Two public radio stations, one serving an HBCU and the other in rural Alaska, are the latest awarded a combined $508,234 in funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as part of the Next Generation Warning System program, supported by FEMA.
Raven Radio (KCAW) in Sitka and WCLK at Clark Atlanta University will receive grants to enhance their emergency alerting capabilities. KCAW will get up to $313,203 to upgrade equipment and expand broadcast signal coverage to underserved areas, adding redundancy to ensure more reliable service.
WCLK will receive up to $195,331 to replace aging equipment, address broadcast interruptions, and enhance the station’s emergency alerting system.
The NGWS program focuses on equipping public media stations with upgraded infrastructure and training to improve emergency alert and warning systems, particularly in underserved and rural areas.
To date, CPB has distributed grants to 40 public media stations across 22 states during the program’s initial funding rounds, which drew from $40 million allocated by Congress for Fiscal Year 2022. Congress increased funding to $56 million for FY 2023, with over 170 station applications received, requesting more than $109 million.
Additional funding of $40 million for FY 2024 has been allocated, with CPB set to oversee a third round of grants.
