More from the Perspective...

... When I led FEMA, one of the biggest challenges we faced during disasters was getting accurate, timely information to the public -- especially when everything else was failing.

Cell networks go down. Power grids fail.

But local public broadcasting stations stay on the air. And they're often the only lifeline communities have.

Public media isn't just about educational programs and documentaries. It's about infrastructure. It's about having a trusted voice and a signal that reaches nearly every household in America -- especially in rural areas where there may be no local news station and where cell coverage is spotty at best.

These stations serve as critical components of our national emergency communications backbone.

Many are the primary hubs for the Emergency Alert System in their states. They carry AMBER Alerts.

They support severe weather warnings. And they're part of the technology FEMA and others use to push Wireless Emergency Alerts to your phone.

That system doesn't work without public broadcasting. ...

More from the Perspective ...

... When we talk about readiness and resilience, we can't leave public broadcasting out of the equation. It's not a "nice-to-have."

It's mission critical.

Established in 2022, the Next Generation Warning System (NGWS), funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has been vital to maintaining the reliable and resilient public broadcasting infrastructure that carries lifesaving public safety services.

Just this week, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced that it can no longer administer the NGWS grant program.

This is yet another devastating result of the rescission of public media funding. ...

@#3 ... In other news, Lewzer is going to fire most Voice of America staff. ...

Yup.

And replace the VOA's great news with a Trump-favored "news" organization.

Here's what I've found ...