WASHINGTON—The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced today it has awarded 30 grants to date through the first round of the Next Generation Warning System (NGWS) grant program, funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Stations in Alabama, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee and Virginia are the latest to receive funds to upgrade equipment for public safety.
“Public media stations play a vital role in emergency alerting in communities across the country,” CPB CEO Patricia Harrison said. “The Next Generation Warning System grant program helps public media organizations, especially in rural areas, to replace and upgrade their infrastructure so that they can continue to keep their communities safe.”
The NGWS grant program, which prioritizes public stations, provides funding for media organizations to upgrade their equipment and for training to enhance alerting and warning capabilities, including the ability to use NextGen TV broadcast technology and comparable digital broadcast technology for radio stations.
“FEMA is committed to building resilience by rapidly disseminating emergency communications to the public through diverse integrated pathways,” FEMA IPAWS Director Manny Centeno said. “FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) provides a suite of tools and resources for local authorities to effectively send emergency communications to the public. We continue developing the Next Generation Warning System concept as we improve continuity and leverage new technologies, such as ATSC 3.0, that can reach the public wherever they are.”
Stations recently receiving NGWS funding are:
- Alabama A&M/WJAB-FM, Normal, Ala., up to $246,263 to replace a 30-year-old transmitter, providing a stronger signal that reaches more underserved communities with emergency alerts.
- Tri-State Public Media/WNIN, Evansville, Ind., up to $161,481 to replace and upgrade critical broadcasting infrastructure to ensure emergency alerts can be sent to rural and underserved communities.
- Smoky Hills Public Television/KOOD-TV, Bunker Hill, Kan., up to $1,761,843 to update the main transmitter tower to ATSC 3.0 so that central and western Kansans will have access to enhanced emergency communications when the market transitions to the newest broadcast standard.
- Red River Radio/KDAQ-FM, Shreveport, La., up to $80,642 to replace critical resiliency infrastructure, including three emergency generators, that will ensure rural and underserved communities have access to emergency communications.
- Mid-South Public Communications Foundation/WKNO-TV and WKNO-FM, Cordova, Tenn., up to $1,657,012 to replace a transmitter and two emergency generators to ensure the rural agricultural communities in Tennessee, Mississippi and eastern Arkansas receive timely emergency communications.
- Blue Ridge Public Television/WBRA-TV, Roanoke, Va., up to $1,122,074 to replace critical broadcast infrastructure that will strengthen their signal in the mountainous region to reach more rural communities with targeted emergency alerts.
- Last month, CPB received about 170 station applications totaling more than $109 million for the second round of NGWS funding. The total amount of NGWS grant funds available in Round 2 is $48 million, approved by Congress in fiscal year 2023.
FEMA has awarded CPB a total of $136 million in fiscal year 2022, 2023 and 2024-appropriated funds to establish and implement the NGWS grant program.
