INDIANAPOLIS -- The state's largest cable provider is receiving heat over the way it handled last week's tornado warnings.
As reports of possible tornadoes came in from around Central Indiana, Comcast viewers were forced off local TV meteorologists and locked out of their cable boxes. Instead of seeing Storm Team 6 and other meteorologists tracking the storms, Comcast viewers saw a blue screen with a tornado warning scrolling across it.
The message lasted from 90 seconds to more than three minutes. On Wednesday alone, Comcast issued the warning 24 times during the tornado outbreak.
Comcast says it is mandated to deliver emergency alerts, but added, "In many markets we have the technology in place to not override a particular broadcaster with a priority EAS alert. We are currently working on getting this capability on all platforms in every market."
Right now, Indianapolis isn't one of those markets. Comcast couldn't provide a timeline for when the changes could roll out here in Indy.
Other providers have different ways of issuing the alerts. On Brighthouse, the alert would not take over viewers' screens while tuned-in to local channels. The same goes for AT&T.
