FEMA has released another $40 million to help public broadcast stations improve their infrastructures.
This is the third round of funding issued through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in the Next Generation Warning System Grant Program.
In recent months CPB has been issuing a series of grants to radio and TV stations from the first round; and it has taken applications for the second round.
This latest announcement will bring the program total over three fiscal years to $136 million poured into the public media sector for infrastructure upgrades.
[Learn which stations have been receiving these grants so far.]
“This award will help public stations, especially those in rural, tribal, territorial and underserved communities, upgrade to the latest broadcast technology standards that enable advanced dissemination of emergency messaging to televisions and radios,” FEMA said.
As with the two prior rounds, CPB will manage a competitive process involving applications from stations.
Uses for the money include the following as listed by FEMA:
- Enhance and expand capacity, resilience, continuity of broadcast operations, operational readiness and cybersecurity of local broadcast stations to receive, broadcast and redistribute emergency alert messages from IPAWS using the system’s Specification for Common Alerting Protocol to fill gaps in alert and warning to people in underserved areas.
- Improve station resiliency and emergency alerting through training for users of IPAWS.
- Implement upgrades to the Advanced Television Systems Committee 3.0 and digital radio broadcast standard to ensure local broadcast stations can launch new, enhanced broadcast services to expand the distribution of public alerts and warnings.
- Increase the ability for underserved communities, individuals with disabilities, and those with access and functional needs to receive emergency information by purchasing and distributing consumer receivers where there is a public need.
