Telecom, broadcast decisions set out new emergency alert regime

OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Providing emergency alerts to TV viewers will continue to be a voluntary thing for the industry, the CRTC said today. In a public notice, the Commission set out its approach for the establishment of emergency alert services in Canada, and in another decision also issued today, the Regulator allowed public authorities to use 911 databases in order to improve the effectiveness of telephony-based emergency public alerts."According to the Broadcasting Act, the Canadian broadcasting system should serve the needs of Canadians," said Michel Arpin, vice-chairman, broadcasting, of the CRTC, in a press release. "It is vitally important that Canadians...