Since 1951, the FCC has required US radio and television broadcasters to participate in a national emergency warning system. This system (originally called CONELRAD, then EBS, and now known as EAS) allows various authorities to communicate directly with the public in the event of an emergency. Broadcasters are required to test their EAS equipment regularly - you've heard these tests commence with a high-pitched tone and an announcer's voice saying 'This is a test of the Emergency Alert System....' 

Here is one of several attempts by various stations to "perk up" the EBS test script, as it had been run over and over so much so that listeners could virtually repeat along with the announcer.  However, the FCC took a dim view of this, saying that it trivialized the seriousness of real EBS alerts, and issued a policy in the late 1970s, banning singing or making fun of the script. This clip is courtesy of our friend Barry Mishkind, editor of The Broadcasters' Desktop Resource (www.theBDR.net) and The Broadcast Archive (www.oldradio.com). Although we have no idea where it originally came from, perhaps someone will hear it and let us know!

Singing EBS Test

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