The test alert will resemble warnings previously issued for weather emergencies in affected areas, interrupting all U.S. television (including cable) and radio (including satellite) stations. Listeners will hear a message announcing "This is a test," and viewers may see a message across the television screen that reads, "Emergency Action Notification has been issued."
The alert, administered in conjunction with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will be used to inform Americans in the event of a national emergency, should other modes of communication be unavailable.
According to FEMA, the Nov. 9 date was chosen because it's near the end of hurricane season and mostly before the start of winter weather (although the northeast got an early taste of snow this year). The early afternoon time slot will avoid daily rush hours and fall during normal business hours in most time zones.
In addition to government efforts, private service provider T-Mobile issued a test warning last Saturday to thousands of their subscribers, which rang a siren noise and read "Presidential Alert" with the word "Test" below.
The alert was part of FEMA's Personalized Local Alert Network, which allows “customers who own an enabled mobile device to receive geographically targeted, text-like messages alerting them of imminent threats to safety in their area.”