1. An apparatus for providing location-specific alert information associated with an alert condition relevant to a geographical area, the location-specific alert information being broadcast within the geographical area by at least one transmitter of a wireless bi-directional communication network having a plurality of communication channels and a plurality of transmitters which are each positioned to provide communication services to specific geographical areas serviced by the communication network, said apparatus comprising: a receiver adapted to receive transmissions on a communication channel of the plurality of communication channels of the wireless bi-directional communication network, wherein said transmissions comprise formatted text; a peripheral device operable to indicate an alert condition, wherein said indication comprises displaying said formatted text; and a controller communicatively coupled to said receiver and said peripheral device, said controller being operable to monitor a communication channel of the wireless bi-directional communication network for the receipt of a transmission of location-specific alert information from a transmitter servicing a geographical area and to operate said peripheral device in response to the reception of the transmission of said location-specific alert information to display said formatted text.