CPB awards up to $1.7 million to five public media stations to improve emergency alerting

WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 21, 2024) – Five public media stations in Hawaii, Kentucky, Missouri, and South Dakota will receive a total of up to $1.7 million from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to upgrade their equipment to provide enhanced emergency alerting. With these grants, CPB has awarded funding to 35 public media stations in 19 states so far for the Next Generation Warning System (NGWS) grant program, funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“Public media stations play 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 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 media stations, provides funding for media organizations 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 35 grants awarded so far are in the first round of funding from $40 million approved by Congress in Fiscal Year 2022. CPB also received approximately 170 station applications requesting more than $109 million in the second round of NGWS funding, a total of $56 million approved by Congress in FY 2023. FEMA recently announced that CPB will administer a third round of funding from the $40 million Congress approved in FY 2024.

“FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) aims to ensure the delivery of timely, clear and actionable emergency alerts to the public,” said FEMA IPAWS Director Manny Centeno. “IPAWS is actively engaging with private industry, alerting authorities and federal partners to advance innovative technologies within the emergency alerting landscape. IPAWS will continue motivating the development of accessible and resilient alerting pathways, and exploring inventive methods to reach the public effectively when it matters most.”

Stations recently receiving NGWS funding:

• Hawaii Public Television Foundation/PBS Hawaii (KMEB-TV), Honolulu, HI – up to $184,961 to replace a 15-year-old transmitter to ensure communities that rely on KMEB's broadcast services consistently receive emergency alerts.
• Eastern Kentucky University (WEKU-FM), Richmond, KY – up to $382,056 to upgrade and replace infrastructure to ensure emergency alerts can be sent to the vulnerable rural and underserved communities.
• Murray State University (WKMS-FM), Murray, KY – up to $270,377 to upgrade aging equipment at two transmitter sites, enabling WKMS-FM to broadcast in HD and improve their emergency messaging infrastructure.             
• Missouri State University (KOZK-TV and KSMU-FM), Springfield, MO – up to $384,573 to replace broadcasting equipment for resiliency, alerting, and broadcast signal and expand KSMU-FM's reach by enabling the station to broadcast in both analog and HD radio.
• Rosebud Sioux Tribe (KOYA-FM), Rosebud, SD – up to $481,003 to replace and upgrade infrastructure to ensure emergency alerts can be sent from local/Tribal, regional, and federal agencies.

The 35 stations to receive NGWS grants so far, by state:

• Alabama: Alabama Public Television (up to $529,558); Alabama A&M/WJAB-FM (up to $246,263).
• Alaska: Bethel Broadcasting – KYUK TV-AM-FM (up to $277,292); Kodiak Public Broadcasting - KMXT-FM (up to $51,670); KTOO Public Media - KTOO TV/FM (up to $252,209); Lynn Canal Broadcasting - KHNS FM (up to $88,426); Rainbird Community Broadcasting Corporation - KRBD-FM (up to $95,185); Silakkuagvik Communications - KBRW (up to $98,853); Stikine River Radio (CoastAlaska) - KSTK-FM (up to $90,002); Unalaska Community Broadcasting - KUCB-FM (up to $224,081).
• California: Northern California Educational TV - KIXE-TV (up to $857,105).
• Colorado: Community Radio Project (KZET-FM, KSJD-FM, and KICO-FM in the Four Corners region) (up to $54,750).
• Florida: IRSC Public Media, Indian River State College - WQCS-FM, WQCP-FM, and WQJS-FM (up to $165,680). 
• Hawaii: Hawaii Public Television Foundation/PBS Hawaii - KMEB-TV (up to $184,961).
• Indiana: PBS Fort Wayne - WFWA-TV (up to $185,086); Tri-State Public Media -WNIN TV/FM, (up to $161,481).
• Kansas: Smoky Hills PBS - KOOD-TV (up to $1,761,843).
• Kentucky: Eastern Kentucky University - WEKU-FM (up to $382,056; Murray State University (WKMS-FM) (up to $270,377); 
• Louisiana: Red River Radio - KDAQ-FM (up to $80,642).
• Michigan: Delta College Public Media - WDCQ-TV (up to $976,708).
• Mississippi: Mississippi Public Broadcasting (up to $221,000).
• Missouri:  University of Central Missouri - KMOS PBS (up to $880,085); Missouri State University - KSMU-FM (up to $384,573).
• New York: Radio Catskill - WJFF-FM (up to $135,439); Mountain Lake Public Telecommunications Council/Mountain Lake PBS - WCFE-TV (up to $218,586); North Country Public Radio/St. Lawrence University - WSLU-FM (up to $109,675); St. Lawrence Valley Educational Television Council - WPBS-TV (up to $276,444).
• Oregon: Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs - KWSO-FM (up to $158,749).
• South Dakota: Rosebud Sioux Tribe - KOYA-FM (up to $481,003).
• Tennessee: Mid-South Public Communications Foundation - WKNO-TV and WKNO-FM (up to $1,657,012). 
• Texas: Alamo Public Telecommunications Council - KLRN-TV (up to $551,426); South Texas Public Broadcasting System - KEDT-TV/FM & KVRT-FM (up to $536,921); Texas A&M University - KAMU TV/FM (up to $486,214).
• Virginia: Blue Ridge Public Television - WBRA-TV (up to $1,122,074). 

About the NGWS Grant Program
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded CPB a total of $136 million in FY 2022, FY 2023, and FY 2024-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 (CPB), 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 www.cpb.org and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and subscribe for email updates.