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The nonprofit Corporation for Public Broadcasting's federal
lawsuit says a recent hold on grant funds for modernizing the
alert system hampers the ability of federal, state and local
authorities to issue real-time emergency alerts.
The CPB sued the Federal Emergency Management Agency in
Washington, D.C., to challenge its Feb. 18 hold on the $40
million grant program for the Next Generation Warning System.
FEMA didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment on
the lawsuit's allegations. The suit says FEMA hasn't attempted
to explain a basis for suspending the grant payments.
The national Emergency Alert System helps government officials
issue alerts about disasters, including flash floods, blizzards,
tornados and hurricanes.
The CPB, which Congress created in 1967, is the largest source
of funding for public radio and television. The private
corporation says it distributes over 70% of its funding to more
than 1,500 public radio and television stations.
The CPB administers the Next Generation Warning System grant
program for FEMA. The grants help pay for public media stations
to upgrade their emergency alerting equipment. The program has
over 40 grant recipients.
Kathy Merritt, a CPB official, said FEMA hasn't informed the
corporation when or even if the program's funds will be
restored.
“To protect public media stations from financial harm, CPB has
no recourse other than to bring legal action against FEMA under
the Administrative Procedure Act,” Merritt said in a statement.
The CPB is seeking a court order for FEMA to immediately lift
the hold so that the corporation and the grant recipients can be
reimbursed for expenses.
The lawsuit says FEMA’s “hold” status in the grant system leaves
public media stations across the country on the hook for a total
of nearly $1.9 million in unreimbursed expenses.
“At no point has FEMA indicated that CPB has done anything that
would call this grant into question," the lawsuit says. "At no
point has FEMA indicated that it is cancelling the grant or
taking any other adverse action with respect to the grant.”
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