[EAS] National Cell Broadcast Roll out in Canada

[media at openbroadcaster.com]

Hi from the great white north,

Today was the launch of a new CAP cell phone alerting service based on 
Cell Broadcast.  It was off to a shaky start in Quebec, when messages 
didn't get relayed because of a single typo. The rest for Ontario,mixed 
reports.. some messages were relayed.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/emergency-system-fails-first-test-in-quebec-hit-and-miss-in-ontario-1.3917976

Regular testing resumes for the rest of Canada on Weds.

I  have meant to report to you in the south about something that I find 
very troubling re: broadcast of alerting tones.  I am fairly certain it 
is not allowed to broadcast the Canadian EAS tones in non emergencies on 
radio and TV.

I have followed in US and common sense prevails not to broadcast the 
alert tones, so these tones are only heard during an actual emergency.  
What has been happening here, our national broadcaster CBC (and others) 
have been playing a PSA with the alert tones, constantly, every day at 
noon, they play this PSA with the alert tones. Part of what gets me 
going is the headache I still have developing and testing our open 
source EAS and having to listen to those tones over and over.

Every time I hear them on the gov PSA or the news today, I think of you 
folks and the chatter that would be on this list, about fines and 
liabiklity.  No shortage of places in Canada to hear the alert tones in 
non emergencies.  Lets just hope that when an actual emergency happens, 
that people aren't desensitized to them and think.... oh no another one 
of those annoying government PSA and then turn off their radios.

TTUL

Rob

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