Abstract: An emergency broadcast alert detector having a radio receiver scanning among several predetermined frequencies. The audio output of the radio receiver is connected to a noise detector that allows scanning to continue as long as noise indicative of no signal being received is present on the audio output. When the radio receiver scans to a frequency on which a broadcast is present, the lack of noise on the audio output of the receiver causes scanning to discontinue. The audio output is also connected to a tone detector that generates an alarm for a predetermined period in the even that an alert tone of a predetermined frequency is present on the audio output of the radio receiver.