 1: So there needed to be an overhaul of the system, 368 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:52,199 Speaker 1: and that's what happened in the late nineties, and in 369 00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:55,920 Speaker 1: ninety eight you had the Emergency Alert System take its place. 370 00:20:57,080 --> 00:20:59,360 Speaker 1: And now you might say, well, what's the difference. Well, 371 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:03,080 Speaker 1: for one thing, it doesn't just include broadcast stations. It 372 00:21:03,119 --> 00:21:07,120 Speaker 1: also includes cable and participating satellite systems. So now you've 373 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:10,960 Speaker 1: got other methods of broadcast or or you know, other 374 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:13,960 Speaker 1: methods of getting content over your television included in this. 375 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:18,440 Speaker 1: So that way, if a citizen is watching cable television 376 00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:21,760 Speaker 1: or something on satellite TV, they could still have access 377 00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:26,080 Speaker 1: to an emergency message. Because clearly, you know, you don't 378 00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:28,639 Speaker 1: want to leave everybody out. As as people have more 379 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:31,600 Speaker 1: and more ways of watching stuff, it's harder to reach 380 00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:35,040 Speaker 1: them in a centralized way. Yeah. These these systems were 381 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:38,720 Speaker 1: developed to run on AM and FM radio and the 382 00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:41,800 Speaker 1: local broadcast stations. So now we've gone from in the 383 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:45,960 Speaker 1: United States, UM, let's say, on average, probably three or 384 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:50,119 Speaker 1: four regular network broadcast stations, maybe a couple independence in 385 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:53,400 Speaker 1: the larger you know city, something in the ultra high 386 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:57,320 Speaker 1: frequency yeah, you know, maybe uh, six or six to 387 00:21:57,359 --> 00:22:00,240 Speaker 1: ten stations in big big markets. UM. Then you to 388 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:06,480 Speaker 1: dozens or even hundreds of stations now with cable and satellite, um, 389 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:09,600 Speaker 1: you know, plus uh you know the radio stations which 390 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:13,159 Speaker 1: have exploded in number, um, satellite radio and all the 391 00:22:13,160 --> 00:22:16,159 Speaker 1: other media that we listen to now. So yeah, the system, 392 00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:18,240 Speaker 1: there's a lot of people. You know, the system needed 393 00:22:18,240 --> 00:22:22,080 Speaker 1: to evolve with that development. And of course even now 394 00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:25,520 Speaker 1: we're still we're already seeing a need for that too, 395 00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:29,400 Speaker 1: find another way of reaching people because as people start 396 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:32,480 Speaker 1: to use the Internet to get content, now there's yet 397 00:22:32,560 --> 00:22:36,439 Speaker 1: another avenue for information to get to them. But you know, 398 00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:39,560 Speaker 1: this system was not designed with that in mind, so 399 00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 1: there's already another need coming out. But at anyway, the 400 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:47,280 Speaker 1: way it works now, the National Weather Service actually has 401 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:52,480 Speaker 1: specific codes that they can attached to notices so that 402 00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:56,560 Speaker 1: those digital codes will send the message just to the 403 00:22:56,640 --> 00:23:00,000 Speaker 1: relevant regions. So that way, if they're if the net 404 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:02,600 Speaker 1: and Weather Service detects that there's going to be you know, 405 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:06,280 Speaker 1: a massive hurricane hitting the panhandle of Florida, it can 406 00:23:06,359 --> 00:23:12,879 Speaker 1: send an alert to say, Texas and Florida and you know, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, 407 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:17,280 Speaker 1: all those areas that could potentially be affected by heavy rains, winds, 408 00:23:17,359 --> 00:23:19,880 Speaker 1: that sort of stuff, and the rest of the nation 409 00:23:19,920 --> 00:23:23,359 Speaker 1: is unaffected, or even the rest you know, the rest 410 00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:25,520 Speaker 1: of certain states, like the northern part of the state, 411 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:29,000 Speaker 1: might not be affected because they're far enough away from 412 00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:30,679 Speaker 1: the coast where at least it's not gonna be an 413 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:34,560 Speaker 1: immediate effect. They might not get the message either, uh. 414 00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:36,800 Speaker 1: And it's so that the right information gets to the 415 00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:38,800 Speaker 1: right people. And it makes sense, you know, you don't 416 00:23:38,840 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 1: want to send out a message to the entire nation 417 00:23:41,600 --> 00:23:44,080 Speaker 1: that for something it's just going to affect a relatively 418 00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:48,720 Speaker 1: small um area of the nation as a whole. United 419 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:53,200 Speaker 1: States is big, so uh, yeah, it was. It's something 420 00:23:53,240 --> 00:23:57,280 Speaker 1: that that has evolved over time. The and the other 421 00:23:57,280 --> 00:23:58,840 Speaker 1: thing I was going to talk about was what happened 422 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:02,760 Speaker 1: on November nine eleven. Yeah. Um, there is one sort 423 00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:07,080 Speaker 1: of interesting footnote um to the the e B S 424 00:24:07,160 --> 00:24:12,240 Speaker 1: ERA passing from to the E A S ERA. UM. 425 00:24:12,359 --> 00:24:15,520 Speaker 1: E B S was not activated during the September eleven, 426 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:19,399 Speaker 1: two thousand and one attacks, um, which is kind of 427 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:22,960 Speaker 1: interesting that they chose not to do uh to use 428 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:26,760 Speaker 1: the alert at that time, particularly since the attacks affected 429 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:31,600 Speaker 1: multiple targets in multiple cities, so it is would have 430 00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:36,000 Speaker 1: affected even more had not the flight in Pennsylvania gone down. 431 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:40,960 Speaker 1: So just just sort of an interesting footnote there. Um. 432 00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:45,240 Speaker 1: But Yes, on November uh, the e A S made 433 00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:48,840 Speaker 1: its debut. Yeah, and the system had been in place. 434 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:55,040 Speaker 1: But what happened was because the system was was the 435 00:24:55,119 --> 00:24:57,200 Speaker 1: e A S was actually what would have been used 436 00:24:57,359 --> 00:25:01,359 Speaker 1: in September eleven, so so on no member. What happened 437 00:25:01,359 --> 00:25:04,520 Speaker 1: was it was tested nationally and this was the first 438 00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:07,919 Speaker 1: time any of these systems had ever been tested on 439 00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:13,400 Speaker 1: a national level, meaning that every participating station was going 440 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:18,400 Speaker 1: to display the test at the same time, and that 441 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:20,679 Speaker 1: time was going to be UM it was two pm 442 00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:25,080 Speaker 1: Eastern for on November n which means that if you 443 00:25:25,119 --> 00:25:27,199 Speaker 1: didn't know about it ahead of time and turned on 444 00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:29,880 Speaker 1: your television. You would see this alert and you think, oh, 445 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:31,920 Speaker 1: this is irritating this that one of those stupid tests 446 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:34,480 Speaker 1: and change the channel, and that alert is still going 447 00:25:34,520 --> 00:25:37,199 Speaker 1: and it's going on this ocean. Oh, this is something. 448 00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:39,480 Speaker 1: And so there were a lot of messages that were 449 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:45,639 Speaker 1: sent out before two pm November to let people know, Hey, 450 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:49,040 Speaker 1: this is gonna happen. Don't worry, the zombies aren't here yet, 451 00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:53,280 Speaker 1: or whatever other national emergency you might be able to 452 00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:55,080 Speaker 1: conjure up in your mind. I just cannot imagine a 453 00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:58,640 Speaker 1: national emergency at this point that does not involve zombies. Right. Well, 454 00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:03,240 Speaker 1: there are according to the Christian Science Monitor, UM, there 455 00:26:03,280 --> 00:26:08,280 Speaker 1: were fourteen thousand and more broadcast stations both for TV 456 00:26:08,359 --> 00:26:13,080 Speaker 1: and radio, plus more than uh ten thous cable TV stations. 457 00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:17,679 Speaker 1: So this is all being done at the same time. Um, 458 00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:21,000 Speaker 1: and uh, it's able to reach a lot more people. 459 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:24,200 Speaker 1: But they're already talking about, um, how they can reach 460 00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:29,480 Speaker 1: people via text message and in other locations. Um, you know, 461 00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:32,399 Speaker 1: they're they're already talking again about how they can improve 462 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:36,959 Speaker 1: this this system to make it reach more people. UM, 463 00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:40,919 Speaker 1: which is uh, you know, kind of funny since it 464 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:44,480 Speaker 1: probably reaches more now than it ever has before. UM, 465 00:26:44,880 --> 00:26:48,119 Speaker 1: I can imagine that it's going to do things like 466 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:53,119 Speaker 1: promoted tweets. Yeah yeah, well there you laugh. But I 467 00:26:53,119 --> 00:26:55,520 Speaker 1: can easily imagine that it's just you know, and I 468 00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:58,800 Speaker 1: absolutely see it. Um and it Uh. It's also important 469 00:26:58,840 --> 00:27:02,800 Speaker 1: to to realize that this does more than just announced 470 00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:05,960 Speaker 1: stay an attack like connald rad would. UM. There are 471 00:27:05,960 --> 00:27:09,240 Speaker 1: more than I believe eighty different kinds of messages they 472 00:27:09,240 --> 00:27:11,199 Speaker 1: can use the e A s for, including things like 473 00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:16,480 Speaker 1: childhood abduction alerts. Yes and uh. Here here in Atlanta, 474 00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:19,840 Speaker 1: we have a highway that goes around the outside of 475 00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:24,720 Speaker 1: the city known as the Perimeter obvious reasons, Yeah highway 476 00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:27,919 Speaker 1: or Interstate eighty five, and there are electronic signs that 477 00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:29,680 Speaker 1: they can use a lot of a lot of times 478 00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:33,159 Speaker 1: you'll see stuff like, well there's a traffic up ahead 479 00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:36,480 Speaker 1: or be you know, be aware there's an accident. Um. 480 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:40,240 Speaker 1: But they also use this messaging on those signs as well. 481 00:27:40,359 --> 00:27:43,199 Speaker 1: So that's a way for people to uh, for the 482 00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:45,800 Speaker 1: authorities to reach us with these kinds of messages. On 483 00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:49,600 Speaker 1: the side, note, how can a highway that encircles a 484 00:27:49,720 --> 00:27:54,520 Speaker 1: city that's all within one state be an interstate? Jonathan, 485 00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:57,720 Speaker 1: I'm just asking these are questions that appeared that that 486 00:27:57,960 --> 00:28:00,280 Speaker 1: happened in my head. And I want to know why 487 00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:02,560 Speaker 1: do you drive in the parkway and parking and driveway? 488 00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:04,879 Speaker 1: I also want to know that I don't name these things, 489 00:28:04,920 --> 00:28:07,280 Speaker 1: I just report them. If our legs bent backwards, what 490 00:28:07,280 --> 00:28:10,760 Speaker 1: would a chair look like? What if there were no 491 00:28:10,840 --> 00:28:15,439 Speaker 1: hypothetical questions? That's terrible, all right, So, um, now now 492 00:28:15,480 --> 00:28:18,879 Speaker 1: that we've totally killed that. But yeah, the the ASSID 493 00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:22,679 Speaker 1: is supposed to be able to turn on certain types 494 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:27,560 Speaker 1: of radios and TVs and other devices to allow people 495 00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:31,640 Speaker 1: to receive these emergency messages, which of course will inspire 496 00:28:31,640 --> 00:28:34,879 Speaker 1: many people to go, you know, the government is trying 497 00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:38,720 Speaker 1: to take over our world, um, which is all right 498 00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:41,000 Speaker 1: for them to say, I suppose, but um yeah, I 499 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:44,320 Speaker 1: mean they're they're ways for for them to reach us 500 00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:47,160 Speaker 1: in to let us know if there's something important that 501 00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:51,080 Speaker 1: we should be aware of. Um. So you know, it 502 00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:54,000 Speaker 1: really has involved quite a bit since the nine fifties 503 00:28:54,040 --> 00:28:57,120 Speaker 1: when the first system was put into place, and similar 504 00:28:57,120 --> 00:29:00,000 Speaker 1: systems to this are in place in other countries around 505 00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:03,000 Speaker 1: the world. We specifically focus on this one because it's 506 00:29:03,040 --> 00:29:06,400 Speaker 1: the country we live in. So again, apologies to all 507 00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:09,280 Speaker 1: of our listeners overseas. Hopefully this was interesting to you, 508 00:29:09,360 --> 00:29:12,240 Speaker 1: just on on the level of how do you take 509 00:29:12,320 --> 00:29:18,280 Speaker 1: something as simple in in concept as getting a message out? 510 00:29:18,760 --> 00:29:21,120 Speaker 1: How do you take that and then apply it to 511 00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:24,960 Speaker 1: a very complex world. And uh, it's an interesting approach. 512 00:29:24,960 --> 00:29:27,160 Speaker 1: It's not necessarily the best one either. There may be 513 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:30,120 Speaker 1: other approaches that would be UM that would be more 514 00:29:30,120 --> 00:29:34,360 Speaker 1: efficient and more effective than the emergency alert system, but 515 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:37,920 Speaker 1: you know, that's what we have. So if you guys 516 00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:40,080 Speaker 1: live in a country that has a similar system but 517 00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:43,080 Speaker 1: it works on a different way, let us know, tell 518 00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:45,080 Speaker 1: us tell us about it, you know, if you're familiar 519 00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:47,320 Speaker 1: with that kind of thing, because I find it really interesting. 520 00:29:47,320 --> 00:29:50,440 Speaker 1: I mean, it's a very important concept and it's, like 521 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:52,080 Speaker 1: I said, this is not the only way to get 522 00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:54,880 Speaker 1: it to work, and it's it's a challenge to reach 523 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:57,760 Speaker 1: that many people UM in a in a very short 524 00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:00,600 Speaker 1: time to let them know that there's something big and 525 00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:02,560 Speaker 1: important that they need to know it's a matter of 526 00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:05,400 Speaker 1: public safety or a public concern. We've definitely come a 527 00:30:05,440 --> 00:30:09,200 Speaker 1: long way from a guy on horseback riding yelling out 528 00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:13,680 Speaker 1: the British are coming, the British are coming or or fidipities. Yeah, 529 00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:18,160 Speaker 1: could you run these twenty six miles right? You know? Anyway, 530 00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:21,520 Speaker 1: come on a couple of between marathonors. Yeah. And if 531 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:25,120 Speaker 1: you are interested in uh and hearing the bits about 532 00:30:25,160 --> 00:30:29,920 Speaker 1: the the e B S accident, um, search for w 533 00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:32,560 Speaker 1: O w O U e B S and you'll probably 534 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:34,880 Speaker 1: come up with it pretty quickly. Um. The website I 535 00:30:34,880 --> 00:30:38,320 Speaker 1: mentioned before is actually s t L radio dot net 536 00:30:38,440 --> 00:30:43,960 Speaker 1: slash pages slash e B S accident dot htm um, 537 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:46,840 Speaker 1: and that will show you what somebody he was actually 538 00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:50,040 Speaker 1: working at a radio station in Texas. Um. Just a visual, 539 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:53,320 Speaker 1: you know, just uh something you can read about how 540 00:30:53,360 --> 00:30:56,440 Speaker 1: he was feeling at the time. He was a former 541 00:30:56,480 --> 00:30:59,840 Speaker 1: former member of the military, so you know, the idea 542 00:30:59,840 --> 00:31:02,800 Speaker 1: of attack I'm sure would have uh you know, he 543 00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:06,600 Speaker 1: would have been especially on his toes show our broadcast 544 00:31:06,680 --> 00:31:10,640 Speaker 1: this message. UM. So yeah, it's uh both sort of 545 00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:15,240 Speaker 1: semi amusing and semi chilling at the same time. Interesting 546 00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:18,200 Speaker 1: to read, definitely, yep. So if you guys have any 547 00:31:18,200 --> 00:31:21,200 Speaker 1: suggestions for future topics that we should tackle here on 548 00:31:21,240 --> 00:31:23,840 Speaker 1: tech Stuff, please send us a message. You can let 549 00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:27,040 Speaker 1: us know an email that addresses tex Stuff at Discovery 550 00:31:27,080 --> 00:31:29,560 Speaker 1: dot com, or send us a message on Facebook or Twitter. 551 00:31:29,640 --> 00:31:31,760 Speaker 1: You can find us there with a handled text stuff 552 00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:34,360 Speaker 1: HSW and Chris and I will talk to you again 553 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:38,880 Speaker 1: really soon. For more on this and thousands of other topics. 554 00:31:39,120 --> 00:31:45,120 Speaker 1: Is it how staff works dot com Brought to you 555 00:31:45,200 --> 00:31:48,560 Speaker 1: by the reinvented two thousand twelve camera. It's ready, are 556 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:48,840 Speaker 1: you