A wide area communication system (100, 200) employs a method and apparatus for providing a localized information (410) to a communication device (500) located in the wide area communication system (100, 200). The wide area communication system (100, 200) includes a plurality of local coverage areas (110-112, 219-225) that are each served by one or more broadcast transmission sites (103-108, 203-212). A broadcast transmission site (300) providing communication service to a local coverage area that includes the communication device (500) transmit, during a first pre-allocated time interval and/or together with a first pre-allocated broadcast address, information relating to their local coverage area. During a second time interval and/or together with an individual address (414) of the communication device (500), the same broadcast transmission sites together with other broadcast transmission sites in the wide area communication system (100, 200) transmit an individualized information (418) to the communication device (500). |