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ABC Fined $395K After ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ Used Emergency Alert in Segment

ABC said it was a “misunderstanding that the use of the tone was permissible” in a sketch.

An episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! that simulated emergency alert tones will cost ABC $395,000 in fees by the Federal Communication Commission. The show aired a sketch in October that simulated an emergency tone three times. ABC said it was a “misunderstanding that the use of the tone was permissible” in the FCC filing. ABC wasn’t the only network to be fined as the FCC begins to crack down on the use of emergency tones in entertainment, according to The Hollywood Reporter. AMC was hit with a $104,000 fine after the network aired an episode of The Walking Dead with a fake emergency tone in February, and Discovery will pay $68,000 for an episode of Lone Star Law on Animal Planet that captured a real emergency alert while filming. FCC rules state that emergency tones are limited to actual emergencies and legitimate system tests.