WASHINGTON, D.C. — 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 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).
Who is getting the latest awardance of NGWS funding?
- KMEB-10 on Maui, a repeater of PBS Member KHET-11 in Honolulu, licensed to Hawaii Public Television Foundation. It is eligible for up to $184,961 in funding to replace a 15-year-old transmitter.
- Eastern Kentucky University’s WEKU-FM in Richmond, Ky. may receive up to $382,056 to upgrade and replace infrastructure to ensure emergency alerts can be sent.
- Murray State University’s WKMS-FM in Murray, Ky. may earn up to $270,377 to upgrade aging equipment at two transmitter sites.
- Missouri State University’s KOZK-TV and KSMU-FM in Springfield, Mo. can receive up to $384,573 to replace broadcasting equipment and expand KSMU-FM’s reach by enabling the station to broadcast in both analog and HD radio.
- Rosebud Sioux Tribe’s KOYA-FM in Rosebud, S.D. can get up to $481,003 to replace and upgrade infrastructure to ensure emergency alerts can be sent from local/Tribal, regional, and federal agencies.
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.
“Public media stations play a vital role in emergency alerting in communities across the country,” said CPB President/CEO Patricia Harrison. “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.”
