Scoop: Trump's federal spending freeze stalls $462K KRCL grant
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A nearly half-million-dollar grant awarded in November to KRCL, a Salt Lake City community radio station, is in limbo amid President Trump's federal spending freeze.
Why it matters: Public radio stations are essential for communicating to listeners during natural disasters or emergencies.
Follow the money: The station's largest-known grant, $462,038, was meant to upgrade its aging equipment to enhance emergency alerts by strengthening its signal.
- It would have also improved access for 125,000 rural residents living along the Wasatch Back.
- The award was part of the Next Generation Warning System (NGWS) grant program.
State of play: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which administered the FEMA-funded award, alerted KRCL on Wednesday that it no longer had access to the funding and asked stations to put a pause on buying equipment for reimbursement, KRCL executive director Gavin Dahl told Axios.
- The station had not yet started spending its funds for those upgrades.
What they're saying: "We will survive this no matter what. But it would be a huge mistake to prevent these Next Generation Warning System funds from reaching the communities who competed for this opportunity," Dahl said.
- The uncertainty about receiving the funds puts dozens of organizations in a "precarious position," he noted.
In a statement, CPB communications director Tracey Briggs told Axios that it has not received formal communication from FEMA but said the agency is conducting "some type of internal review, which includes the NGWS grants" and is awaiting clarification.
- "In the interest of caution, however, CPB has issued to grantees a temporary stop-work order with respect to further commitments of funds pending such guidance," Briggs said. "We recognize the difficulty of the stations' situations, and we are exploring all avenues to move forward expeditiously."
Catch up quick: Trump issued a memo in late January to pause federal grant, loan and other financial assistance programs, impacting billions in spending.
- A federal judge moved swiftly to temporarily block the spending freeze in response to a lawsuit filed by nearly two dozen states.
Yes, but: The judge recently issued a ruling urging the Trump administration to comply after finding evidence that it has "continued to improperly freeze federal funds and refused to resume disbursement of appropriated federal funds," Axios' Sareen Habeshian reports.
What's next: Dahl says he is contacting Sen. John Curtis and the state's congressional delegation to reinstate the funds.