It is more than passing strange that the Feds will cut off all TV and radio broadcasts at 2 p.m. EST on November 9.
In its wisdom, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a Public Notice on June 9, 2011 (PDF) that its first ever nationwide diagnostic test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) would occur on November 9.
Reasons sketched out by FCC for the Nov. 9 test date include not wanting to test in the traditional hurricane season and to complete the task before severe winter storm set in. The 2 p.m. test time will minimize disruption during rush hours while ensuring the test occurs during working hours.