[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 203 (Monday, October 20, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62258-62259]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-24849]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
[Docket No. 0810141353-81354-01]
Public Telecommunications Facilities Program: Closing Date
AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration
(NTIA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of Closing Date for Solicitation of Applications;
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance,
and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009. Public Law No. 110-329 (2008),
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 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; and (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 5 p.m. Eastern Time
(Closing Time), December 18, 2008 (Closing Date). Applications
submitted by facsimile 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 Closing 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 this deadline.
ADDRESSES: To obtain a printed application package, submit completed
applications, or send any other correspondence, write to PTFP at the
following address (please note the new room number): NTIA/PTFP, Room H-
4812, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20230. Application materials may be obtained
electronically via the Internet at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ptfp or
http://www.grants.gov.
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 at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ptfp.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Electronic Access
The full funding opportunity announcement for the PTFP fiscal year
(FY) 2009 grant cycle is available through http://www.Grants.gov or by
contacting the PTFP office at the address noted above.
Funding Availability
Issuance of grants is subject to the availability of FY 2009 funds.
At this time, the Congress has passed the Consolidated Security,
Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009. Public
Law No. 110-329 (2008), to fund operations of the PTFP through March 6,
2009. Further notice will be made in the Federal Register about the
final status of funding for this program at the appropriate time. For
FY 2008, NTIA awarded $18.5 million in PTFP funds to 109 projects,
including 61 radio awards, 45 television awards and 3 nonbroadcast
awards. The radio awards ranged from $8,800 to $337,684. The television
awards ranged from $10,000 to $801,345. The nonbroadcast awards ranged
from $89,853 to $187,931.
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 (1996 Rules) which were
published on November 8, 1996 (61 FR 57966). Copies of the 1996 Rules
(15
[[Page 62259]]
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.
Supplemental Policies
The following supplemental policies will also be in effect:
(A) Applicants may file emergency applications at any time.
(B) Applicants may file requests for Federal Communications
Commission (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 they are not required to notify every state telecommunications
agency in a potential service area.
(D) For digital television conversion projects, NTIA has created
two new Subpriorities in the Broadcast Other category.
(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
To apply for and receive a PTFP Construction Grant or Planning
Grant, an applicant 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 per cent of the eligible project
costs. NTIA has established a policy of funding most new public
broadcasting station activation projects at a 75 per cent federal
share, and most other television, radio and nonbroadcast projects at a
50 per cent federal share. NTIA can fund planning applications up to
100 per cent of the eligible project costs, but has established a
policy of funding planning applications at a 75 per cent federal share.
Any applicant can request federal funding greater than PTFP's policy,
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 SF 424 and PTFP-2 pages of the application, but applicants
should contact their own SPOC offices to find out about and comply with
its requirements. The PTFP Internet site has a link to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) home page which has the names and addresses
of the SPOC offices. Applicants may directly access the OMB Internet
site at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html. Printed copies
of the SPOC list are available from PTFP.
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 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 February 11, 2008, (73 FR 7696) is applicable to this
solicitation.
Limitation of Liability
In no event will the Department of Commerce be responsible for
proposal preparation costs if this program fails to receive funding or
is cancelled because of other agency priorities. Publication of this
announcement does not obligate 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 13132
It has been determined that this notice does not contain policies
with Federalism implications as that term is defined in Executive Order
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 rule
concerning grants, benefits, and contracts (5 U.S.C. 553(a)(2)).
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.
Dr. Bernadette McGuire-Rivera,
Associate Administrator, Office of Telecommunications and Information
Applications.
[FR Doc. E8-24849 Filed 10-17-08; 8:45 am]
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