Having been in radio before, the emergency alert system is meant to be used as kind of a last-ditch ditch effort to get presidential orders to the people in case there wasn’t time to set up some kind of communication through normal channels, like the MSM.
The obvious use, of course, was in case there was a bolt out of the blue missile attack from a foreign power. However, in a time of national crisis, if the president is not able to get to the networks, or if the networks are unwilling to put the president on, then the president can use the emergency alert system.
A presidential EAS message has to be broadcast. Not even the networks have the authority to override it.
Thank you.
I am always glad that there are so many FReepers with areas of expertise who are willing to share their knowledge.