Weatheradio Canada

Weatheradio Canada (French: Radiométéo Canada) is a Canadian weather radio network that is owned and operated by Environment and Climate Change Canada's Meteorological Service of Canada division. The network transmits in both official languages (English and French) from 230 sites across Canada. Weatheradio Canada like their telephone service, uses the Starcaster[1] Text to Speech, which has been used for many years and is owned by STR-SpeechTech Ltd.

Weatheradio Canada
Frequency162.4–162.55 MHz
FormatWeather radio
OwnerEnvironment and Climate Change Canada / Meteorological Service of Canada
WebsiteWeatheradio Canada

In most locations, the service broadcasts on one of seven specially-allocated VHF radio frequencies, audible only on dedicated "weather band" receivers or any VHF radio capable of receiving 10 kHz bandwidth FM signals centered on these assigned channels, which are located within the larger "public service band". The radio frequencies used by Weatheradio Canada are the same as those used by its American counterpart, NOAA Weather Radio, and receivers designed for use in one country are compatible for use in the other. Since 2004, the service has used Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) alerting technology to disseminate severe weather bulletins. Weatheradio has indicated that, in the future, it also plans to add other hazard and civil emergency information (such as natural disasters, technological accidents, AMBER alerts and terrorist attacks) to its broadcasts.[2]

In some locations, primarily national parks, provincial parks and remote communities with little or no local media service, a transmitter operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation carries the service on a standard AM or FM broadcast frequency. As of August 2007, most of these AM and FM transmitters were unlicensed by the CRTC under a special license exemption granted to low-power non-commercial broadcasters.[3]

History

In 1976, Environment Canada Weatheradio's service was launched and expanded to 30 locations in roughly 10 years. In the early-1990s, increased government investment permitted major expansion of the network to the present size of 179 sites.

Frequencies

Weatheradio Canada signals are transmitted using FM (10 kHz bandwidth), with band spacing of 25 kHz. The service uses these frequencies:[4]

  • 162.400 MHz
  • 162.425 MHz
  • 162.450 MHz
  • 162.475 MHz
  • 162.500 MHz
  • 162.525 MHz
  • 162.550 MHz

Programming

Weather information is broadcast in both official languages which is English first then French. Weather alert broadcasts are inserted within the normal playlist, and are available in both official languages. Marine forecasts are broadcast, though on a limited schedule. Most marine forecasts are broadcast on the marine frequency, which is not available on most weather radios. One requires a special receiver capable of receiving the marine frequency, which varies by province. Environment Canada formerly broadcast a full marine forecast which included marine alerts; this has since changed between 2007 and 2009. Weather broadcasts also include the UV index for the forecasted day, and for the following day during the UV index season. The index runs from 1 (low) to 10 (extreme).

See also

References
  1. "Starcaster Text to Speech".
  2. Canada, Environment and Climate Change. "Event codes for the Specific Area Message Encoding - Canada.ca". www.canada.ca. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  3. Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2007-280, August 7, 2007.
  4. Canada, Environment and Climate Change. "Weatheradio Canada: general information - Canada.ca". www.ec.gc.ca. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
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