Media Contact: 
Will Wiquist, (202) 418-0509
will.wiquist@fcc.gov
For Immediate Release
FCC SETTLES WITH JACKSONVILLE TV STATION FOR FALSE 
BROADCAST OF EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM TONES
Promotion for NFL Team Included EAS Tones 
Permitted Only for Emergencies and System Tests
  --
WASHINGTON, May 30, 2017 – The Federal Communications Commission today announced a 
settlement with TEGNA for false broadcast of Emergency Alert System (EAS) tones by its 
Jacksonville, Florida television station, WTLV.  Unauthorized use of EAS tones undermine the 
system’s effectiveness by desensitizing the public to the tones’ association with life-saving 
information and public safety announcements.
In August of last year, the station made four broadcasts of simulated EAS tones contained within 
an advertisement for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League.  To settle the 
investigation, the company has agreed to pay a $55,000 fine, admits to misuse of EAS tones, and 
will implement a compliance and reporting plan to avoid such actions in the future.
The FCC received a complaint on August 9, 2016, alleging that WTLV had “aired a commercial 
multiple times that improperly used the EAS data burst and tone.”  The FCC’s Enforcement 
Bureau investigated and found that the advertisement opened with EAS tones accompanied by the 
sounds of howling winds and thunder claps.  Between the EAS tones and the sounds of a storm, a 
voiceover stated: “This is an emergency broadcast transmission.  This is not a test.  This is an 
emergency broadcast transmission.  This is not a test.  Please remain calm.  Seek shelter.”  The 
promotion closes with EAS tones playing in the background.
Federal law prohibits the transmission of actual or simulated EAS tones in circumstances other 
than an actual emergency, authorized test, or certain public service announcements.  
Unauthorized use of EAS tones undermine the system’s effectiveness by desensitizing the public 
to the tones’ association with life-saving information and public safety announcements, and under 
certain circumstances, may generate additional false alerts.
The promotion aired four times over three days, from August 6 through August 8, 2016.  After 
seeing a broadcast of the advertisement, a WTLV staff member halted further airings and 
contacted station management. 
The settlement, formally known as a Consent Decree, is available at: 
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-17-424A1.pdf. 
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www.fcc.gov/office-media-relations
This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action.  Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes 
official action.  See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974).