It is a requirement of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) that every Last Mile Distributor (LMD) is mandated to delivery of Emergency Alert Messages.
Westman Communications Group (WCG), as an LMD company, has set up EAS distribution.
Each Emergency Alert Message from the originator is addressed to the particular territory. We cover a wide area of Westman, from Virden to Glenboro and Erickson to Souris. A message for Virden may not be relevant for Glenboro however we are obliged to broadcast that message.
The task for LMDs is to deliver that message to their customers. Depending on the medium used by an LMD, the message could be delivered in audio and/or video forms.
Whenever the emergency message is issued the WCG EAS will tune ALL cable boxes, from any channel they are currently tuned, to the particular channel for the whole period of the broadcast of the emergency message.
During the period of the EAS message it will be shown on the TV screens and accompanied by audio.
Once the EAS message is over the cable boxes will return to the channel that they were tuned to prior to the message.
From time to time the originator will test the EAS. WCG will also conduct periodic test that will fall on the first Wednesday of each month at 4:40 pm to correspond with the Brandon City Emergency Siren test.