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July 15, 2020 6:48 pm  #1


Use of Alert Ready "attention tones"

My wife is watching Bell's CJOH (CTV Ottawa) 6pm newscast as I type this.  Earlier, maybe around 6:10-6:15pm, a story on a murder suspect arrested today in Carleton Place was aired, and the reporter mentioned that this morning, while police were searching for the suspect, the Alert Ready system was triggered/an emergency alert regarding this manhunt was broadcast in that area, and I believe all of nearby Ottawa as well.  Only problem with CJOH's report this evening?  They aired the Alert Ready "attention tones" loud and clear in the middle of the package, when no active alerts or tests were being broadcast during the newscast.

I know that in the States, it is pretty much illegal to broadcast the sounds of that country's EAS (emergency alert system) outside of an active alert or test, but what are the rules in Canada?  Did CJOH/Bell mess up, or was the airing of the attention tones (as part of a news report) allowed by the CRTC/Pelmorex/whoever made the rules regarding Alert Ready?