CPB Honors WUFT and FPREN with Community Lifeline Award

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Corporation for Public Broadcasting

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) presented the Community Lifeline Award to WUFT-FM/TV and the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network (FPREN) during a meeting of the CPB Board of Directors. The award recognizes public media stations providing outstanding service to their communities during local emergencies, natural disasters and other urgent situations.

"Public media's services are especially important for communities affected by natural disasters and other emergencies. Under the leadership of WUFT, FPREN provided lifesaving information not only across Florida but also in North and South Carolina," said CPB Board member Elizabeth Sembler. "The innovative approach demonstrated by these partner stations exemplifies both the spirit of public service and the powerful role of public media."

FPREN is a collaboration of 13 public radio stations based at WUFT in Gainesville-Ocala, FL and delivers emergency broadcast and social media content across the state. Its free app, Florida Storms, provides geo-targeted live forecasts, information about evacuation routes and shelters, and live streams local public radio broadcasts. FPREN served millions of people through multiple emergencies including Hurricanes Michael, Irma and Matthew.

"We're honored by this recognition from CPB for what we feel is a core mission of public media. We appreciate the ongoing support of CPB, Pat Harrison and the Board for their encouragement of innovative concepts like FPREN and look forward to providing these public safety services to even more Americans in the future," said WUFT and FPREN Executive Director Randy Wright.

WUFT operates as a part of the University of Florida and incorporates hundreds of students annually from the UF College of Journalism and Communications into professional experiences. WUFT also launched the South Carolina Emergency Information Network with South Carolina ETV/South Carolina Public Radio in 2018, serving South Carolina and parts of North Carolina with emergency messaging.

Established in 2012, this is only the second time the Community Lifeline Award has been presented. The inaugural recipients were WNET and New York Public Radio (WNYC/NJPR).