The CRTC is asking Cogeco Communications to provide information regarding a complaint about a July 24 tornado risk warning issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada via the National Public Alerting System (NPAS) in Sharbot Lake and Lanark County, Ont., that was allegedly displayed in English only during Radio-Canada’s program Le Téléjournal when received through Cogeco’s set-top boxes.
Sharbot Lake and Lanark County are located approximately 120 kilometres and 75 kilometres southwest of Ottawa, respectively.
Broadcasting regulations require last mile distributors to present emergency alert messages in both French and English when an alert is issued in both official languages, regardless of where in Canada it is intended to be broadcast, explains an Oct. 21 letter from the CRTC to Cogeco.
The CRTC wants to know if Cogeco is aware of any reports of its subscribers receiving emergency alerts in only one official language when the alert is issued in both, and if so, the commission is asking for details such as the location of the broadcasting distribution undertaking (BDU) serving area, whether it’s a licensed or exempt BDU, the date of the alert, and the number of reports of premises affected.
In addition, the CRTC wants Cogeco to explain specifically the cause for why alerts were not distributed in both official languages in the Sharbot Lake and Lanark County area of Ontario or for any other area identified by Cogeco.
Finally, the CRTC is asking what actions Cogeco has taken or plans to take to address the problem and its root causes to ensure it does not happen again.
Cogeco has until Nov. 4 to respond to the CRTC’s request for information.
