Posted on 11/07/2006 1:09:28 PM PST by calcowgirl
Northern California radio stations got something extra Monday with the monthly emergency alert system test transmitted by fellow station KFBK -- and at least one of them was none too happy about it.
The test, complete with raspy alarm and tone, didn't end with the familiar words, "This concludes the test of the Emergency Alert System ... "
Instead, it segued into a political advertisement by Republican Dick Mountjoy, who is running for U.S. Senate against Democratic incumbent Dianne Feinstein, and another spot for a mortgage company.
"In layperson's terms, it's called operator error," said Jeff Holden, station manager for KFBK (1530 AM).
The problem, Holden said, is that the signal that ends the test "didn't fire properly."
As a result, KFBK's regular programming -- in this case, the ads -- took over the airwaves at radio stations in 17 Northern California counties, and perhaps even the audio of some television stations.
Holden said he doesn't know how many stations were affected. Workers monitor feeds at some of the stations and would have cut off the transmission from KFBK before the ads came across, he said.
KFBK realized its mistake when one of the other radio stations that shares its building noticed it, Holden said.
(snip)
. . . Holden said no one intended to broadcast the political ad, which blasted Feinstein on the issue of illegal immigration.
KFBK handles the emergency alert system, including the monthly test, as part of its federal license.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
Now THAT is a botched joke.
God works in mysterious ways!
Although Mountjoy has a snowball's chance in Hades, this is still totally hillarious!
Almost as hilarious as the time in 1979 when a master EBS in Kansas City seized about 80 stations in four states for an "attack warning" drill, and didn't let them go afterwards.
The board operator's mike was patched in to the audio output by mistake, and people across the entire Midwest (including me) got seven minutes of him grousing at the hardware, the cheap guys who owned the station who refused to buy equipment that worked, and the idiots who didn't maintain the gear properly.
Amazingly enough, he didn't use one bit of profanity.
Karl Rove is very jealous today. He couldn't even pull that one off! LOL.
Bwahaaahaaa!
Queue the Democrat conspiracy theories in three, two, one ...
Tee hee, nice to know there are some clever repubs in CA.
Here is audio of the ad... The EBS message breaks directly into the Mountjoy ad. Interesting that there is also an ad for HMS Capital included that hasn't been mentioned in any articles. After the Mountjoy and HMS ads, there is the traditional "beep" concluding the EBS broadcast.
http://cdn.sfgate.com/blogs/sounds/sfgate/chroncast/2006/11/06/EAS_transmission_11-6-06.mp3
Awesome. :-) This in not a test!!! Secure our borders! Protect our families!
This is an actual emergency! Vote Republican for US Senate!
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