In one aspect, an example method for outputting an alert indicating a functional state of a back-up media-broadcast system involves: a computing device determining first bitrate-data associated with a first compressed media-stream; the computing device determining second bitrate-data associated with a second compressed media-stream; the computing device making a determination that the determined first bitrate-data and the determined second bitrate-data lack a threshold extent of similarity; and responsive to the determination that the determined first bitrate-data and the determined second bitrate-data lack the threshold extent of similarity, the computing device outputting an alert.