Pelmorex joins forces with Red Cross to bring weather emergency info viewers

The Weather Network and its French- language affiliate MétéoMédia have made a deal with the Canadian Red Cross to bring viewers up-to-the-minute public service information during environmental disasters. The two Pelmorex Inc-owned channels, which reach about eight million homes, have also given the Red Cross airtime for educational spots on disaster preparedness. "It seems like a natural fit," says Paul Temple, the networks' senior VP of corporate development. "When there are disasters like floods, tornadoes and ice storms, the Red Cross gets involved in disaster relief, and our ratings spike because people want to know what's going on." During disasters, the Red Cross will tell the Weather Network and its French counterpart what supplies relief workers need. The networks will also broadcast advice to people in the areas hit by the disaster. Most Canadian communities now have disaster plans that are drawn up by police, rescue and Red Cross workers. The agreement between the Weather Network and the Red Cross makes the network part of the Red Cross disaster planning process. As well as broadcasting information in the aftermath of a disaster, The Weather Network/MétéoMédia will also air emergency preparedness information bulletins to provide Canadians with the tools necessary to prepare for emergency situations. Canadian Red Cross staff will also work with The Weather Network/MétéoMédia to produce public service announcements. They will tell viewers how to prepare for a potential disaster, what supplies to keep in the house, and what to do to prevent injury when a disaster strikes. Print versions of the information will be posted on the networks' web sites. "We'll be getting some very useful information that we can use on the air and on our web site, and in return, the Red Cross will be able to show that it is working hard to help people be prepared for emergencies," says Temple. Plans continue for national weather warning system In related news, Pelmorex has applied to the CRTC for a licence amendment that would allow it to continue an emergency weather warning system developed by the company and the federal government. The WeatherAlert system is a partnership between Environment Canada and Pelmorex. Starting in 1997, Environment Canada began spending $35 million over six years on a new national weather radar network that is designed to provide earlier detection of severe weather such as heavy rainfall, winter storms and tornadoes. Viewers receive WeatherAlert crawl messages along the bottom of their TV screens alerting them of an impending weather crisis in their area. A successful pilot project using Pelmorex technology to route WeatherAlert messages to the right cable system was held last year in Vancouver, Regina, Windsor ON, and St-Georges-de-Beauce QC. Temple says the company's application for licence amendments is expected to be gazetted soon. If approved by the CRTC, the WeatherAlert/ACA system will soon be available in many communities across Canada, and may open the cable network to more than just WeatherAlert messages. The Federal Communications Commission has ruled that cable distribution systems are vital to America's new emergency alert system. Cable companies and broadcasters were required in 1998 to start carrying emergency weather warnings. The WeatherAlert system is activated when Environment Canada broadcasts a message via digital radio to a TV station's computer where it is inserted into the local signal. Broadcasters need to spend about $10,000 on a digital radio receiver, a new PC and software to receive and re-broadcast the weather alerts. Video Designs of Toronto developed the equipment for broadcasters in the trial.

Pelmorex joins forces with Red Cross to bring weather emergency info viewers

News | 05/25/2000 4:00 am EDT

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