As the battle over overall funding for public media continues in Congress, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee has recommended level funding of $40 million for fiscal year 2026 for the Next Generation Warning System.
The Trump administration has been trying to eliminate future funding for public media and to claw back funding that was previously approved funds for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
But the NGWS program is intended to help public broadcasters beef up their emergency alerting capabilities. Earlier this year, CPB brought a complaint in federal district court saying that FEMA had placed a purported “hold” on certain NGWS funds despite the intentions of Congress. After a couple of months and the involvement of two U.S. senators, that money was later released.
[Read Radio World coverage of past NGWS grants.]
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting declined comment on the latest committee action.
But the group America’s Public Television Stations applauded the committee’s decision.
In a statement, Kate Riley, president and CEO of APTS said that the group is “grateful that the committee recognizes the essential role that public television plays in the nation’s civil defense, public safety and homeland security. The committee’s approval of continued funding of $40 million for the Next Generation Warning System will help ensure public broadcasters are able to continue to meet their public safety missions and provide the highest level of resilient and reliable public safety and homeland security services to communities throughout the country.”
