WASHINGTON, D.C.—America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) has issued a statement commending the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee’s proposal to provide $40 million for fiscal year 2025 for the Next Generation Warning System (NGWS) which provides critical investment in public broadcasting’s public safety infrastructure.
“America’s public television stations are grateful that the subcommittee proposed $40 million to continue the Next Generation Warning System,” said Patrick Butler, president and CEO of America’s Public Television Stations. “Public safety and civil defense are essential parts of public television’s mission to serve the American people. Public broadcasting stations reach 99% of the American population, and we are the only local media in many communities, making our work in alert and warning critical to the safety of people and communities throughout the country.”
Butler also said that the APTS appreciated “Chair Mark Amodei (R-NV), Ranking Member Lauren Underwood (D-IL) and the entire subcommittee’s continuing bipartisan support for the public safety work of local public television stations. We look forward to working with the full House Appropriations Committee and all Members of Congress to ensure that this critical funding moves forward through the appropriations process.”
“Public television’s digital infrastructure provides the backbone for emergency alert, public safety, first responder, and homeland security services in many States and communities, including many local stations that serve as their States’ primary Emergency Alert Service (EAS) hub for severe weather and AMBER alerts,” Butler stressed. ““In addition, public television has partnered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system that enables cell subscribers to receive geo-targeted text messages in the event of an emergency — reaching them wherever they are in times of crisis, even if the internet is disrupted. Between January 1, 2023, and January 1, 2024, 8,500 WEAs were issued by over 1,600 federal, State, local, tribal and territorial authorities and transmitted over PBS WARN throughout the country, demonstrating the importance of this lifesaving technology.”
“These lifesaving public safety services depend on reliable and resilient public broadcasting infrastructure,” he concluded. “The Next Generation Warning System program helps local stations, particularly those serving rural and underserved areas, replace the aging infrastructure that endangers this public safety mission. In addition, this program supports infrastructure needed for enhancements to alert and warning and other public safety communications systems to ensure resilience and the ability to meet the evolving nature of public safety challenges.”
