>> CATHY: "REMEMBER, THIS IS ONLY A TEST."

FOR DECADES, WE HEARD THOSE WORDS AS TV AND RADIO STATIONS CONDUCTED TESTS OF WHAT WAS LONG CALLED "THE EMERGENCY BROADCASTING SYSTEM."

THE COLD WAR ERA NETWORK TO ALERT AMERICANS OF MILITARY ATTACKS STILL EXISTS TODAY IN A DIFFERENT FORM.

THERE ARE SOME INTERESTING HIDDEN HISTORIC ASPECTS TO THE EMERGENCY BROADCAST SYSTEM THAT WE WANT TO EXPLORE TONIGHT WITH JIM DUBOIS.

HE'S THE HEAD OF THE MINNESOTA BROADCASTER'S ASSOCIATION.

IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU.

>> GOOD TO SEE YOU, TOO, CATHY.

>> Cathy: CONNEL RAD WAS THAT THE BEGINNING OF THE EMERGENCY BROADCASTING SYSTEM?

>> IT WAS, OUT STOOD FOR CONTROL OF ELECTRO RADIATION.

IT DATES BACK TO 1951 AND IF YOU LOOK BACK AT THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT, YOU'LL SEE WHERE IT CAME FROM.

IN 1941, THE DECEMBER 7th, THE DAY JAPANESE ATTACKED PEARL HARBOR AND THEY HONED IN ON THE INSTITUTION OF HAWAII.

THE AUTHORITIES WERE EXTREMELY CONCERNED WITH THE THREAT OF THE COLD WAR, THE THREAT OF COMMUNISM, THAT SOMEHOW SOVIET BOMBERS WOULD HOLME IN ON U.S.

BROADCASTING STATIONS AND FIND THEIR WAY TO TARGETS.

SO THEY HATCHED THE IDEA OF CONALRAD, SO UNDER THAT -- AGAIN, 1951, VIRTUALLY EVERY STATION SAVE A FEW IN THE COUNTRY WOULD GO OFFER THE AIR.

ALL TV STATIONS, THE FEW FM STATIONS ON AT THE TIME AND MOST AMs, THEY HAD A SERIES OF LARGE AM RADIO STATIONS CALLED AT THAT TIME THE KEY STATIONS.

THEY'RE NOW CALL THE PRIMARY ENTRY POINT STATIONS BUT STATIONS LIKE IN THIS MARKET, WCCO AM.

>> THE THOUSAND WATTS.

>> YES, BUT IT GOT MORE CONFUSING.

IN ORDER TO COON FUSE THE BOMBERS, THEY WOULD CONFINE ALL THE STATION THAT IS REMAINED ON THE AIR TO TWO FREQUENCIES, THIS IS A 1954 VINTAGE RADIO, 640 KILL AHERTZ AND 1240 KILL AHERTZ AND IT GOT MORE INTEREST TRY INDICATE THAN THAT.

IN ORDER TO CONFUSE THE BOMBERS, EVERY STATION COULD ONLY BROAD CAST FOR A FEW MINUTES AT WHICH TIME THEY WOULD SHUT OFF AND ALLOW ANOTHER STATION TO COME ON THE AIR.

EVERY RADIO MANUFACTURED IN THIS COUNTRY FROM APPROXIMATELY 1951 TO 1963 HAD HAVE THE MARKS, THE CIVIL DEFENSE IN A TRIANGLE SYMBOL.

SAME THING FOR THE TRAN SCISSOR RADIO, THIS IS VINTAGE ABOUT 1960, AND IT'S TURNED TO 640 KILL AHERTZ WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE HEARD THE STATIONS.

>> Cathy: SPEAKING OF THE ACTUAL MESSAGES, WE HAVE AN AMAZING PIECE OF TAPE THAT WAS FOUND, AS YOU KNOW, AT THE WCCO RADIO TRANSMITTER, WHICH OF COURSE WAS BUILT, YOU KNOW, LIKE A BOMB SHELTER, AND THIS IS A PIECE OF TAPE, THE GREAT HOWARD VIKEN, SO LET'S LISTEN TO THIS.

>> THIS IS HOWARD VIKEN YOUR OFFICIAL CIVIL DEFERENCE ANNOUNCER.

FEDERAL AUTHORITIES HAVE SAID WE MAY POSSIBLY BE ATTACKED BY AN ENEMY.

HERE ARE SOME INSTRUCTIONS FROM YOUR CIVIL DEFENSE ORGANIZATION.

REMAIN CALM.

KEEP YOUR RADIO TUNED TO THIS STATION.

IF YOUR CHILDREN ARE IN SCHOOL, THEY WILL BE SENT HOME.

DO NOT GO TO THE SCHOOL FOR YOUR CHILDREN UNLESS THIS IS A PART OF YOUR SCHOOL DEFENSE PLAN.

ASSEMBLE STORES OF FOOD, WARM CLOTHING, WATERS AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES.

DO NOT USE THE TELEPHONE.

DON'T ATTEMPT TO DRIVE TOWARD THE LARGER CITIES.

KEEP TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

>> Cathy: WOW.

BY THE WAY, THAT WAS FROM RADIOTAPES.COM A GREAT SERVICE FROM TOM WHO IS AMASSING ALL THESE GREAT LITTLE BITS OF MINNESOTA BROADCASTING HISTORY TAPE.

WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED -- THIS HAS NEVER BEEN HEARD, OF COURSE.

WHAT WAS HOWARD DOING?

HOW WOULD THIS HAVE BEEN -- HOW WOULD YOU HAVE HEARD SOMETHING LIKE THIS?

>> MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE TAPES WERE AT THE TRANSMITTER SITE AND WOULD HAVE BEEN PLAYED FROM THAT LOCATION IN THE EVENT OF AN ACTUAL ATTACK.

NOW, IT'S INTERESTING, AS YOU NOTICED, HOWARD SAID DRIVE AT LEAST 50 MILES, DO NOT TRY TO DRIVE THROUGH THE CITY.

HE NEVER MENTIONS THE CITY AND THAT AGAIN WAS BECAUSE OF SECURITY.

THEY DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE THE ENEMY ANY INFORMATION BUT IF YOU LEFT HAND TO THAT TAPE AND THERE'S SELF OTHERS ON THE RADIOTAPES WEBSITE, VERY CHILLING.

AND S. RREALISTIC, SAYING GO TO YOUR BASEMENT, BRING A PORTABLE RADIO WITH YOU.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE ONE, TURN UP LOUDLY THE RADIO YOU HAVE UPSTAIRS SO YOU CAN HEAR IT IN THE BASEMENT.

AND WE ALL KNOW WHAT PROTECTION BASEMENTS WOULD NOT HAVE AFFORDED US BUT THAT WAS THE POPULAR ADVICE AT THE TIME.

>> Cathy: YOU KNOW, I WAS TALKING TO THE GREAT CHARLIE BOONE RECENTLY AND I SAID DID THEY HE EVER TELL YOU GUYS WHAT DO DO IN CASE THE EMERGENCY BROADCAST SYSTEM WENT OFF BECAUSE AS AN ANNOUNCER, I HAVE NO IDEA.

AND HE SAID NO, NO.

IF WE WERE UNDER ATTACK, YOU WOULD HEAR THIS PARTICULAR BIT OF TAPE.

BUT WHAT WAS THE -- WHAT WOULD HAPPEN FOR EVEN TESTING THIS FOR AN ANNOUNCER?

>> WELL, WHAT HAPPENED WAS THEY HAD A CHECKLIST AND THERE WAS A LITTLE RED ENVELOPE FOR THE EMERGENCY BROADCASTING SYSTEM.

I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT THEY DID WITH CONNEL RAD, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE WAS YOU WOULD HEAR TEN BELLS ON AN OLD-FASHIONED TELETYPE MACHINE.

YOU WOULD RIP IT OFF, IT WOULD SAY NUCLEAR CHARGE, NATIONAL EMERGENCY.

YOU WOULD THEN SEE AN AUTHENTICATED WORD.

YOU WOULD PULL THE RED ENVELOPE OUT, RIP IT OPEN, CHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT WORD MATCHED THE WORD OF THE DAY AND IF IT DID, YOU ASSUMED IT WAS THE REAL THING.

>> Cathy: WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO PLAY THIS TAPE BUT GO TO RADIOTAPES.COM AND LISTEN TO THE WWO 1971 -- ACTUALLY THE POOR ANNOUNCEMENT THOUGHT THEY WERE UNDER ATTACK.

SO THE EMERGENCY BROADCAST SYSTEM NOW NOWADDITION IS -- >> IT'S CALLED STILL THE EMERGENCY ALERTS SYSTEM AND IT'S INTEREST GREAT MANYING SOMETHING WE CALL THE PUBLIC ALERT AND WARNING SYSTEM.

SO THE WARNINGS ARE GOING BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL OUTDOOR SIRENS, THE RADIO AND TELEVISION ALERTS.

IT'S INCORPORATING WIRELESS MEDIA, THE WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERTS YOU GETS THEM ON YOUR PHONE, MORE SOCIAL MEDIA WILL BE USED.

IT WILL BE BASICALLY TAKING ALL POTENTIAL CHANNELS AND USING THEM TO WARN THE PUBLIC.

>> Cathy: WOW.

THIS, BY THE WAY IS ONE HECK OF A GREAT PIECE OF BROADCASTING HISTORY.

THANKS FOR BRINGING IT IN.

JIM, THANKS.

APPRECIATE IT.

>> CATHY, ALWAYS A PLEASURE.

♪♪