The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded CPB $96 million to establish and implement the Next Generation Warning System (NGWS) grant program. CPB is administering a competitive grant program for public television and public radio stations to replace and upgrade infrastructure to expand alert, warning, and interoperable communications, creating a more resilient and secure public alerting system.
Applications for the first round of funding have closed. Our team has reviewed hundreds of applications in the first round of funding, narrowing them down to approximately 50 that meet the top funding priority. Those stations will hear from the NGWS team soon about the next steps in the process, and we anticipate announcing new grants within the next few weeks. A second Request For Applications (RFA) will open later this spring.
The program funds equipment upgrades and training, including the ability to use ATSC 3.0 broadcast technology for television stations and comparable digital broadcast technology for radio stations. This will result in enhanced alerting and warning capabilities. The program prioritizes public media stations serving underserved communities, primarily in rural and tribal areas.
NGWS grant funding will:
- Enhance capacity of local broadcast stations to receive, broadcast, and redistribute emergency alert messages using the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) specifications;
- Allow for technical assistance for stations in determining equipment needs, purchasing, and installation;
- Enable stations to upgrade their transmission equipment to next-generation ATSC 3.0 broadcast standards;
- Enhance technology infrastructure to enable new broadcast services that improve the distribution of public alerts and warnings and strengthen infrastructure resilience with emergency generators and other equipment;
- Expand the delivery and distribution of emergency alert messages from IPAWS to fill gaps in alert and warning delivery in underserved areas; and
- Enable the communication of alerts and warnings to individuals with disabilities, individuals with access and functional needs, and individuals with limited English proficiency.
For more information, email ngws@cpb.org