Paramount Global Settles With FCC on False EAS Broadcasts
Paramount Global agreed to a $244,952 civil penalty to resolve several enforcement proceedings against CBS over the broadcast of recorded or simulated emergency alert system tones on its programming, said an order and consent decree released Friday. The violations involved…
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a May 2023 episode of the CBS sitcom Young Sheldon that ran on 227 stations, a CBS News radio report in June 2024 that had three seconds of EAS tones, and an Entertainment Tonight segment in October 2023 that included a one-second tone. The broadcaster self-reported the incidents, the consent decree said. Broadcasters are barred from transmitting EAS tones in circumstances other than a national or state emergency. Using simulated or actual EAS tones for non-authorized purposes can lead to alert fatigue in the public and result in false activation of the EAS that can spread false information, the consent decree said. Along with the penalty, the settlement requires Paramount to create procedures to ensure employees follow EAS rules, distribute a compliance manual to all employees, and file compliance reports with the agency for three years.