Television and radio stations across the state will participate in the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System on Wednesday. The test will take place at 2 p.m. and may last up to 31/2 minutes. Regularly scheduled shows will be interrupted.
The national-level Emergency Alert System is a public alert and warning system that allows the president of the United States to address the American public during extreme emergencies.
The only noticeable difference between monthly emergency broadcasting system tests and the national test is that the message may be slightly longer, said Doug Hoell, director of the N.C. Emergency Management Division.
On Wednesday, the public will hear a message indicating that ěThis is a test.î
The audio message will be the same for both radio and television. Under FCC rules, radio and television broadcasters, cable operators, satellite digital audio radio service providers, direct broadcast satellite service providers and wireline video service providers are required to receive and transmit Emergency Alert Systems messages to the public. The test will help determine the reliability of the system.