1 of 1- RadioActive
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At Least Two GTA Stations Didn't Air Those Emergency Alerts
If you were listening to the radio on Friday, you couldn't avoid them - a series of at least four or five "Emergency Alerts" warning of a possible tornado or severe thunderstorm in parts of southern Ontario. They aired so often in a few hour stretch I had the time to tune around while they were on. And while everyone you'd expect had them, there were two where the message never interrupted programming.
The first was CHIN-FM at 91.9 (not sure about the other FM and AM.) But perhaps those who were listening to another language wouldn't necessarily have understood the message anyway. Still, it should have been there.
Less excusable was our old favourite, CKNT in Mississauga. Not once did the few listeners of Sauga 960 ever hear a word of any of the warnings. Is that because they don't have the right equipment installed? As a Canadian radio station, aren't they required to by law?
The warnings made for some surreal moments at times. One aired just before the 4 PM news on CFRB. As soon as it finished, the regular programming cut back in, only to have David McKee repeat the exact same thing. About two minutes later, the same alert re-aired, interrupting the newscast. When it returned, they happened to be heading straight into the weather, complete with stinger, where the same information aired for a fourth time in less than five minutes!
It may be the only flaw in this system - it certainly sounds weird when none of the hosts realize they've been interrupted by something only their listeners could hear.
- RadioActive
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Re: At Least Two GTA Stations Didn't Air Those Emergency Alerts
Aired again at 4:38 PM. None of the CHINs had it. Neither did Jazz FM.
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Thread Starter- In Phase
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Re: At Least Two GTA Stations Didn't Air Those Emergency Alerts
Alerts are issued based upon a geographic area for where the threat is pertinent, and are broadcast IF that geographic area falls within the coverage area of any radio or TV station. It is quite possible that an alert might touch on the extreme coverage area for CFRB (for example) but not CKNT or CHIN-FM.
- RadioActive
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Re: At Least Two GTA Stations Didn't Air Those Emergency Alerts
Jazz FM is a full powered Toronto radio station. If it aired on 'RB and all the other T.O. AMs & FMs, it should have aired there. Same thing for the CHINs.
Not sure about Sauga 960, but if a thunderstorm severe enough to generate an Emergency Alert is headed to the GTA, it will surely fall in both T.O. and Mississauga. My guess is they're not equipped to handle the alerts. Although by law they should be.
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Thread Starter- torontostan
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Re: At Least Two GTA Stations Didn't Air Those Emergency Alerts
There were at least 15 alerts on CFRB within 3 hours... completely ridiculous.
I also tuned around the dial when they went off.
Some of them were for Gravenhurst, and areas north west of Fergus.. and yet they aired on CHFI, CILQ and others. If I were Toronto broadcasters, I wouldn't be pleased. I wonder if the ratings encoder is before or after the emergency alert decoder? In other words, do stations "lose" their audience when these alerts go off every 10 minutes? If so, just all the more reason for them to be upset with these wide geographical borders.
- R32
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Re: At Least Two GTA Stations Didn't Air Those Emergency Alerts
RadioActive wrote:
Jazz FM is a full powered Toronto radio station. If it aired on 'RB and all the other T.O. AMs & FMs, it should have aired there. Same thing for the CHINs.
Not sure about Sauga 960, but if a thunderstorm severe enough to generate an Emergency Alert is headed to the GTA, it will surely fall in both T.O. and Mississauga. My guess is they're not equipped to handle the alerts. Although by law they should be.
Yeah, we were interrupted 3 times for the warnings on Sauga (Scholes)
- 6079 Smith W
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Re: At Least Two GTA Stations Didn't Air Those Emergency Alerts
The warnings made for some surreal moments at times. One aired just before the 4 PM news on CFRB. As soon as it finished, the regular programming cut back in, only to have David McKee repeat the exact same thing. About two minutes later, the same alert re-aired, interrupting the newscast. When it returned, they happened to be heading straight into the weather, complete with stinger, where the same information aired for a fourth time in less than five minutes!
I was listening to AM 640 and noticed a very similar occurrence, except in their case, the second interruption actually pre-empted everything the GNR Newsroom was saying about the tornado warning - all while the robot voice was actually saying "for further information, follow local broadcasts". Good advice, maybe they should take it.
- markow202
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Re: At Least Two GTA Stations Didn't Air Those Emergency Alerts
I happened to actually be listening while working at home, to CBC music 941. It had all the alerts. Technically so it would, as repeaters are in those regions of the warnings aswell.