My wife saw the alert on City at 4:25pm.   Strangely, neither of our phones pushed the alert (Rogers cell)...

 

The second announcement (4:52 PM) was picked up by the CBC. Wonder what happened the first time? (Still nothing on the phone.)

Part of the problem with this system is that the on air people have no idea they've been interrupted, so they go blithely on talking about whatever, without referring to the rather scary tornado possibility that everyone else just heard. And it's worse, since many of them are broadcasting from home, and are even further out of the loop. 

Well, there was another warning at 5:44 PM, this time including Mississauga. (And yes, it did air on CKNT!)  I was tuning around and noticed that none of the 3 CHIN stations (1540 AM, 100.7 and 91.9 FM) had the alert. Are they somehow exempt because most of their programs aren't in English and the alerts are?

Even if English isn't your first language, they should certainly have been interrupted for a potential tornado warning.

arc23 wrote:

it will be sent to your phone your in a city / town where the alert [tornado watch / warning] is actually issued for

The second alert was on City, and included Halton in the warning area...   I live in Burlington which is part of Halton Region....   again no alert on either of our phones (Rogers). And nothing on my work phone (Telus)...

I'm still in the basement......
 

Last edited by Glen Warren (August 4, 2020 6:39 pm)

torontostan wrote:

CHIN is indeed listed on the CRTC National Public Alerting System page. However, there was some debate over which language "third-language" broadcasters should air the alert in. Not sure whatever happened with that, but I believe they still have to at least read the english or french first, followed by a third-language. 

The only exempt radio stations would be low-power tourist stations and some Native stations.. so my guess was either it was coming and they planned on reading it live, or they didn't do it it all which is alarming. 

all radio stations, ethnic, native, tourist, whatever, were required to implement NAADS by march 31, 2016.  there are no exemptions unless they are commission approved.  the commission did not rule on third-language announcements, but requires ethnic broadcasters to carry them in either french or english.  Policy CRTC 2014-444

All stations even community and ethnic stations are required to have the alert system equipment in place and working.  This was a major issue in Vancouver-Surrey a couple of years ago, when so-called "licence exempt" ethnic stations that were broadcasting commercial programming, were caught on this technicality and mandatory orders were issued by the CRTC compelling them to go off the air, until/unless they had working alert system equipment.  So the short answer is, CHIN should have the alert equipment working.  The fact that announcements are in English (or French), has no bearing on the obligation of broadcasters.  I suspect that some broadcasters - possibly campus and community stations may not be in compliance, and it's a catch-me-if-you-can situation.
Broadcasting Decision 2016-404:Emergency alerting system
[list=1]
[*]Paragraph 10 of the Exemption Order requires undertakings operating under that exemption order to have implemented a public alerting system by no later than 31 March 2015.
[*]In its response letter of 21 January 2016, Myfm admitted to not having implemented the required public alerting system and stated that it was not aware that this requirement applied to low-power stations. Myfm indicated that it had engaged its staff to source the necessary equipment in order to install the system as soon as possible. However, at the time of the hearing, Myfm still had not implemented the necessary public alerting system, noting delays in the provision of the equipment. 
[*]At the hearing, Myfm committed to cease operations immediately and to remain off air until the emergency alerting system is operational. It confirmed that the station had ceased broadcasting as of 19 May 2016. The Commission received confirmation that the necessary equipment was installed and that the station had resumed operations on 22 July 2016.
[*]In light of the above, the Commission finds Myfm to have been operating VF2689 without the necessary public alerting system as required under the Exemption Order.
[/list]

Last edited by tvguy (August 5, 2020 9:08 am)