Amber Alerts on TV

[wvjules]

Last night we were watching TV. The TV turned to a different channel to broadcast an Amber Alert. While the Alert was broadcasting we were unable to change the channel. Does your cable system do Amber Alerts like that too?

I thought it was great that it turned the channel and didn't let you turn it back until the broadcast is over.

I can't find the amber alert I heard last night so it must have been resolved. It was a parental abduction.

 

[msjprincess]

No, they have a scrolling message like a weather alert.

 

[SaraJayne]

Yes, they do cable overrides here. They do the same with severe weather (tornado).

Our alerts come through the emergency broadcast system.

 

[s____!]

I don't really recall many Amber Alerts, so they must just do scrolling on the bottom of the screen.

 

[bicker]

The overrides are selective, as provided for in federal regulations. Specifically FC 98-329 exempted over-the-air broadcast channels from the override. So basically, if you're watching a cable network (which probably would not carry and AMBER alert, for your specific local area, as a scroll on the bottom of the screen), then your viewing must be interrupted by the alert. If you're watching a local channel, your viewing will probably not be interrupted. Coincidentally, that local channel would probably be carrying the AMBER alert as a scroll on the bottom of the screen.

(Note that the reason why the local channels are exempt from the override is not that they'll probably be carrying the AMBER alert, but rather that they might be carrying an even-more-important local alert.)

 

[WDWBarb]

We've had a couple of Amber Alerts in the last few weeks (one just this morning). Our cable company supplied DVR won't do anything while the alert is playing except play the alert.

 

[a1tinkfans]

I have not seen this. I think it is a good idea though, I like the idea of it scrolling at the bottom, versus stopping everything else.

 

[Tink9721]

I don't think I've ever seen an Amber Alert on my TV. When they do weather warnings they just mute all the channels and a voice delivers the message. You can change the channel, but you'll get the same thing on all of them.

 

[SleepyMom]

We don't have many Amber Alerts here, but whenever we have bad weather alerts they do the same thing by making it impossible to change the channel. Also, if you happen to be watching something on the DVR, it will stop what you are watching so you can see the alert and then once it is over you can go back to what you were watching.. I like that because sometimes if you are in a basement or something you might not notice the weather getting bad outside and know something is heading your way.

 

[happygirl]

We don't many Amber alerts, they ones we do have our like weather alerts that scroll along the bottom of the TV

 

[Starlilly]

I worked for the cable company for a few years and yes, this is normal.

there are several kinds of alerts, depending on severity. some are ticker scrolls across the bottom, and others will interrupt the program you are watching. no you cannot change the channel, because the broadcast comes over all available channels and "freezes" them.

unfortunetly there is nothing your provider can do to alter these messages, as they are mandated by your local government and out of the providers control.

 

[Magpie]

We don't have anything like this here. The alerts just scroll across the bottom of the screen - and you can change the channel, no problem. Also, the alerts aren't on every channel.