[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 28 (Wednesday, February 11, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6647-6649]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-2947]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

[Docket No. 000410097-4033-09]


Public Telecommunications Facilities Program: Closing Date

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
(NTIA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice availability of funds.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2004, 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). The PTFP

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assists, through matching grants, in the planning and construction of 
public telecommunications facilities in order to: (1) Extend delivery 
of services to as many citizens as possible by the most cost-effective 
means, including use of broadcast and non-broadcast technologies; (2) 
increase public telecommunications services and facilities available 
to, operated by, and controlled by minorities and women; (3) strengthen 
the capability of existing public television and radio stations to 
provide public telecommunications services to the public.

DATES: Applications must be received prior to 6 p.m. eastern standard 
time, Wednesday, March 31, 2004. Applications submitted by facsimile or 
electronic means are not acceptable. 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 
and Time, (2) significant weather delays or natural disasters, or (3) 
delays due to national security issues, NTIA will, upon receipt of 
proper documentation, consider the application as having been received 
by the deadline. NTIA will not accept applications posted on the 
Closing Date or later and received after the deadline.

ADDRESSES: To obtain a printed application package, submit completed 
applications, or send any other correspondence, write to: NTIA/PTFP, 
Room H-4625, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue, 
NW., Washington, DC 20230. Application materials may be obtained 
electronically via the Internet (http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ptfp).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Cooperman, Director, Public 
Broadcasting Division, telephone: (202) 482-5802; fax: (202) 482-2156. 
Information about the PTFP can also be obtained electronically via the 
Internet (http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ptfp).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Access

    The full funding opportunity announcement for the PTFP FY 2004 
grant cycle is available on the NTIA Web site: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ptfp, or by contacting the PTFP office at the address noted above. The 
full announcement is also available through http://www.Grants.gov.

Funding Availability

    The Congress has appropriated $19.75 million for FY 2004 PTFP 
awards. For FY 2003, NTIA awarded $40.3 million in funds to 169 
projects, including 68 radio awards, 90 television awards and 11 
nonbroadcast awards. The radio awards ranged from $7,979 to $244,442. 
The television awards ranged from $42,344 to $1,790,935. The 
nonbroadcast awards ranged from $42,000 to $304,872.

Statutory and Regulatory Authority

    The Public Telecommunications Facilities Program is authorized by 
the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 390-393, 397-
399(b). The PTFP operates pursuant to Rules which were published on 
November 8, 1996 (61 FR 57966). Copies of the 1996 Rules (15 CFR part 
2301) are posted on the NTIA Internet site at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/Rules/currentrules.htm and NTIA will make printed copies available to 
applicants upon request.
    The following supplemental policies will also be in effect:
    (A) Applicants may file emergency applications at any time.
    (B) Applicants may file requests for FCC authorizations with the 
FCC after the PTFP Closing Date. Grant applicants for Ku-band satellite 
uplinks may submit FCC applications after a PTFP award is made. NTIA 
may accept FCC authorizations that are in the name of an organization 
other than the PTFP applicant.
    (C) PTFP applicants are not required to submit copies of their PTFP 
applications to the FCC, nor are they required to submit copies of the 
FCC transmittal cover letters as part of their PTFP applications. PTFP 
applicants for distance learning projects must notify the state 
telecommunications agencies in the states in which they are located but 
are not required to notify every state telecommunications agency in a 
potential service area.
    (D) NTIA will fund all television projects, other than for new 
service expansion, with a presumption of 40% Federal share. For digital 
television conversion projects, NTIA has created two new Subpriorities 
in the Broadcast Other category, will permit purchase of eligible 
equipment with local match funds after July 1, 1999, and will add three 
points to applications which request no more than a 25% Federal share.
    (E) For digital radio conversion projects, NTIA has created a new 
Subpriority in the Broadcast Other category.

Catalog of Domestic Federal Assistance: 11.550, Public 
Telecommunications Facilities Program.

Eligibility

    Eligible applicants must be: (a) A public or noncommercial 
educational broadcast station; (b) a noncommercial 
telecommunications entity; (c) a system of public telecommunications 
entities; (d) a non-profit foundation, corporation, institution, or 
association organized primarily for educational or cultural 
purposes; or (e) a state, local, or Indian tribal government (or 
agency thereof), or a political or special purpose subdivision of a 
state.

Evaluation and Selection Process

    See 15 CFR 2301.16 for a description of the Technical Evaluation 
and 15 CFR 2301.18 for the Selection Process.

Evaluation Criteria

    See 15 CFR 2301.17 for a full description of the Evaluation 
Criteria. The six evaluation criteria are (1) Applicant 
Qualifications, (2) Financial Qualifications, (3) Project 
Objectives, (4) Urgency, (5) Technical Qualifications (construction 
applicants only) or Planning Qualifications (planning applicants 
only), and (6) Special Consideration.

Funding Priorities and Selection Factors

    See 15 CFR 2301.4 and the supplemental policies above for a 
description of the PTFP Priorities and 15 CFR 2301.18 for the 
Selection Factors.

Cost Sharing Requirements

    PTFP requires cost sharing. By statute, PTFP cannot fund a 
Construction project for more than 75% of the eligible project 
costs. NTIA has established a policy of funding most new public 
broadcasting station activation projects at a 75% federal share, 
most other radio and nonbroadcast projects at a 50% federal share, 
and most other television projects at a 40% federal share. NTIA can 
fund Planning applications up to 100% of the eligible project costs, 
but has established a policy of funding Planning applications at a 
75% share. Any applicant can request federal funding up to the 
statutory maximum and provide justification for the request.

Intergovernmental Review

    PTFP applications are subject to Executive Order 12372, 
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,'' if the state in 
which the applicant organization is located participates in the 
process. Usually submission to the State Single Point of Contact 
(SPOC) needs to be only the first two pages of the Application Form, 
but applicants should contact their own SPOC offices to find out 
about and comply with its requirements. The names and addresses of 
the SPOC offices are listed on the PTFP Web site and at the Office 
of Management and Budget's home page at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.

Universal Identifier

    All applicants (nonprofit, state, local government, 
universities, and tribal organizations) will be required to provide 
a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number 
during the application process. See the October 30, 2002 (67 FR 
66177) and April 8, 2003 (68 FR 17000) Federal Register notices for 
additional information. Organizations can

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receive a DUNS number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free 
DUNS Number request line 1-866-705-5711 or via the Internet (http://www.dunandbradstreet.com).

The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for 
Grants and Cooperative Agreements

    The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification of 
Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements contained in the 
Federal Register notice of October 1, 2001 (66 FR 49917), as amended 
by the Federal Register notice published on October 30, 2002 (67 FR 
66109), are applicable to this solicitation.

Limitation of Liability

    In no event will the Department of Commerce be responsible for 
proposal preparation costs if this program fail to receive funding 
or is cancelled because of other agency priorities. Publication of 
this announcement does not oblige the agency to award any specific 
project or to obligate any available funds.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, no person is 
required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty 
for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to 
the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), unless that 
collection displays a currently valid Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) control number. The PTFP application form has been 
cleared under OMB control no. 0660-0003.

Executive Order 12866

    It has been determined that this notice is a ``not significant'' 
rule under Executive Order 12866.

Executive Order 13132

    It has been determined that this notice does not contain 
policies with Federalism implications as that term is defined in 
E.O. 13132.

Administrative Procedure Act/ Regulatory Flexibility Act

    Prior notice and opportunity for public comment are not required 
by the Administrative Procedure Act or any other law for this notice 
concerning grants, benefits, and contracts (5 U.S.C. 553(a)). 
Because notice and opportunity for comment are not required pursuant 
to 5 U.S.C. 553 or any other law, the analytical requirements of the 
Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) are inapplicable. 
Therefore, a regulatory flexibility analysis has not been prepared.

Bernadette McGuire-Rivera,
Associate Administrator, Office of Telecommunications and Information 
Applications.
[FR Doc. 04-2947 Filed 2-10-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-60-P