WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Executive Director of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s Next Generation Warning System Grant Program has shared details regarding the second round of grants to the NGWS program, which is ready for new applications.
Faisal Khan says the grant program will enable public television and public radio stations to replace and upgrade infrastructure that enhances critical emergency alerting and warning capabilities in your communities.
Starting today (6/28), CPB will launch a Request for Applications (RFA) portal on the CPB website. The total amount of NGWS grant funds newly available is $48 million, approved in Fiscal Year 2023.
In the coming weeks, CPB will host a series of informational webinars for prospective applicants.
The NGWS program will fund equipment upgrades and training. This includes the use of ATSC 3.0 broadcast technology for television stations and comparable digital broadcast technology for radio stations. The goal is to improve alerting and warning capabilities. The grant funding will also increase the capacity of local broadcast stations to receive, broadcast, and redistribute emergency alert messages using the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) specifications.
This grant round will continue to prioritize public media stations serving underserved communities, primarily in rural and Tribal areas, as well as small stations.
Stations who applied for funding in the first round and did not receive a grant must reapply. Technical assistance will be available upon request to help stations with limited resources determine equipment needs and ensure compliance with federal regulations around purchasing, installation, and grant closeout.
To learn more and apply, please visit here: https://cpb.org/grants/Next-Generation-Warning-System-Grant-Program-Round-2. If you have any questions about eligibility or the application process, please email them to [email protected].
