Coming Up on Fully Modulated: “The Cold War Origins of Emergency Alerts”

Before the sharp tones cut through your favorite show… before the scrolling warnings on your phone… there was CONELRAD.

In our next episode, Fully Modulated travels back to the shadowy era of the Cold War. During this time, paranoia shaped policy. American radio became a frontline defense. The original plan was to confuse Soviet bombers by blacking out radio signals. Eventually, this plan morphed into the Emergency Alert System we rely on today. But it wasn’t a smooth ride.

We trace the evolution of alerting from the chaotic frequency-switching days of CONELRAD. It extends to the broader Emergency Broadcast System of the ’60s. This evolution includes nuclear fears and natural disasters. And yes, we unpack the infamous 1971 false alarm that sent broadcasters scrambling and exposed the network’s deep flaws.

Through it all, broadcast engineers were the ones in the trenches—rewiring, upgrading, and keeping this ever-changing system on the air.

This episode isn’t just a trip through history. It’s a reminder of how emergency alerts show the priorities, fears, and resilience of a nation.

🎧 Don’t miss it—Fully Modulated, Season 1, Episode 2 drops soon.
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