American Public Media Settles With FCC Over False EAS Tones

A program that aired on more than 500 U.S. noncommercial radio stations in 2023 contained Emergency Alert System tones in the absence of a real emergency, according to the FCC.

American Public Media Group, the distributor of the program, agreed to a consent decree with the commission’s Enforcement Bureau on Dec. 10.

APMG, the parent of American Public Media, a creator and distributor of programming to public radio stations across the U.S., will be making a voluntary contribution of $86,400 to the U.S. Treasury Department as a result of the transmission of EAS tones during a “BBC Witness History” program on tornado chasing.

The commission’s rules forbid the use of EAS tones on the air outside actual emergencies or coordinated tests.

“Unauthorized use of the EAS tones thus presents a substantial threat to public safety,” the FCC said in its notice on the consent decree.

Read more – RadioWorld: https://bit.ly/48SAS6J