The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced on April 25 that it has awarded five grants totaling $9.6 million to statewide public broadcasting networks, including KSUT.
KSUT will receive $537,288 to replace equipment at nine transmitter sites across the Four Corners. The work will create new backup systems to broadcast emergency information during extended power outages.
KSUT provides service to parts of four states and three Native American reservations. We have seven FM transmitters and three FM translators. This makes us an important information source for more than 250,000 citizens and members of Native American tribes in one of the most remote locations in the United States.
Unfortunately, none of our transmission sites has adequate functional auxiliary power, making KSUT transmitters vulnerable to power outages. To complicate matters, most of KSUT’s transmitter sites are in remote locations at elevations above 9,000 feet.
Winters can be severe in the Four Corners and KSUT loses functional access to many of our transmitters 5-6 months of the year. Grant funds will be utilized to create modern backup systems allowing each site to broadcast critical emergency information for an extended period, when power from local electric companies is interrupted, often for hours on end.
In a statement, KSUT Executive Director Tami Graham said:
"We are thrilled to be able to move forward again with this project. We thank the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for the continuing investment being made in the critical infrastructure we need to deliver vital alerting information to help keep our communities safe during emergencies."
The announcement comes after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), working with CPB, lifted a 65-day hold on $38 million in contract reimbursements to CPB for public media stations seeking to update their equipment to create a more resilient and secure public alerting system.
