[Federal Register: March 16, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 51)]
[Notices]
[Page 13576-13579]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16mr06-23]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Utilities Service
Announcement of Grant Application Deadlines and Funding Levels
AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of solicitation of applications.
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SUMMARY: USDA Rural Development administers rural utilities service
through the Rural Utilities Service. USDA Rural Development announces
its Public Television Digital Transition Grant Program application
window for fiscal year (FY) 2006.
DATES: You may submit completed applications for grants on paper or
electronically according to the following deadlines:
Paper copies must carry proof of shipping no later than
May 15, 2006 to be eligible for FY 2006 grant funding. Late
applications are not eligible for FY 2006 grant funding.
Electronic copies must be received by May 15, 2006 to be
eligible for FY 2006 grant funding. Late applications are not eligible
for FY 2006 grant funding.
ADDRESSES: You may obtain application guides and materials for the
Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Program via the
Internet at the following Web site: http://www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/.
You may also request application guides and materials from USDA Rural
Development by contacting the appropriate individual listed in Section
VII of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice.
Submit completed paper applications for grants to the USDA
Rural Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence
Ave., SW., Room 2845, STOP 1550, Washington, DC 20250-1550.
Applications should be marked ``Attention: Director, Advanced Services
Division, Telecommunications Program.''
Submit electronic grant applications to Grants.gov at the
following Web address: http://www.grants.gov/ (Grants.gov), and follow
the instructions you find on that Web site.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Orren E. Cameron III, Director,
Advanced Services Division, Telecommunications, USDA Rural Development,
U.S. Department of Agriculture, telephone: (202) 690-4493, fax: (202)
720-1051.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Overview
Federal Agency: Rural Utilities Service (RUS).
Funding Opportunity Title: Public Television Station Digital
Transition Grant Program.
Announcement Type: Initial announcement.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.861.
Dates: You may submit completed applications for grants on paper or
electronically according to the following deadlines:
Paper copies must carry proof of shipping no later than
May 15, 2006, to be eligible for FY 2006 grant funding. Late
applications are not eligible for FY 2006 grant funding.
Electronic copies must be received by May 15, 2006, to be
eligible for FY 2006 grant funding. Late applications are not eligible
for FY 2006 grant funding.
Items in Supplementary Information
I. Funding Opportunity: Brief Introduction to the Public Television
Station Digital Transition Grant Program
II. Award Information: Available Funds and Maximum Amounts
III. Eligibility Information: Who Is Eligible, What Kinds of
Projects Are Eligible, What Criteria Determine Basic Eligibility
IV. Application and Submission Information: Where to Get Application
Materials, What Constitutes a Completed Application, How and Where
to Submit Applications, Deadlines, Items That Are Eligible
V. Application Review Information: Considerations and Preferences,
Scoring Criteria, Review Standards, Selection Information
VI. Award Administration Information: Award Notice Information,
Award Recipient Reporting Requirements
VII. Agency Contacts: Web, Phone, Fax, E-mail, Contact Name
I. Funding Opportunity
As part of the nation's transition to digital television, the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) required all television
broadcasters to begin broadcasting using digital signals, and to cease
broadcasting in analog by December 31, 2006. As of August 2005, forty
of the nation's 355 public television transmitters have not launched
DTV service. In addition, the vast majority 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. It is important for these stations to be able
to cover their former analog service areas, and to tailor their
programs and services (e.g., education services, public health,
homeland security, and local culture) to their rural constituents, and
this may require transmitter/translator upgrades and other broadcast
and video. If stations cannot continue to meet their analog standards
of robust service, some Public Television programming will be lost, and
many school systems may be left without the educational programming
they count on for curriculum compliance. With the FCC deadline of
December 31, 2006, for the end of the digital transition approaching,
it is vital that rural stations continue their services to rural
America.
On January 20, 2006, the Rural Utilities Service issued an Interim
Final Rule which defines rules for the program (71 FR 3205). This
regulation incorporates new statutory requirements and updates this
competitive grant program.
This notice has been formatted to conform to a policy directive
issued by the Office of Federal Financial Management (OFFM) of the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), published in the Federal
Register on June 23, 2003, (68 FR 37370). This Notice does not change
the Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Program
regulation (7 CFR part 1740).
II. Award Information
A. Available Funds
1. General. The Administrator has determined that the following
amounts are available for grants in FY 2006 under 7 CFR 1740.1.
2. Grants
a. $4.97 million is available for grants from FY 2006. Under 7 CFR
1740.2, the maximum amount for grants under this program is $1 million
per applicant per year.
b. Assistance instrument: USDA Rural Development will execute grant
documents appropriate to the project prior to any advance of funds with
successful applicants.
B. Public Television Station Digital Transition Grants Cannot Be
Renewed
Award documents specify the term of each award, and due to
uncertainties in regulatory approvals of digital television broadcast
facilities, the period during which grant funding is available will be
extended upon request.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Who is eligible for grants? (See 7 CFR 1740.3.)
1. Public television stations which serve rural areas are eligible
for Public Television Station Digital Transition Grants. A public
television station is a
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noncommercial educational television broadcast station that is
qualified for Community Service Grants by the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting under section 396(k) of the Communications Act of 1934.
2. Individuals are not eligible for Public Television Station
Digital Transition Grant Program financial assistance directly.
B. What are the basic eligibility requirements for a project?
1. Grants shall be made to perform digital transitions of
television broadcasting serving rural areas. Grant funds may be used to
acquire, lease, and/or install facilities and software necessary to the
digital transition. Specific purposes include:
a. Digital transmitters, translators, and repeaters, including all
facilities required to initiate DTV broadcasting. All broadcast
facilities acquired with grant funds shall be capable of delivering DTV
programming and HDTV programming, at both the interim and final channel
and power authorizations. There is no limit to the number of
transmitters or translators that may be included in an application;
b. Power upgrades of existing DTV transmitter equipment;
c. Studio-to-transmitter links;
d. Equipment to allow local control over digital content and
programming, including master control equipment;
e. Digital program production equipment, including cameras,
editing, mixing and storage equipment;
f. Multicasting and datacasting equipment;
g. Cost of the lease of facilities, if any, for up to three years;
and,
h. Associated engineering and environmental studies necessary to
implementation.
2. Matching contributions: There is no requirement for matching
funds in this program (see 7 CFR 1740.5) * * *
3. To be eligible for a grant, the Project must not (see 7 CFR
1740.7):
a. Include funding for ongoing operations or for facilities that
will not be owned by the applicant, except for leased facilities as
provided above;
b. Include costs of salaries, wages, and employee benefits of
public television station personnel unless they are for construction or
installation of eligible facilities;
c. Have been funded by any other source;
d. Include items bought or built prior to the application deadline
specified in this Notice of Funds Availability.
C. See paragraph IV.B of this notice for a discussion of the items
that make up a completed application. You may also refer to 7 CFR
1740.9 for completed grant application items.
IV. Application and Submission Information
A. Where To Get Application Information
The application guide, copies of necessary forms and samples, and
the Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Program
regulation are available from these sources:
1. The Internet: http://www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/, or http://www
.grants.gov.
2. Advanced Services Division, USDA Rural Development, for paper
copies of these materials: (202) 690-4493.
B. What Constitutes a Completed Application?
1. Detailed information on each item required can be found in the
Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Program regulation
and the Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Program
application guide. Applicants are strongly encouraged to read and apply
both the regulation and the application guide. This Notice does not
change the requirements for a completed application for any form of
Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Program financial
assistance specified in the program regulation. The program regulation
and application guide provide specific guidance on each of the items
listed and the application guide provides all necessary forms and
sample worksheets.
2. A completed application must include the following
documentation, studies, reports and information in form satisfactory to
USDA Rural Development. Applications should be prepared in conformance
with the provisions in 7 CFR 1740, subpart A, and applicable USDA
regulations including 7 CFR parts 3015, 3016, and 3019. Applicants must
use the application guide for this program containing instructions and
all necessary forms, as well as other important information, in
preparing their application. Completed applications must include the
following:
a. An application for federal assistance, Standard Form 424.
b. An executive summary, not to exceed two pages, describing the
public television station, its service area and offerings, its current
digital transition status, and the proposed project.
c. Evidence of the applicant's eligibility to apply under this
Notice, proving that the applicant is a Public Television Station as
defined in this Part, and that it is required by the FCC to perform the
digital transition.
d. A spreadsheet showing the total project cost, with a breakdown
of items sufficient to enable USDA Rural Development to determine
individual item eligibility.
e. A coverage contour map showing the digital television coverage
area of the application project. This map must show the counties (or
county) comprising the Core Coverage Area by shading and by name.
Partial counties included in the applicant's Core Coverage Area must be
identified as partial and must contain an attachment with the
applicant's estimate of the percentage that its coverage contour
comprises the total area of the county (total area is available from
American Factfinder, referenced above). If the application is for a
translator, the coverage area may be estimated by the applicant through
computer modeling or some other reasonable method, and this estimate is
subject to acceptance by USDA Rural Development.
f. The applicant's own calculation of its Rurality score, supported
by a worksheet showing the population of its Core Coverage Area, and
the urban and rural populations within the Core Coverage Area. The data
source for the urban and rural components of that population must be
identified. If the application includes computations made by a
consultant or other organization outside the public television station,
the application shall state the details of that collaboration.
g. The applicant's own calculation of its Economic Need score,
supported by a worksheet showing the National School Lunch Program
eligibility levels for all school districts within the Core Coverage
Area and averaging these eligibility percentages. The application must
include a statement from the state or local organization that
administers the NSLP program certifying the school district scores used
in the computations.
h. If applicable, a presentation not to exceed five pages
demonstrating the Critical Need for the project.
i. Evidence that the FCC has authorized the initiation of digital
broadcasting at the project sites. In the event that an FCC
construction permit has not been issued for one or more sites, those
sites may be included in the grant, however, advance of funds for that
site conditional upon the submission of a construction permit.
j. Compliance with other Federal statutes. The applicant must
provide evidence or certification that it is in compliance with all
applicable Federal statutes and regulations, including, but not limited
to the following:
(1) Executive Order (E.O.) 11246, Equal Employment Opportunity, as
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amended by E.O. 11375 and as supplemented by regulations contained in
41 CFR part 60;
(2) Architectural barriers;
(3) Flood hazard area precautions;
(4) Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970;
(5) Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1998 (41 U.S.C. 701);
(6) E.O.s 12549 and 12689, Debarment and Suspension; and
(7) Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment (31 U.S.C. 1352).
k. Environmental impact and historic preservation. The applicant
must provide details of the digital transition's impact on the
environment and historic preservation, and comply with 7 CFR part 1794,
which contains policies and procedures for implementing a variety of
federal statutes, regulations, and executive orders generally
pertaining to the protection of the quality of the human environment.
This must be contained in a separate section entitled ``Environmental
Impact of the Digital Transition,'' and must include the Environmental
Questionnaire/Certification, available from USDA Rural Development,
describing the impact of its digital transition. Submission of the
Environmental Questionnaire/Certification alone does not constitute
compliance with 7 CFR part 1794.
3. DUNS Number. As required by the OMB, all applicants for grants
must now supply a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System
(DUNS) number when applying. The Standard Form 424 (SF-424) contains a
field for you to use when supplying your DUNS number. Obtaining a DUNS
number costs nothing and requires a short telephone call to Dun and
Bradstreet. Please see the Public Television Station Digital
Transmitter Grant Program Web site or Grants.gov for more information
on how to obtain a DUNS number or how to verify your organization's
number.
C. How Many Copies of an Application Are Required?
1. Applications submitted on paper: Submit the original application
and two (2) copies to USDA Rural Development.
2. Electronically submitted applications: Additional paper copies
for USDA Rural Development are not necessary if you submit the
application electronically through Grants.gov.
D. How and Where To Submit an Application
Grant applications may be submitted on paper or electronically.
1. Submitting applications on paper.
a. Address paper applications for grants to the USDA Rural
Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave.,
SW., Room 2845, STOP 1550, Washington, DC 20250-1550. Applications
should be marked ``Attention: Director, Advanced Services Division,
Telecommunications Program.''
b. Paper applications must show proof of mailing or shipping
consisting of one of the following:
(i) A legibly dated postmark applied by the U.S. Postal Service;
(ii) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
USPS; or
(iii) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
carrier.
c. Non-USPS-applied postage dating, i.e., dated postage meter
stamps, do not constitute proof of the date of mailing.
d. Due to screening procedures at the Department of Agriculture,
packages arriving via the USPS are irradiated, which can damage the
contents. USDA Rural Development encourages applicants to consider the
impact of this procedure in selecting their application delivery
method.
2. Electronically submitted applications.
a. Applications will not be accepted via facsimile machine
transmission or electronic mail.
b. Electronic applications for grants will be accepted if submitted
through the Federal Government's Grants.gov initiative at http://www.grants.gov
.
c. How to use Grants.gov:
(i) Navigate your Web browser to http://www.grants.gov.
(ii) Follow the instructions on that Web site to find grant
information.
(iii) Download a copy of the application package.
(iv) Complete the package off-line.
(v) Upload and submit the application via the Grants.gov Web site.
d. Grants.gov contains full instructions on all required passwords,
credentialing and software.
e. USDA Rural Development encourages applicants who wish to apply
through Grants.gov to submit their applications in advance of the
deadline. Difficulties encountered by applicants filing through
Grants.gov will not justify filing deadline extensions.
f. If a system problem occurs or you have technical difficulties
with an electronic application, please use the customer support
resources available at the Grants.gov Web site.
g. New information for FY 2006.
(I) The scoring of Rurality and Economic Need has been simplified
by changing the basis for a station's coverage area from the computer-
generated Longley-Rice coverage plot to an area comprised of whole
counties of which the applicant's proposed cover transmitters/
transmitters at least 75% geographically. A mechanism is incorporated
so that urban areas on the fringe of a station's coverage area do not
diminish an applicant's score.
(iii) Economic Needs scoring is based on a project area's
eligibility level in the National School Lunch Program, rather than its
Per Capita Income. This change is made to capture the cost of living of
the project area as well as its income level.
(ii) New purposes will be funded due to appropriations language.
E. Deadlines
1. Paper applications must be postmarked and mailed, shipped, or
sent overnight no later than May 15, 2006 to be eligible for FY 2006
grant funding. Late applications are not eligible for FY 2006 grant
funding.
2. Electronic grant applications must be received by May 15, 2006
to be eligible for FY 2006 funding. Late applications are not eligible
for FY 2006 grant funding.
V. Application Review Information
A. Criteria
1. Grant applications are scored competitively and subject to the
criteria listed below.
2. Grant application scoring criteria are detailed in 7 CFR 1740.8.
There are 100 points available, broken down as follows:
a. The Rurality of the Project (up to 40 points);
b. The Economic Need of the Project's Service Area (up to 30
points); and
c. The Critical Need for the project, and of the applicant,
including the benefits derived from the proposed service (up to 30
points).
B. Review Standards
1. All applications for grants must be delivered to USDA Rural
Development at the address and by the date specified in this notice to
be eligible for funding. Each application will be reviewed for
conformance with the provisions of this part. Applicants may be
contacted for additional information or clarification.
2. Incomplete applications as of the deadline for submission will
not be considered. If an application is determined to be incomplete,
the applicant will be notified in writing and the application will be
returned with no further action.
3. Applications conforming with this part will be evaluated
competitively by a panel of USDA Rural Development employees selected
by the Administrator of RUS, and will be awarded points as described in
the
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scoring criteria in 7 CFR 1740.8. Applications will be ranked and
grants awarded in rank order until all grant funds are expended.
4. Regardless of the score an application receives, if it is
determined that the Project is technically or financially infeasible,
the applicant will be notified, in writing, and the application will be
returned with no further action.
C. Scoring Guidelines
1. The applicant's self scores in Rurality and Economic Need will
be checked and, if necessary, corrected by USDA Rural Development.
2. The Critical Need score will be determined by USDA Rural
Development based on information presented in the application. This
score is intended to capture from the rural public's standpoint the
necessity and usefulness of the proposed project. This scoring category
will also recognize that some transition purchases are more essential
than others, so that applications for first digital transmitter
capability and transmitter power upgrades that extend coverage into
rural-only areas will receive scoring advantages. Master control
facilities which tailor programming to local needs will also be
recognized in this category.
VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices
Each funded project is unique, and, therefore, various conditions
may attach to different projects' which will appear in the award
documents. Generally applicants whose projects are selected for awards
are final by faxing an award letter. The award letter is followed with
a grant agreement that contains all the terms and conditions for the
grant. An applicant must execute and return the grant agreement,
accompanied by any additional items required by the grant agreement.
B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
The items listed in the program regulation at 7 CFR 1740.9(j)
implement the appropriate administrative and national policy
requirements.
C. Performance Reporting
All recipients of Public Television Station Digital Transition
Grant Program financial assistance must provide annual performance
activity reports to USDA Rural Development until the project is
complete and the funds are expended. A final performance report is also
required; the final report may serve as the last annual report. The
final report must include an evaluation of the success of the project.
VII. Agency Contacts
A. Web site: http://www.usda.gov/ rus/. USDA Rural Development Web
site maintains up-to-date resources and contact information for the
Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Program.
B. Phone: 202-690-4493.
C. Fax: 202-720-1051.
D. Main point of contact: Orren E. Cameron III, Director, Advanced
Services Division, Telecommunications Program, USDA Rural Development,
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Dated: March 7, 2006.
James M. Andrew,
Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. E6-3780 Filed 3-15-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P