SALT LAKE CITY — The Federal Communications Commission issued a statement Thursday announcing that “Jimmy Kimmel Live” has been hit with a fine for using an emergency alert system tone, CNN reports.
The FCC said it fined the show $395,000.
The emergency alert system tone is often used to warn people about impending emergencies, like tornados or floods. You’ve probably heard the test runs on your devices in the past.
But the FCC doesn’t take too kindly to people using those alert system messages for reasons outside of actual emergencies.
“To protect the purpose of the warning system, the agency has a rule against use of EAS tones or their simulations — except in actual emergencies, authorized tests or qualified public service announcements,” CNN reports.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live” used the tones three times in October.
Similarly, AMC’s “The Walking Dead” was fined $104,000 for using it during two scenes back in February.
The FCC fined the TV show “Lone Star Law” $104,000 as well.
In a public statement, the FCC said the use of the tones is meant “for nonauthorized purposes — such as commercial or entertainment purposes — can confuse people or lead to ‘alert fatigue,’ whereby the public becomes desensitized to the alerts, leading people to ignore potentially life-saving warnings and information.”