[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 48 (Thursday, March 11, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 11593]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-5496]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Program

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is announcing the process by 
which Fiscal Year 2004 funding of its pilot grant program to finance 
the conversion of television services from analog to digital 
broadcasting for public television stations serving rural areas will be 
made available. For Fiscal Year 2004, $14 million in grants will be 
made available for the continued funding of the national competition 
announced on July 18, 2003, to enable public television stations that 
serve substantial rural populations to continue serving their coverage 
areas.

DATES: Successful grant applicants will be notified no later than March 
31, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roberta D. Purcell, Assistant 
Administrator, Telecommunications Program, Rural Utilities Service, 
U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., STOP 
1590, Room 5151, Washington, DC 20250-1590. Telephone number (202) 720-
9554, Facsimile (202) 720-0810.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 18, 2003, RUS published a Notice of 
Funds Availability (NOFA) in the Federal Register at 68 FR 42680 
announcing its ``public television station digital transition'' grant 
program to finance the conversion of television services from analog to 
digital broadcasting for public television stations serving rural 
areas. Fifteen million dollars in grant authority was made available to 
finance digital conversions.
    As part of the nation's evolution to digital television, the 
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has ordered all television 
broadcasters to initiate the broadcast of a digital television signal 
by May 1, 2003, and to cease analog television broadcasts on December 
31, 2006. About half of the nation's 357 public television stations did 
not meet the deadline to initiate digital broadcasting, and have 
received extensions to as late as May 1, 2004, to do so.
    The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, 
and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, 2003, authorized $51,941,000 
for the Distance Learning and Telemedicine program. The Committee 
Recommendations specify that of the funds provided for Distance 
Learning and Telemedicine, $15,000,000 should be made available in 
grants for public broadcasting systems to meet the FCC's mandate.
    Public television stations rely largely on community financial 
support to operate. In many rural areas the cost of the transition to 
digital broadcasting may exceed community resources. Since rural 
communities depend on public television stations for services ranging 
from educational course content in their schools to local news, 
weather, and agricultural reports, any disruption of public television 
broadcasting would be detrimental.
    In response to its NOFA, RUS received 46 applications totaling more 
than $45 million in funding requests. As part of a national 
competition, RUS reviewed the applications for applicant and project 
eligibility and scored the applications according to the rurality of 
the applicant's digital television coverage area, the average per 
capita income of the applicant's digital television cover area, and 
critical need. On February 20, 2004, Secretary of Agriculture, Ann 
Veneman, announced the 16 highest scoring grants totaling $15,000,000. 
This announcement fully utilized RUS' 2003 appropriation.
    On January 23, 2004, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2004 
was enacted which provided $39 million for grants for telemedicine and 
distance learning services in rural areas provided that $14 million is 
made available to convert analog to digital operation those 
noncommercial educational television broadcast stations that serve 
rural areas and are qualified for Community Service Grants by the 
Corporation for Public Broadcasting under section 396(k) of the 
Communications Act of 1934, including associated translators, 
repeaters, and studio-to-transmitter links. Due to the overwhelming 
response to the July 18, 2003, NOFA, RUS has eligible applications on 
hand totaling more than the $14 million appropriation received for 
Fiscal Year 2004. To eliminate the need for fully eligible applicants 
to resubmit applications for Fiscal Year 2004, RUS will utilize its 
2004 appropriation by funding eligible projects submitted in accordance 
with the July 18, 2003, NOFA. Announcement of the 2004 appropriation 
grant awards will be made no later than March 31, 2004.

    Dated: March 8, 2004.
Hilda Gay Legg,
Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 04-5496 Filed 3-10-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P