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by PatrickOBrien from Washington, DC

Last Post 177 days, 7 hours Ago


Alert! Alert! Morning Radio...
Jun 26, 2007 | 3:51 PM
Category: News
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Did anyone hear the EAS (Emergency Alert System) take over the radio airwaves Tuesday morning?  I have not listened to local morning radio in a while (hooked on Sirius Satellite Radio), but of all days, TODAY was the day I decided to hear what's been going on with Guy Phillips, Craig Cornett, and other morning radio shows.

In the middle of Guy, Jen and Court's call-in segment about great summer jobs, BAM! you hear those high-pitched tones and blips, followed by LOTS and LOTS of static.  After about a minute (which is an ETERNITY in radio), I started flipping the dial and noticing everyone else with the same problem.  But, the whole time I didn't think we were in an actual emergency (must be immune to those tests), so I just started laughing my butt off! 

 You must know my history...I used to be Guy's morning show producer about 10 years ago (when it was Guy and Michelle Dibble) and anytime something would go really wrong--especially something you couldn't control--it was crazy behind the scenes. I could only imagine the crew was pulling out booklets, making phone calls to engineering, trying to get as much control as they could.  And what bad timing! It was a really great call-in segment that became an instant buzzkill.

 Then I started hearing commercials from 550 AM KTRS?!   On Y98's air?? After a couple minutes of that, Y98's commercials started playing, and Guy came back on the air and tried to explain to his audience what was going on.  He said they were all in extreme panic, because it was flagged as an actual alert, not a test, and this has never happened to him in his career!  They explained how KTRS was the flagship station for news when there is an EAS activation, but someone must have hit the wrong button and it blew out the whole radio frequency.

 Did anyone else hear this?  Was anyone in a panic?

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Member Comments Total Comments: 17
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lincolncountymom read my blog
Jun 26, 2007 | 3:55 PM

I did not hear this on the radio but did see the story on another news webpage that FEMA accidently sent out the alert. One more thing to add to their list is not what they need right now. Don't think anything was happening just a mistake.
jeanette read my blog view my photos
Jun 26, 2007 | 4:10 PM

yeah!! Wagzwifes350's did a blog for it but don't have a comment button for answers.Now they don't need one if they come back and read your's.
katiebug read my blog
Jun 26, 2007 | 4:23 PM

Yes I heard it too on Z1077 on my way into work! Just over looked though.
Sharon83 read my blog
Jun 26, 2007 | 4:24 PM

Unfortunately I don't think any of us pay much attention to them anymore. Just noise. The only time it "might" get my attention is if the weather is bad, but usually no response from me. That is sad I know!
rightwinger read my blog
Jun 26, 2007 | 4:42 PM

I heard it also. Thought it was a test at first, then an accident.
mr_wildflower read my blog view my photos
Jun 26, 2007 | 4:55 PM

I missed it but i heard about it.... Maybe it is a publicity stunt for the remake of War Of The Worlds
HeyElliot read my blog view my photos
Jun 26, 2007 | 5:24 PM

It happened on KWMU, too. I thought it might be the government trying to scramble the supposed left-wing bias of National Public Radio. Alas, I guess it was an across-the-board infiltration of St. Louis radio. Kind of makes you wonder about the reliability of the EAS. In the post-9/11 world, maybe we should consider a more high-tech alert system, something like texts or IM flashes.
LadyCardFan read my blog view my photos
Jun 26, 2007 | 5:39 PM

I know, it was those darn conservatives that were complaining the past week about liberal call in shows having too much power, yeah, that sounds about right!

Sorry folks, I didn't hear it, must have been before I left for work this morning.
junonia read my blog view my photos
Jun 26, 2007 | 5:59 PM

I heard it on Y98 this morning too. I looked outside and didn't see any mushroom clouds, thunder clouds, or jets, so I figured it was a mistake. I did get a lump in my throat for a second.
RachelLB view my photos
Jun 26, 2007 | 6:21 PM

I'm glad that they can accidently play the alarm and freak people out, but when we actually are on high alert, such as 9/11, we had no alarm.
Cuteypops read my blog view my photos
Jun 26, 2007 | 6:34 PM

I didn't hear it or about it until now. But It probably would have ticked me off, cutting off my favorite song while I was singing at the top of my lungs.
It really ticks me off when they run those alerts at 1 in the morning on television. I set my tv snooze button and fall asleep to the tv and right when i'm just dozing off they do a test. Who wants to hear that at 1AM.
just_wondering read my blog
Jun 26, 2007 | 7:27 PM

we weren't on high alert for 9/11....but thanks for playing...
joewathen read my blog view my photos
Jun 26, 2007 | 7:37 PM

is the button at st louis co police? they seem to like to hit the siren button an awful lot!
LadyCardFan read my blog view my photos
Jun 26, 2007 | 11:14 PM

Just_Wondering . . . if we were not on high alert why were all flights demanded to land??? I don't think I've ever seen a greater alert than that one, at least here on our soil (er airspace).
FREEDOMFREE read my blog view my photos
Jun 26, 2007 | 11:52 PM

YA HEAR THE POWER TO FREE ,

ALL IT TAKES , IS ONE BEEP ,

EMERGANCY BROADCAT ,RING THE BEEP ,

EMERGANCY IS , IN THE AIR FREE ,

FLYING AROUND ME , SILENTLY .
just_wondering read my blog
Jun 27, 2007 | 3:07 AM

i understood the comment as meaning we were on high alert prior to the attacks....after the attacks yes....but we received no alarm prior to the attacks because we were not on high alert....
mamba_0182 read my blog view my photos
Jun 27, 2007 | 9:56 AM

I was listening to WIL when it happened. I thought it was a test at first, then it lasted much too long so I started changing stations but most were having the same issue, so I figured I'd wait it out back on WIL. When they came back on, Cornbread apologized and joked that they forgot to pay Ameren.
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PatrickOBrien

Blackberry and Twitter junkie. Former Senior Web Producer at myFOXstl.com but moved to Washington, DC to start a new chapter in my life. St. Louis is my hometown.

Member Since: 9/13/2006


 

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