The objective of the NGWSGP is to support the public alert and warning system that provides timely and effective warnings using the latest broadcast technology standards, especially in rural, Tribal, and underserved communities with limited broadcast services. To support this objective, CPB will award subgrants to fund equipment purchases, installation, and training. This equipment will improve the stations’ resilience and security and improve their ability to transmit emergency alerts and warnings to the public – including people with access and functional needs, people with limited-English proficiency, and people in underserved geographic locations, including Tribal and remote rural areas. Public broadcast stations often serve a much larger role in providing critical emergency information in these areas than in those with greater concentrations of broadcasters.
Specifically, this Next Generation Warning System grant seeks to:
•Enhance the capacity of local broadcast stations to receive, broadcast, and redistribute emergency alert messages from the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System using IPAWS Specification for Common Alerting Protocol (CAP);
•Implement upgrades to the NEXTGEN TV ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard;
•Enhance the technology infrastructure to ensure local public broadcast stations can launch new, enhanced broadcast services, that improve and expand the distribution of public alerts and warnings; and
•Expand the delivery and distribution of emergency alert messages from IPAWS to fill gaps in alert and warning delivery to people in underserved areas.