Does the president control the Emergency Alert System?

A Feed post about a national test of the Emergency Alert System planned for tomorrow led a reader to ask: Does this include the internet, and does the president have any control over this? We have an answer.

A Feed post about a national test of the Emergency Alert System planned for tomorrow drew this question from NewsWorks reader Debbie:

Does this include the internet, and does the President have any control over this?

Feed blogger Shannon McDonald wrote back:

“The nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System will only include communication services providers: broadcast radio and TV, cable TV, satellite radio and wireline video services. Of those services, only those that participate in the EAS will display the test.

“The federal agencies involved in the process include the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal Communications Commission, Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau and the Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security.

“According to the EAS website, ‘The president has sole responsibility for determining when the EAS will be activated at the national level, and has delegated this authority to the director of FEMA.'”