House Committee OKs Funding For Public Media Infrastructure

The U.S. House Appropriations Committee has recommended level funding of $40 million for fiscal year 2026 for the Next Generation Warning System (NGWS), which supports public broadcasting’s public safety infrastructure.

This decision aims to maintain critical investments in emergency alerting capabilities for public television and radio stations, particularly those serving rural and underserved areas. The NGWS, funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), helps upgrade aging infrastructure to enhance resilience and reliability in delivering emergency alerts, such as severe weather warnings and AMBER alerts, and supports partnerships with public safety agencies like the Department of Homeland Security.

America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) praised the bipartisan support from committee leaders, including Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Mark Amodei (R-NV), Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-OK), Ranking Member Lauren Underwood (D-IL), and Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). 

The funding ensures public broadcasters can continue serving as a backbone for emergency communications, including delivering geo-targeted Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) to cell phones and supporting state-specific initiatives like California’s earthquake warning system and Florida’s emergency weather network.

 
This recommendation comes despite broader debates over public media funding, with the House voting separately to rescind $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) for 2026 and 2027, highlighting tensions between maintaining public safety infrastructure and efforts to reduce federal spending on public broadcasting. 

The NGWS funding, separate from CPB’s budget, remains a priority for its role in civil defense and homeland security. The bill awaits further consideration by the full House and Senate.