Six days ago, PBS stations that had been selected as Corporation for Public Broadcasting grant recipients received some unnerving news. In an e-mail, the organization’s Chief Financial Officer confirmed that CPB “does not have access to funds” linked to a Next-Generation Warning System (NGWS) grant.
What does this mean? CPB is seeking an answer, as are stations expecting these dollars.
According to communication sent on February 19 by CPB CFO/Treasurer Daryl Mintz, the organization that provides funding to NPR and PBS could not access dollars linked to a 2022 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) NGWS grant.
This transpired even though CPB did not receive any formal communication from FEMA regarding the lack of access.
“We are in the process of seeking clarification on this situation,” Mintz said, adding, “[G]iven the current situation we must direct you to pause any further commitment of funds including the purchase of equipment (including execution of any contract or purchase order) or services as of today.”
A CPB spokesperson tells RBR+TVBR, “Although CPB has not received any formal communication, we understand that a review is underway at FEMA, which includes the NGWS grants. CPB has requested clarification from FEMA. We recognize the concerns of our grantees, and, in the interests of caution, CPB has issued to grantees a temporary stop work order with respect to further commitments of funds pending guidance from FEMA.”
The money is linked to $34 million in FY 2022 funding that CPB is awarding.
FEMA in 2022 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.
In May 2024, Alabama Public Television; KLRN-TV in San Antonio; and KYUK-AM & FM and KYUK-TV in Bethel, Alaska; Delta College Public Media in Michigan; Community Radio Project in Colorado; and KSTK Stikine River Radio; and Silakkuagvik Communications’ KBRW in rural Alaska were named recipients.
FEMA awarded CPB a total of $96 million in FY 2022 and FY 2023-appropriated funds to establish and implement the NGWS grant program.
However, the current political climate on Capitol Hill has led to finger-pointing and accusations that both NPR and PBS engage in biased news reporting, with conservative legislators threatening to withhold all funding as a result of their newsroom decisions.
According to Axios, KRCL-FM 90.9 in Salt Lake City, a station licensed to Listeners Community Radio of Utah, is “in limbo” despite a November 2024 decision to provide the station up to $462,038 to upgrade its transmitter to distribute HD and FM signals and extend emergency alerting to a larger and more rural coverage area.
KRCL is an Americana and Roots-driven music-intensive noncommercial FM radio station, and does not air any long-form NPR or American Public Media-distributed spoken word programming.
KRCL Executive Director Gavin Dahl told Axios that it received Mintz’s e-mail communication, and that the station had not yet started spending its funds for those upgrades. “We will survive this no matter what, but it would be a huge mistake to prevent these Next Generation Warning System funds from reaching the communities who competed for this opportunity,” Dahl said.
