NEWS
RELEASE
United States Department
of Agriculture • Rural Development
3001 Coolidge Rd. • 2nd Floor North • Suite 200 • East Lansing, MI 48823
Phone: (517) 324-5204 • Fax: (517) 324-5225 •
alec.lloyd@mi.usda.gov
Contact: Alec Lloyd (517) 324-5204
RURAL DEVELOPMENT ANNOUNCES $4.95 MILLION IN GRANTS FOR PUBLIC TELEVISION DIGITAL TRANSITION
EAST LANSING, April 12, 2007 -- USDA Rural Development Director for Michigan Gene DeRossett today announced the availability of $4.95 million in grants to facilitate public broadcasting’s transition to digital service.
“These grants put digital broadcasting technology within reach of public television stations,” DeRossett said. “It is another way we are helping to improve the quality of life for rural Michigan residents.”
As part of the nation’s transition to digital television (DTV), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) required all television broadcasters to begin broadcasting using digital signals, and to cease broadcasting in analog by Feb. 17, 2009. In addition, a number of DTV stations serving rural areas have not yet been able to build out their full digital facilities that would allow them to replicate their analog services in the digital environment.
Applications for the $4.95 million in grants must be received by June 11, 2007 and will compete nationally for funding. View the Rural Development Utilities program website (http://www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/public-tv.htm) for additional information on the Public Television Digital Transition Grant program.
USDA Rural Development’s mission is to deliver programs in a way that will support increasing economic opportunity and improve the quality of life of rural residents. Rural Development has invested more than $76.8 billion since the beginning of the Bush Administration to provide equity and technical assistance to finance and foster growth in homeownership, business development, and critical community and technology infrastructure. As a result, more than 1.5 million jobs have been created or saved through these investments. Further information on rural programs is available at a local USDA Rural Development office or by visiting USDA’s web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov
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