COUNTY TEST INTERRUPTS GORE SPEECH.

Byline: Daily News

PALMDALE - A Los Angeles County-initiated emergency alert system test interrupted Vice President Al Gore's news conference Tuesday morning for thousands of Jones Intercable customers, Jones officials said.

The announcement broke into Gore's conference and continued for more than a minute, prompting immediate complaints from customers, Jones officials said.

``Our call center lights lit up,'' operations manager Patricia Fregoso said.

Jones officials said they had no control over the interruption, which carried a printed message and Sheriff Lee Baca's voice telling viewers that it was a test of the Los Angeles County emergency alert system.

Jones Intercable said the test is controlled by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and occurs on a regular schedule on the last Tuesday of odd-numbered months.

``It's actually sent by local authorities for Los Angeles County, which we have no control over,'' said Steve Chipman, chief technician for Jones Intercable in Palmdale.

A Sheriff's Department spokesman said it is possible his department initiated the test, but that it also could have been done by other emergency agencies with access to the county warning system.

``We don't know who did it,'' Deputy Jeff Cannon said. ``It's not that easy to tell because so many agencies can initiate the test.''