Big Bang theory spinoff Young Sheldon faces £270k fine for 'breaking broadcasting rules'
Big Bang Theory spin-off Young Sheldon is facing a hefty fine for its usage of an alert tone sound effect reserved for emergencies.
The show featured an altered version of the Emergency Alert System tone, which is not permitted to be used in the US unless the president sanctions it in case of an actual emergency.
Consequently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is attempting to fine the show for $272,000 (£219,800), arguing that producers should have adapted the sound more than they did.
“On 12 April 2018, CBS transmitted an episode of Young Sheldon via at least 227 television stations, including 15 of CBS’s owned-and-operated television stations,” the said in a statement.
“The episode included a sound effect accompanying a tornado warning, which the producers modified, but still audibly resembled actual EAS tones.”
The tone was heard in season two’s 18th episode “A Mother, a Child and a Blue Man’s Backside”, which saw the Cooper family escape a forthcoming tornado.
CBS is yet to respond to news of the potential fine.
Young Sheldon stars Iain Armitage, the young actor who plays the son of Shailene Woodley’s character in HBO series Big little Lies.
Other TV shows to have been fined for using the tone include The Walking Dead and Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the latter of which was charged $397,000 (£326,000).
