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Emergency Alerts Coming to TV/Radio/Cell Phone in Canada

143K views 902 replies 108 participants last post by  ExDilbert 
#1 ·
#2 ·
OTA, Cable, Satellite, IPTV, and streaming services are all going to have to be compliant, with specialty and PPV channels also being affected. Certain smaller TV operations have until 2016 to get on board.

Canada has needed this for many decades, so this is great to see.
 
#9 ·
It's too bad that most OTA transmitters in my area, including Toronto and Hamilton, have no emergency back up power. If a true emergency hit that impacted power, these messages won't get out. As it stands now, the CN Tower in Toronto loses electricity for at least an hour several times per year...
 
#10 ·
^^^^
Many years ago, I took a tour of the CFRB transmitter, located in the Clarkson area of Mississauga. They could run on diesel power, but at a reduced power level (10 KW, instead of the usual 50 KW, IIRC).
 
#11 ·
The radio stations are definitely more likely to have backup power. I certainly recall having no issues with radio stations during the big blackout 10 or so years ago.
 
#12 ·
If a true emergency hit that took out power, people wouldn't be able to turn on a TV to see alerts anyway. Radio is a lot more useful in an emergency situation.

That's what happened in Ontario 11 years ago, and also what happened here in Fredericton during Arthur earlier this year. Course, in the case of Fredericton most of the radio stations have minimal staff and didn't really provide any information anyway, but the infrastructure kept working.
 
#13 ·
TVs will still operate

Tridus said:
people wouldn't be able to turn on a TV
Today's flat panel TVs (especially the smallest ones) can easily run for long periods from a UPS, from a generator, or from a vehicle with an inverter. Laptops with OTA tuner sticks can also run without hydro on their own battery or using any of the above methods. Since almost every TV sold in Canada since about 2007 has an ATSC (OTA) tuner in it, if the person's Cable or Satellite service is out the TV can be set to scan for OTA stations during and after an emergency. For the majority of Canadians (those who live in large urban areas) it will be possible to receive OTA stations if those stations are in operation.

My point is that a truly prepared home will include one or all of the above in their emergency plans, along with a radio.

Thus, the need for these Emergency Alerts via TV.
 
#14 ·
A "truly prepared home" does not describe most of the homes in Canada, and even in the ones that are prepared, worrying about powering a TV isn't exactly high on most people's list.

TV alerts are useful, but they're not as important in blackout conditions as radio ones are. (In non blackout conditions, they're great.)


During the blackout here this summer, many people had no power for going on a week. Virtually the entire city was out for a day. Even the land line phones went down in areas. Wasn't easy to get more gas. You'd be very hard pressed to have found someone who was worried about having enough emergency power to run their TV.
 
#15 ·
power outages are usually the aftermath of some event and the least of worries when it comes to getting emergency alerts out there, whatever caused it already happened.
Point is to be able to get the message out there before or while something occurs, whatever that may be.
No one wants to be caught driving around with a flat spare tire in the trunk...or having a generator that doesn't even run.
 
#16 ·
I'm 100km away from the CN Tower, but I receive all of the stations off the tower. And while an emergency may impact power at the tower and in the city, it may not necessarily impact me or others within range of the signals.

During the big blackout ~11 years ago, my employer had backup power. And we watched the impact of the outage on TV.
 
#18 ·
Won't see me arguing against them, I have grown up with them my entire life:)
 
#19 ·
Reading through the summary of proceedings, there were some mind-boggling arguments being made. For example:
• Pelmorex, the company that runs the alert backbone system (better known as the parent company of The Weather Network) and other parties successfully argued audio shouldn't be mandatory. Instead, the CRTC asked all parties to look at effective text-to-speech solutions when audio isn't provided from source.
• CBC wanted its OTA TV stations exempt from the order. It argued few Canadians watch television using antennas and an alert system would be more effective on radio in any event. The CRTC disagreed.
• Alberta Emergency Alert, which operates the only public broadcast alert system in Canada at the moment, argued small broadcasters should be exempt because of the potential costs involved. The CRTC disagreed here, too.
• Broadcasters opposed the CRTC's suggestion to implement alert systems at the transmitter level. As a compromise, alerts are to be controlled at the station level, with an encouragement to add individual alert systems for re-broadcasting stations.
• Cable companies opposed the requirement to send alerts over analog cable. The CRTC disagreed.
There is much more such nonsense in the full order.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2014/2014-444.htm
 
#20 ·
• CBC wanted its OTA TV stations exempt from the order. It argued few Canadians watch television using antennas and an alert system would be more effective on radio in any event. The CRTC disagreed.
• Cable companies opposed the requirement to send alerts over analog cable. The CRTC disagreed.
Typical whining from CBC & BDUs. :rolleyes:
Both arguments use the premise that a minority justifies marginalization -- disgusting. Gee, why not just forget about the whole thing and rely solely on Twitter since "nobody" uses anything else these days? (said with heavy sarcasm)
 
#21 ·
what's twitter?
 
#24 ·
Alert System

Canada has been lacking an effective emergency system for along time.Many times tornados have hit before anyone heres about them.The US system system gives a much quicker response.Hopefully this new system will work.I have been driving in the US and had the alert system interrupt programming and was able to stay clear of real tornado activity.
 
#25 ·
For example, alerts could be issued to warn Canadians of Amber Alerts, tornadoes, forest fires, floods, meteors, water contamination and industrial disasters.
Meteors? Really?? Not that I am against the mandatory alert system, but that seems like a really lame justification, almost to the point of embarrassment. Forget the fact that I think they actually meant meteoroid, what is the alert system supposed to do? Warn you that you might get hit by one, or that the explosion in the air was a result of one, usually which requires many hours to confirm??
 
#26 ·
Is there even a prior detection mechanism in place for meteors?! Or are they referring to reactionary warnings after one strikes? Say as it did in Russia recently?!
 
#27 ·
Even assuming for a minute that there was a detection mechanism in place (other than seasonal showers), either case it is pointless to use it as a justification. Odds of being hit, or even affected, by a meteor are so minute it wouldn't justify an alert system message. Reactionary "warnings" would hardly be justified to use the system as well, since they wouldn't be warnings, but "news". Secondary affects of an explosion (etc.) might be another issue, but the root cause of an explosion at that point becomes inconsequential.

sorry but it just seemed odd. Not something I would want scrolling across my tv!
 
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