FCC Proposes $147,000 Fine Against ESPN for Misusing Emergency Alert Tones

The fine is in response to ESPN's repeated violations during NBA promotional segments, marking its third offense.

ESPN is facing a proposed fine of $146,976 from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for improperly using Emergency Alert System (EAS) tones in NBA promotions.
The violations occurred six times between October 20 and 24, 2023, on two ESPN-owned networks, without any actual emergency or authorized test.
The FCC emphasized that such misuse can cause public safety risks by confusing or desensitizing the public to real emergency alerts.
ESPN has a history of similar violations, having been fined in 2015 and 2021 for previous EAS tone misuse.
The proposed fine reflects the FCC's commitment to enforcing rules that ensure emergency alert systems are used only for legitimate purposes.