[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 2 (Monday, January 5, 1998)] [Notices] [Pages 368-372] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 98-40] [[Page 367]] _______________________________________________________________________ Part IV Department of Commerce _______________________________________________________________________ National Telecommunications and Information Administration _______________________________________________________________________ Public Telecommunications Facilities Program; Notice Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 2 / Monday, January 5, 1998 / Notices [[Page 368]] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Telecommunications and Information Administration [Docket No. 960205021-7302-06] RIN 0660-ZA01 Public Telecommunications Facilities Program: Closing Date AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of availability of funds. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), U.S. Department of Commerce, announces the solicitation of applications for planning and construction grants for public telecommunications facilities under the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP). Applicants for matching grants under the PTFP must file their applications on or before February 12, 1998. NTIA anticipates making grant awards by September 30, 1998. NTIA shall not be liable for any proposal preparation costs. Approximately $21 million is available for FY 1998 for PTFP grants pursuant to Pub. L. 105-119, the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1998. The amount of a grant award by NTIA will vary, depending on the approved project. For fiscal year 1997, NTIA awarded $14.2 million in funds to 97 projects. The awards ranged from $8,067 to $650,000. The applicable Rules for the PTFP were published on November 8, 1996. These rules, 15 CFR part 2301 et seq. will be in effect for FY 1998 PTFP applications. Certain requirements of the PTFP at 15 CFR part 2301 are modified in this Notice. Copies of the 1996 Rules will be distributed as part of the PTFP Application Kit and applicants are cautioned not to use older versions of the PTFP Rules which were published in 1991. Parties interested in applying for financial assistance should refer to these rules and to the authorizing legislation (47 U.S.C. 390- 393, 397-399b) for additional information on the program's goals and objectives, eligibility criteria, evaluation criteria, and other requirements. DATES: Pursuant to 15 CFR 2301.8(b), the Administrator of NTIA hereby establishes the closing date for the filing of applications for grants under the PTFP. The closing date selected for the submission of applications for 1998 is February 12, 1998. Applications must be received prior to 8 p.m. on or before February 12, 1998. Applicants sending an application should submit an original and five copies to the place indicated in the Address section below. Applicants sending applications by the United States Postal Service or commercial delivery services must ensure that the carrier will be able to guarantee delivery of the application by the Closing Date and Time. NTIA will not accept mail delivery of applications posted on the Closing Date or later and received after the above deadline. However, if an application is received after the Closing Date due to (1) carrier error, when the carrier accepted the package with a guarantee for delivery by the Closing Date, or (2) significant weather delays or natural disasters, NTIA will, upon receipt of proper documentation, consider the application as having been received by the deadline. Applicants submitting applications by hand delivery are notified that, due to security procedures in the Department of Commerce, all packages must be cleared by the Department's security office. Entrance to the Department of Commerce Building for security clearance is on the 15th St side of the building. Applicants whose applications are not received by the deadline are hereby notified that their applications will not be considered in the current grant cycle and will be returned to the applicant. See 15 CFR 2301.8(c); but see also 15 CFR 2301.26. NTIA will also return any application which is substantially incomplete, or when the Agency finds that either the applicant or project is ineligible for funding under 15 CFR 2301.3 or 2301.4. The Agency will inform the applicant of the reason for the return of any application. ADDRESSES: To obtain an application package, submit completed applications, or send any other correspondence, write to: NTIA/PTFP, Room H-4625, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dennis R. Connors, Director, Public Broadcasting Division, telephone: (202) 482-5802; fax: (202) 482-2156. Information about the PTFP can also be obtained electronically via Internet (http://www.ntia.doc.gov). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Application Forms and Regulations To apply for a PTFP grant, an applicant must file an original and five copies of a timely and complete application on a current form approved by the Agency. The current application form will be provided to applicants as part of the application package. This form expires on November 30, 2000, and no previous versions of the form may be used. (In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the current application form has been cleared under OMB control no. 0660-0003.) Applications submitted by facsimile or electronic means are not acceptable. All persons and organizations on the PTFP's mailing list will be sent a copy of the current application form and the Final Rules. Those not on the mailing list may obtain copies by contacting the PTFP at the address or telephone, fax or Internet numbers noted above. Prospective applicants should read the Final Rules carefully before submitting applications. Applicants whose applications were deferred in FY 1997 will be mailed pertinent PTFP materials and instructions for requesting reactivation of their applications. Based upon NTIA's experience in implementing the PTFP during the 1997 grant round, NTIA has determined that it is in the best interests of NTIA and applicants to modify or waive certain requirements contained in the PTFP regulations at 15 CFR part 2301. These changes, which are applicable to the FY 1998 PTFP applications and resulting awards only, are indicated in italics below. Dependent upon the effectiveness of these changes, amendments may be made to the PTFP regulations to implement these changes. Section 2301.11 Service of Applications Section 2301.11 provides that: `On or before the closing date, all new or deferred applicants must serve a summary copy of the application on the following Agencies: (a) In the case of an application for a construction grant for which FCC authorization is necessary, the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission * * *. (b) The state telecommunications agency(-ies) if any, having jurisdiction over the development of broadcast and/or non broadcast telecommunications in the state(s) and community(-ies) to be served by the proposed project * * *. (c) The state office established to review applications under Executive Order 12372.' Section 2301.11(a)--For the FY 1998 PTFP, applicants are not required to submit copies of their PTFP applications to the FCC, nor will they be required to submit copies of the FCC transmittal cover letters as part of their PTFP applications. NTIA routinely notifies the FCC of applications submitted for funding which require FCC authorizations. [[Page 369]] Section 2301.11(b)--For the FY 1998 PTFP, applicants for distance learning projects are not required to notify every state telecommunications agency in a potential service area. NTIA has found that state telecommunication agency input has been useful with regard to broadcast projects, but has received little input from state agencies with regard to distance learning projects. Since many distance learning applications propose projects which are nationwide in nature, NTIA believes that the requirement to provide a summary copy of the application in every state telecommunications agency in a potential service area is unduly burdensome to applicants. NTIA, however, does expect that distance learning applicants will submit documentation that they have coordinated their project with appropriate state telecommunications agencies in their service area. Section 2301.12 Federal Communications Commission Authorizations Section 2301.12(a) provides, in part, that `Each applicant whose project requires FCC authorization must file an application for that authorization on or before the closing date. NTIA recommends that its applicants submit PTFP-related FCC applications to the FCC at least 60 days prior to the PTFP closing date.' For the FY 1998 PTFP, applicants may submit applications to the FCC after the closing date, but do so at their own risk. Applicants are urged to submit their FCC applications with as much time before the PTFP closing date as possible. No grant will be awarded for a project requiring FCC authorization until confirmation has been received by NTIA from the FCC that the necessary authorization will be issued. Section 2301.12(b) provides that `In the case of FCC authorizations where it is not possible or practical to submit the FCC application with the PTFP application, such as C-band satellite uplinks * * * a copy of the FCC application as it will be submitted to the FCC, or the equivalent engineering data, must be included in the PTFP application.' For the FY 1998 PTFP applications, since there is no potential for terrestrial interference with Ku-band satellite uplinks, grant applicants for Ku-band satellite uplinks may submit FCC applications after a PTFP award is made. Grant recipients for Ku-band satellite uplinks will be required to document receipt of FCC authorizations to operate the uplink prior to the release of Federal funds. Section2301.12(d) provides that ``Any FCC authorization required for the project must be in the name of the applicant for the PTFP grant.'' For the FY 1998 PTFP applications, NTIA may accept FCC authorizations that are in the name of an organization other than the PTFP applicant in certain circumstances. Applicants requiring the use of FCC authorizations issued to another organization should discuss in the application Program Narrative why the FCC authorization must be in the other organization's name. NTIA believes that such circumstances will be rare and, in our experience, are usually limited to authorizations such as those for microwave interconnections or satellite uplinks. Section 2301.12(g) provides that ``If the applicant fails to file the required FCC application(s) by the closing date * * * the Agency may reject or return the application.'' As noted above, for the FY 1998 PTFP applications, NTIA does not require that the FCC applications must be filed by the closing date. While NTIA is permitting submission of FCC applications after the closing date, applicants are reminded that they must continue to provide copies of FCC applications, as they were filed or will be filed, or equivalent engineering data, in the PTFP application so NTIA can properly evaluate the equipment request. These include applications for permits, construction permits and licenses already received for (1) construction of broadcast station or translator, (2) microwave facilities, (3) ITFS authorizations, (4) SCA authorizations, and (5) requests for extensions of time.'' Applicants should note that they must continue to comply with the provisions of Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.'' The Executive Order requires applicants for financial assistance under this program to file a copy of their application with the Single Points of Contact (SPOC) of all states relevant to the project. Applicants are required to provide a copy of their completed application to the appropriate SPOC on or before February 12, 1998. Applicants are encouraged to contact the appropriate SPOC well before the PTFP closing date. Indirect costs for construction applications are not supported by this program. The total dollar amount of the indirect costs proposed in a planning application under this program must not exceed the indirect cost rate negotiated and approved by a cognizant Federal agency prior to the proposed effective date of the award or 100 percent of the total proposed direct costs dollar amount in the application, whichever is less. You are not required to respond to a collection of information sponsored by the Federal government, and the government may not conduct or sponsor this collection, unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number or if we fail to provide you with this notice. All primary applicants must submit a completed Form CD-511, ``Certifications Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace Requirements and Lobbying,'' and the following explanations are hereby provided: (1) Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension. Prospective participants (as defined at 15 CFR part 26, section 105) are subject to 15 CFR part 26, ``Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension'' and the related section of the certification form prescribed above applies; (2) Drug Free Workplace. Grantees (as defined at 15 CFR part 26, section 605) are subject to 15 CFR part 26, subpart F, ``Government- wide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants)'' and the related section of the certification form prescribed above applies; (3) Anti-lobbying. Persons (as defined at 15 CFR part 28, section 105) are subject to the lobbying provisions of 31 U.S.C. 1352, ``Limitation on use of appropriated funds to influence certain Federal contracting and financial transactions,'' and the lobbying section of the certification form prescribed above applies to applicants/bidders for grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts for more than $100,000, and loans and loan guarantees for more than $150,000, or the single family maximum mortgage limit for affected programs, whichever is greater; and (4) Anti-lobbying Disclosures. Any applicant that has paid or will pay for lobbying using any funds must submit an SF-LLL, ``Disclosure of Lobbying Activities,'' (OMB Control Number 0348-0046) as required under 15 CFR part 28, Appendix B. Recipients shall require applicants/bidders for subgrants, contracts, subcontracts, or other lower tier covered transactions at any tier under the grant award to submit, if applicable, a completed Form CD-512, ``Certifications Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion-Lower Tier Covered Transactions and Lobbying'' and disclosure form, SF-LLL, ``Disclosure of [[Page 370]] Lobbying Activities.'' Form CD-512 is intended for the use of recipients and should not be transmitted to the Department. SF-LLL submitted by any tier recipient or subrecipient should be submitted to the Department in accordance with the instructions contained in the award document. If an application is selected for funding, the Department of Commerce has no obligation to provide any additional future funding in connection with that award. Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the total discretion of the Department. Recipients and subrecipients are subject to all Federal laws and Federal and DOC policies, regulations, and procedures applicable to Federal assistance awards. In addition, unsatisfactory performance by the applicant under prior Federal awards may result in the application not being considered for funding. If applicants incur any costs prior to an award being made, they do so solely at their own risk of not being reimbursed by the Government. Notwithstanding any verbal or written assurance that they have received, there is no obligation on the part of the Department to cover preaward costs. No award of Federal funds shall be made to an applicant who has an outstanding delinquent Federal debt until either: (1) The delinquent account is paid in full; (2) a negotiated repayment schedule is established and at least one payment is received, or (3) other arrangements satisfactory to the Department are made. Applicants are reminded that a false statement on the application may be grounds for denial or termination of funds and grounds for possible punishment by a fine or imprisonment as provided in 18 U.S.C. 1001. Special Note: NTIA has established a policy which is intended to encourage stations to increase from 25 percent to 50 percent the matching percentage for those proposals that call for equipment replacement, improvement, or augmentation (PTFP Policy Statement, (56 FR 59168 (1991)). The presumption of 50 percent funding will be the general rule for the replacement, improvement or augmentation of equipment. Exceptions to this general policy direction are as follows: small community-licensee stations will not be subjected to this policy. The same is true of a station that is licensed to a large institution (e.g., a college or university) documenting that it does not receive direct or in-kind support from the larger institution. Also, a showing of extraordinary need or an emergency situation will be taken into consideration as justification for grants of up to 75% of the project cost for such proposals. A point of clarification is in order: NTIA expects to continue funding projects to activate stations or to extend service at up to 75 percent of the total project cost. NTIA will do this because applicants proposing to provide first service to a geographic area ordinarily incur considerable costs that are not eligible for NTIA funding. The applicant must cover the ineligible costs including those for construction or renovation of buildings and other similar expenses. Since NTIA has limited funds for the PTFP program, the PTFP Final Rules published November 8, 1996 modified NTIA's policy regarding the funding of planning applications. Our policy now includes the general presumption to fund planning projects at no more than 75 percent of the project costs. NTIA notes that most of the planning grants awarded by PTFP in recent years include matching in-kind services and funds contributed by the grantee. The new NTIA policy therefore codifies what already has become PTFP practice. NTIA, however, is mindful that planning grants are sometimes the only resource that emerging community groups have with which to initiate the planning of new facilities in unserved areas. We therefore will continue to award up to 100 percent of total project costs in cases of extraordinary need (e.g. small community group proposing to initiate new public telecommunication service). We wish to take this opportunity to restate the policy published in the November 22, 1991, PTFP Policy Statement (56 FR 59168 (1991)), regarding applicants' use of funds from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to meet the local match requirements of the PTFP grant. NTIA continues to believe that the policies and purposes underlying the PTFP requirements could be significantly frustrated if applicants routinely relied upon another Federally supported grant program for local matching funds. Accordingly, NTIA has limited the use of CPB funds for the non-Federal share of PTFP projects to circumstances of ``clear and compelling need'' (15 CFR 2301.6(c)(2)). NTIA intends to maintain that standard and to apply it on a case-by- case basis. The November 22, 1991, PTFP Policy Statement (56 FR 59168 (1991)) also discussed a number of issues of particular relevance to applicants proposing nonbroadcast educational and instructional projects and potential improvement of nonbroadcast facilities. These policies remain in effect and will be distributed to all PTFP applicants as part of the Guidelines for preparing FY 1998 PTFP applications. II. Eligible and Ineligible Costs Eligible equipment for the 1998 grant round includes apparatus necessary for the production, interconnection, captioning, broadcast, or other distribution of programming, including but not limited to studio equipment; audio and video storage, processing, and switching equipment; terminal equipment; towers; antennas; transmitters; remote control equipment; transmission line; translators; microwave equipment; mobile equipment; satellite communications equipment; instructional television fixed service equipment; subsidiary communications authorization transmitting and receiving equipment; cable television equipment; and optical fiber communications equipment. The FCC's adoption of the Fifth Report and Order in April 1997 requires that all public television stations begin the broadcast of a digital signal by May 1, 2003. NTIA believes that it is critical that all public television applicants fully consider digital technology in any request for equipment replacement submitted to PTFP. Any public television applicant must describe whether it has a plan for digital conversion to meet the FCC's mandate and whether the requested equipment is consistent with that plan. If the applicant is developing a plan for digital conversion, the application should address how the requested equipment will be consistent with the overall objective of converting the facility for digital broadcasting. NTIA recognizes that digital technology will be an important means for the more efficient creation and distribution of programming in the future. Consequently, public broadcasters seeking to replace, upgrade, and buy new equipment that employs digital technology will be permitted, when appropriate, to use PTFP funds for such purposes. The following list provides clarification regarding several equipment and other cost areas that will be helpful in preparing applications. NTIA also reserves the right to eliminate any costs, whether specified here or not, that it determines are not appropriate prior to the awarding of a grant. A. Equipment and Supplies (1) Buildings and Modifications to Buildings. (a) Eligible: Small equipment shelters that are part of satellite earth stations, translators, microwave [[Page 371]] interconnection facilities, and similar facilities. (b) Ineligible: Purchase or lease of buildings and modifications to buildings, including the renovation of space for studios intended to house eligible equipment; costs associated with removing old equipment. (2) Land and Land Improvements. (a) Eligible: Site preparation necessary to construct towers and guy anchors for transmission and interconnection equipment. (b) Ineligible: Purchase or lease of land. (3) Moving Costs. (a) Eligible: Shipping and delivery charges for equipment acquired within the award. (b) Ineligible: Moving costs required by relocation of any facilities. (4) Reception Equipment. (a) Eligible: Fixed frequency demodulator, as required by good engineering practice for monitoring the off-air transmission of signals; subcarrier demodulator; telemetry transmitters and receivers; satellite receivers; and subcarrier decoders for the handicapped. (b) Ineligible: Consumer-type TV sets and FM receivers. (5) Tower Modifications. (a) Eligible: Strengthening or modifying a commercial entity's tower to accommodate a public broadcasting entity (structural modifications on towers and/or antenna changes must meet EIA (Electronic Industries Association) and any required local standards). (b) Ineligible: Modifying or strengthening the applicant's tower to accommodate a commercial entity. (6) Production and Control Room Equipment. (a) Eligible: Standard production studio and control room equipment for TV or radio program production. (b) Ineligible: Consumer-type mixers, tape recorders, turntables, CD players, etc; ancillary production devices such as stopwatches and stop-clocks, building lights, sound effects, scenery and props, cycloramas, sound insulation devices and materials, draperies and related equipment for production use, film and still photography processing, film sound synchronization editing. (7) Video Equipment. (a) Eligible: Videotape editing and processing equipment that conforms to broadcast-standard quality equipment for field recording and production editing. (b) Ineligible: Consumer level videotape recording formats not accepted in the industry as broadcast- standard quality. (8) Furniture and Office Equipment. (a) Eligible: Consoles required to mount equipment such as audio consoles and video switchers. (b) Ineligible: Such items as office furniture, office equipment, studio clocks and systems, blackboards, office intercoms, equipment inventory labels and label-makers, word processors, telephone systems, and printing and duplication equipment. (9) Expendable Items and Spare Parts. (a) Eligible: A transmitter spare parts kit and one set of final and driver tubes for a transmitter awarded in the grant; a spare parts kit for video tape recorders awarded in the grant. (b) Ineligible: Spare lenses, spare circuit components, spare parts kits for studio equipment, except as noted above; recording tape, film, reels, cartridge tapes, records, compact discs, and record or tape cleaning equipment; art and graphics supplies; maintenance supplies, including replacement final and driver tubes normally considered in the industry as normal maintenance-budget- provided items and similar items. (10) Backup Equipment. (a) Eligible: Hot standby or backup microwave for the main studio-to-transmitter link only; a backup or spare exciter for a television transmitter, as required by good engineering practice. (b) Ineligible: Redundant equipment, such as spare transmitters, or costs associated with them, as well as backup microwave equipment (except as noted above). (11) Electric Power. (a) Eligible: Generally, all primary power costs from the output of the main power meter panel; regulators and surge protectors, as required by good engineering practice, to stabilize transmitter RF output. Where primary power is not available or is unusable for broadcast, then PTFP may provide funding for those devices needed to power the facility if the need for that equipment is fully documented in the application. (b) Ineligible: Costs of installing primary power to the facility, including transformers, power lines, gasoline or diesel powered generators, and related equipment. (12) Test and Maintenance Equipment. (a) Eligible: Required test equipment, as indicated by good engineering practice for the maintenance of the project equipment. (b) Ineligible: Maintenance equipment such as hand and power tools, storage cabinets, and maintenance services. (13) Air Conditioning and Ventilation. (a) Eligible: The costs to provide ventilation of eligible project equipment, such as ducting for transmitters, as required by good engineering practice. Transmitter air conditioning can be applied for and will be supported if the need is well-documented in the application. (b) Ineligible: Unless exceptionally well-documented, air conditioning for transmitters, control rooms, or equipment rooms, studios, mobile units, and other operational rooms and offices. (14) Remote Vans. (a) Eligible: Items to equip a remote van for audio/video production. (b) Ineligible: All vehicles. B. Other Costs (1) Construction Applications: NTIA generally will not fund salary expenses, including staff installation costs, and pre-application legal and engineering fees. Certain ``pre-operational expenses'' are eligible for funding. (See 15 CFR 2301.2.) Despite this provision, NTIA regards its primary mandate to be funding the acquisition of equipment and only secondarily funding of salaries. A discussion of this issue appears in the PTFP Final Rules under the heading Support for Salary Expenses in the introductory section of the document. (2) Planning Applications. (a) Eligible: Salaries are eligible expenses for all planning grant applications, but should be fully described and justified within the application. Planning grant applicants may lease office equipment, furniture and space, and may purchase expendable supplies under the terms of Section 392(c) of the Act. (b) Ineligible: Planning grant applications cannot include the cost of constructing or operating a telecommunications facility. (3) Audit Costs. Audits shall be performed in accordance with audit requirements contained in Office of Management and Budget Circular A- 133, Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations, revised June 30, 1997. OMB Circular A-133 requires that non-profit organizations, government agencies, Indian tribes and educational institutions expending more than $300,000 in federal funds during a one-year period conduct a single audit in accordance with guidelines outlined in the circular. Applicants are reminded that other audits may be conducted by the Office of Inspector General. Federal guidelines allow NTIA to include an amount for audit costs as part of a grant award. NTIA policy permits non-profit organizations to include up to $5,000 for audit costs in an application. Because audit costs may vary depending on the size and scope of an organ ization's operations, NTIA recommends that applicants obtain estimates from auditors to determine the appropriate amount to include in their applications. Construction Grant Applicants should list the amount requested for audit costs in Part II, Section B--Other Project Costs, p.3 of the PTFP Application Form. Planning Grant Applicants should include the amount on line 7, Other, in Part II-- [[Page 372]] Budget Information for Planning Grant Applicants, p. 4 of the PTFP Application Form. III. Notice of Applications Received In accordance with 15 CFR 2301.13, NTIA will publish a notice in the Federal Register listing all applications received by the Agency. Listing an application in such a notice merely acknowledges receipt of an application to compete for funding with other applications. Publication does not preclude subsequent return of the application for the reasons discussed under the Dates section above, or disapproval of the application, nor does it assure that the application will be funded. The notice will also include a request for comments on the applications from any interested party. IV. Evaluation Process See 15 CFR 2301.16 for a description of the Technical Evaluation and 15 CFR 2301.17 for the Evaluation Criteria. V. Selection Process Based upon the above cited evaluation criteria, the PTFP program staff prepares summary recommendations for the PTFP Director. These recommendations incorporate outside reviewers rankings and recommendations, engineering assessments, and input from the National Advisory Panel, State Single Point of Contacts and state telecommunications agencies. Staff recommendations also consider project impact, the cost/benefit of a project and whether review panels have consistently applied the evaluation criteria. The PTFP Director will consider the summary recommendations prepared by program staff, will recommend the funding order of the applications, and will present recommendations to the OTIA (Office of Telecommunications and Information Applications) Associate Administrator for review and approval. The PTFP Director recommends the funding order for applications in three categories: ``Recommended for Funding,'' ``Recommended for Funding if Funds Available,'' and ``Not Recommended for Funding.'' See 15 CFR 2301.18 for a description of the selection factors retained by the Director, OTIA Associate Administrator, and the Assistant Secretary for Telecommunications and Information. Upon review and approval by the OTIA Associate Administrator, the Director's recommendations will then be presented to the Selection Official, the NTIA Administrator. The NTIA Administrator selects the applications to be negotiated for possible grant award taking into consideration the Director's recommendations and the degree to which the slate of applications, taken as a whole, satisfies the program's stated purposes set forth at 15 CFR 2301.1(a) and (c). These applications are negotiated between PTFP staff and the applicant. The negotiations are intended to resolve whatever differences might exist between the applicant's original request and what PTFP proposes to fund. During negotiations, some applications may be dropped from the proposed slate, due to lack of Federal Communications Commission licensing authority, an applicant's inability to make adequate assurances or certifications, or other reasons. Negotiation of an application does not ensure that a final award will be made. When the negotiations are completed, the PTFP Director recommends final selections to the NTIA Administrator applying the same factors as listed in 15 CFR 2301.18. The Administrator then makes the final award selections from the negotiated applications taking into consideration the Director's recommendations and the degree to which the slate of applications, taken as a whole, satisfies the program's stated purposes in 15 CFR 2301.1(a) and (c). VI. Project Period Planning grant award periods customarily do not exceed one year, whereas construction grant award periods commonly range from one to two years. Although these time frames are generally applied to the award of all PTFP grants, variances in project periods may be based on specific circumstances of an individual proposal. Authority: The Public Telecommunications Financing Act of 1978, as amended, 47 U.S.C. Secs. 390-393, 397-399(b) (Act). (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 11.550) Bernadette McGuire-Rivera, Associate Administrator, Office of Telecommunications and Information Applications. [FR Doc. 98-40 Filed 1-2-98; 8:45am] BILLING CODE 3510-60-P