Why so many EAS tests? Patriot act related?

I recall before cable that the EBS (Emergeny Broadcast System) only did
the occasional daytime test about once a month on individual stations.
These lasted exactly 60 seconds.

EAS Is emergancy alert system

Lately Comcast is doing lots of EAS tests during the day. Once 2 times
in 30 minutes. These EAS tests no longer take at most a minute but now
as long as 3-4 minutes. You can barely understand the speaker. The EBS
was always clear.
Worst its not single stations but all of them.

Is this the result of the Patriot Act? Also why did it change names from
Broadcast to Alert?

Tony Calguire...

Cable systems and broadcasters who participate in EAS are required to
issue monthly tests.

Cable systems are required to interrupt every channel.

EAS is designed to act sorta like a "telephone tree"... a broadcast
station's EAS alert is supposed to be picked up and relayed by other EAS
broadcasters and cable systems, so it might appear as if several tests
are being performed over the course of a half-hour, when in fact it was
one originating station's test being picked up and relayed by other
stations.

Now, the real question is, why does my local CBS affiliate always do its
monthly EAS test during Letterman?