Three public radio stations in California, Pennsylvania, and Utah have been awarded up to $587,704 in grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as part of the Next Generation Warning System grant program, supported by FEMA.
The NGWS program, designed to bolster public safety communications, prioritizes funding for public media organizations, particularly those serving rural areas. It supports infrastructure upgrades and provides training to improve alerting and warning systems.
Among the trio receiving the most recent grants is White Ash Broadcasting’s KVPR in Fresno, CA, which will receive up to $38,607 to build an emergency auxiliary transmitter site. Public Broadcasting of Northwest Pennsylvania’s WQLN in Erie, PA will get as much as $87,059 to replace aging equipment, upgrade software, and install HD-compatible radio monitoring tuners at five translator sites.
Finally, Listeners Community Radio of Utah’s KRCL in Salt Lake City will receive up to $462,038 to upgrade its transmitter for HD and FM signals, extending emergency alert coverage to larger and more rural areas.
The grants are part of a broader effort funded by Congress and administered by FEMA. So far, CPB has allocated NGWS funding to 38 public media stations across 21 states, including Alaska, New York, and Texas. The NGWS initiative began with $40 million in FY 2022, followed by $56 million in FY 2023. CPB received over 170 applications for the program’s second funding round, representing more than $109 million in requests.
A third round of $40 million in FY 2024 has also been allocated to further expand the program.
FEMA’s IPAWS Director Manny Centeno highlighted, “FEMA is committed to enhancing community resilience by quickly disseminating emergency communications through various integrated channels. IPAWS provides tools and resources for local authorities to effectively share emergency information. The success of the Next Generation Warning System 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.”
CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison commented, “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.”
