Re: EAS(y)...not...

[Brian Vita <brian_vita@cssinc.com>]

Could it be that there's only one EAS decoder at Morrissey Blvd located way 
downstream in the audio path that seizes control of all 5 stations.  It 
would make more sense than five separate ones doing their own thing.  Since 
the stations all share the same Audio Vault it would be a likely scenario.

My only complaint was that the talk format came back on after the test.  I 
found the tones to be more relaxing.

Just my opinion.

Brian

At 05:57 PM 9/7/99 -0400, Jason Roberts wrote:
>EAS is designed to work automatically if there is no operator
>intervention. What you heard was the system working as it should... but
>the station personnel obviously not.
>
>The required monthly test came in today. Just as with EBS, stations are
>required to rebroadcast this test, to keep the connections in the chain.
>The difference is that while EBS required us to do the work, with EAS
>the decoder will do it automatically. Because of this, many stations
>have become very lax in making sure ops know what to do.
>
>When the required monthly test or an EAS activation comes over it is
>buffered and held for rebroadcast. Operators have the option (or
>should!) of deleting it, forwarding it, or doing nothing. If they do
>nothing, the decoder will forward it after a pre-set time limit has
>expired. Since the decoder is downstream from the studio, it cuts off
>all other audio and takes control. This is likely what happened to all
>of the stations with the poorly timed tests.
>
>On the other hand, the stations that handled the test properly paused
>programming, dropped in the test, and resumed broadcasting.
>
>Regards,
>
>Jason Roberts
>Operations Manager
>WPLM, Easy 99.1

Brian Vita, President
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