WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has awarded up to $1.37 million to four public broadcasters to upgrade equipment to deliver enhanced emergency alerting.
To date, CPB has issued 17 grants through the first round of funding for the Next Generation Warning System (NGWS) grant program, funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The latest public broadcasters to receive the grant include KMOS PBS in Warrensburg, Mo., PBS Fort Wayne (Ind.), KTOO Public Media (KTOO TV/FM) in Juneau, Alaska, and Kodiak Public Broadcasting/KMXT-FM in Kodiak, Alaska, CPB said.
“Public media stations have long played a vital role in emergency alerting in communities across the country,” said CPB president and CEO Patricia Harrison. “The Next Generation Warning System grant program helps public media organizations, especially in rural areas, replace and upgrade their infrastructure so that they can continue to keep their communities safe.”
FEMA selected CPB in 2022 to establish and administer the NGWS grant program, which funds public media stations to upgrade their equipment and receive training to enhance alerting and warning capabilities, including the ability to use NextGen TV broadcast technology and comparable digital broadcast technology for radio stations. The program prioritizes public media stations serving rural, tribal and underserved communities.
Grant details include:
- KMOS PBS, University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, Mo., up to $880,085 to replace aging broadcasting infrastructure and provide increased technical capacity to partner with local, state and federal emergency management officials in emergencies.
- Fort Wayne PBS, WFWA-TV, Fort Wayne, Ind., up to $185,086, to improve the reliability and resiliency of the broadcast station’s warning system and support the installation of several updated equipment components.
- KTOO Public Media, KTOO TV/FM, Juneau, Alaska, up to $252,209 to improve the station’s resilience and warning system infrastructure. KTOO is the local primary distribution point for Juneau and reaches tribal and other populations in outlying communities.
- KMXT-FM, Kodiak Public Broadcasting, Kodiak, Alaska, up to $51,670, to buy encoders to improve common alerting protocol capability, fill gaps in alert delivery and provide backup power systems to improve its infrastructure and resilience.
In June, CPB launched a Request for Applications (RFA) portal on the CPB website for a second round of funding for the NGWS grant program. The total amount of NGWS grant funds available in this round is $48 million, approved in Fiscal Year 2023, CPB said.
“FEMA is committed to building resilience by rapidly disseminating emergency communications to the public through diverse integrated pathways,” said FEMA IPAWS director Manny Centeno. “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.”
More information on the grant program is available online.
More information on the CPB is available on its website.
