CPB Awards 3 More Public Media Stations Grants for Next Generation Warning System

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 30, 2024) – Alabama Public Television, KLRN-TV in San Antonio, and KYUK/TV-AM-FM in Bethel, Alaska, have been awarded funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to upgrade their equipment to provide enhanced emergency alerting. CPB awards the grants through the Next Generation Warning System (NGWS) grant program, funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“Public media stations have always played a vital role in emergency alerting in communities across the country,” said Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. “The Next Generation Warning System grant program is providing funding for public media organizations, especially in rural areas, to replace and upgrade their technology and infrastructure that enhances critical alerting and warning capabilities to help protect those communities.” 

In 2022, FEMA selected CPB to establish and administer the NGWS grant program to help public media stations across the country create a more resilient and secure public alerting system. The program 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.

“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.”

Stations and grants:

• Alabama Public Television, up to $529,558 to purchase hardware and software equipment, including upgrading license key software, which will allow it to transition to the ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard and to broadcast alerts and content in rich media, such as live video, to targeted devices. Alabama Public Television (APT) is a statewide relay for the Emergency Alert System.
• Alamo Public Telecommunications Council/KLRN-TV, San Antonio, Texas, up to $551,426, to replace an aging antenna, which will ensure broadcast resilience during an emergency and will provide advanced alerting when the station transitions to NextGen TV.
• Bethel Broadcasting/KYUK/TV-AM-FM, Bethel, Alaska, up to $277,292, to buy a TV encoder, UPS battery backups, gateway VPN devices, and an updated DASDEC III encoder for all broadcast formats.

They join Mississippi Public Broadcasting, Indian River State College (WQCS, WQCP, and WQJS, FL), Delta College Public Media (WDCQ, MI), Community Radio Project (KZET-FM, KSJD-FM, and KICO-FM, Four Corners region), KSTK Stikine River Radio (CoastAlaska) and Silakkuagvik Communications Inc. (KBRW, AK), which have also received grants from the $34 million in FY 2022 funding that CPB is awarding over two years.  

About the NGWS Grant Program
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded CPB a total of $96 million in FY 2022 and FY 2023-appropriated funds 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. For more information, visit cpb.org/NGWS or email us at ngws@cpb.org.

About CPB
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private, nonprofit corporation authorized by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1,500 locally managed and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is also the largest single source of funding for research, technology and program development for public radio, television, and related online services. For more information, visit cpb.org, follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn and subscribe for email updates.