PBS Hawaiʻi receives grant to replace its Maui transmitter for emergency alerts

A federal grant of up to $184,961 will be used to upgrade PBS Hawaiʻi’s KMEB Maui Transmitter, which provides Maui and Hawai‘i County residents with free over-the-air public programming and emergency alert services.

The funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Corporation of Public Broadcasting will support a more resilient and secure public alerting system in Maui and Hawai‘i counties. The money comes from the Next Generation Warning System competitive grant program.

PBS Hawaiʻi is one of 35 public media stations in 19 states to receive grant monies to upgrade equipment for enhanced emergency alerting. It comes 15 months after the deadly Maui wildfires in August 2023.

“The NGWS grant program is an important funding opportunity that will empower PBS Hawai‘i to increase the resiliency and reliability of KMEB’s signal,” said Ron Mizutani, president and chief executive officer of PBS Hawai‘i. “During an emergency, broadcasting is an essential medium to reach residents with timely and accurate information. We understand the important role we play in delivering clear and actionable alerts.”

“Public media stations play a vital role in emergency alerting in communities across the country,” said Patricia Harrison, president and chief executive officer of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. “The Next Generation Warning System grant program helps public media organizations, especially in rural areas, to replace and upgrade their infrastructure so that they can continue to keep their communities safe.”