What is an emergency broadcast system tone?

The Emergency Broadcast System tone was a special alert used when broadcasting state and local emergency bulletins over television and radio networks. First implemented in 1963, the EBS was replaced with the Emergency Alert System in 1997.

The EBS was originally implemented during the Cold War. The system was designed to allow the president to communicate with the public during a national emergency but was later expanded so that local broadcast networks could be utilized during peacetime emergencies to provide information such as weather alerts. The system was eventually replaced with the EAS, which utilizes wireless networks and satellite broadcasting to reach a wider audience.