CPB awards up to $587,000 to three public radio stations to improve emergency alerting

Public media stations play a vital role in emergency alerting in communities across the country. 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.”

Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Public radio stations KVPR in Fresno, California; WQLN in Erie, Pennsylvania; and KRCL in Salt Lake City, Utah, will receive a total of up to $587,704 from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to upgrade their equipment to provide enhanced emergency alerting. With these grants, CPB has awarded funding to 38 public media stations in 21 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.

The 38 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 is committed to enhancing community resilience by quickly disseminating emergency communications through various integrated channels,” said Manny Centeno, director of FEMA's Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS). “IPAWS provides tools and resources for local authorities to effectively share emergency information. The success of the Next Generation Warning System (NGWS) relies on community participation and strong partnerships between public safety officials and broadcasters. We encourage collaboration and innovation to develop next-generation strategies and services.”

The latest stations recently receiving NGWS funding:

• KVPR-FM, White Ash Broadcasting, Inc., Fresno, California, up to $38,607 to build an emergency auxiliary transmitter site so the station can stay on-air if there’s an issue at the main site.
• WQLN-FM, Public Broadcasting of Northwest Pennsylvania, Inc., Erie, Pennsylvania, up to $87,059 to replace aging equipment and related software and upgrade the radio monitoring tuners to receive HD signal at the station’s five translator sites.
• KRCL-FM, Listeners Community Radio of Utah, Inc., Salt Lake City, up to $462,038 to upgrade the transmitter to distribute HD and FM signals and extend emergency alerting to a larger and more rural coverage area.

The 38 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); White Ash Broadcasting, Inc. – KVPR-FM (up to $38,607).
• 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).
• Pennsylvania: Public Broadcasting of Northwest Pennsylvania, Inc. – WQLN-FM  (up to $87,059). 
• 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).
• Utah: Listeners Community Radio of Utah, Inc. - KRCL-FM (up to $462,038).
• 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.