[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 19 (Friday, January 30, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5643-5644]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-1961]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Docket No. 0812021556-9052-02


Public Telecommunications Facilities Program: Closing Date

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
(NTIA), U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of Amended Solicitation of Applications.

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SUMMARY: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
(NTIA) announces that it is extending the solicitation period for 
applications for the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program 
(PTFP) replacement digital television translator projects. NTIA will 
accept applications for these projects until Monday, May 18, 2009.

DATES: Applications for replacement digital television translator 
projects

[[Page 5644]]

must be received prior to 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (Closing Time), 
Monday, May 18, 2009 (Closing Date). Applications submitted by 
facsimile will not be accepted. 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 post-marked on May 
18, 2009 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, N.W., 
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, 
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: NTIA publishes this notice to announce that 
it is extending the solicitation period for applications for the Public 
Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP) replacement digital 
television translator projects. NTIA will accept applications for such 
projects until Monday, May 18, 2009. Any applications received between 
December 18, 2008 and May 18, 2009 will be considered timely and will 
be given full consideration.
    On December 23, 2008, the FCC issued a Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking for the creation of a new ``replacement'' digital television 
translator service to permit full-service television stations to 
continue to provide service to viewers within their coverage area who 
have lost service as a result of those stations' digital transition.\1\ 
On December 30, 2008, the FCC announced that it would begin accepting 
applications for replacement digital television facilities on January 
5, 2009. The FCC further announced that stations could apply for 
Special Temporary Authority to immediately operate replacement digital 
television translator facilities during the pendency of the rulemaking 
proceedings.\2\
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    \1\ See Amendment of Parts 73 and 74 of the Commission's Rules 
to Establish Rules for Replacement Digital Low Power Television 
Translator Stations, MB Docket No. 08-253, Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking, FCC 08-278 (rel., Dec. 23, 2008).
    \2\ ``Media Bureau Announces Application and STA Filing 
Procedures for New Digital Television Translators,'' Public Notice, 
Federal Communications Commission, DA 08-2818 (rel., Dec. 30, 2008), 
available at http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ edocs--public/attachmatch/DA-
08-2818A1.pdf.
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    Consistent with PTFP's purposes, NTIA is extending the solicitation 
period for applications for replacement digital television translators 
until May 18, 2009 so stations may apply for the financial assistance 
necessary to build facilities as permitted by these new FCC policies. 
Such applications will be placed in Subpriority A. While applicants may 
file requests for FCC authorizations with the FCC after the expiration 
of NTIA's closing date for applications for replacement digital 
television translator projects, applicants are reminded that no grant 
will be awarded until confirmation has been received from the FCC that 
any necessary authorization will be issued. As noted in the Federal 
Funding Opportunity Notice of October 20, 2008, ``[t]ransmission 
equipment required by public television stations to complete their 
digital broadcast facilities will be considered in Broadcast Other, 
Subpriority A'' and that facilities ``should replicate the station's 
comparable analog Grade B coverage.''\3\
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    \3\ Announcement of Federal Funding Opportunity, National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, FY 2009, U.S. 
Department of Commerce (Oct. 20, 2008), available at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/otiahome/ptfp/ attachments/FFO_Notice_09.html.
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    The new closing date of May 18, 2009 is consistent with the closing 
date for certain digital television Distributed Transmission System 
(DTS) projects for the FY 2009 PTFP grant round, which was announced on 
December 9, 2008.\4\ DTS projects were authorized by the Federal 
Communications Commission (FCC) on November 3, 2008.\5\
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    \4\ ``Public Telecommunications Facilities Program: Closing 
Date,'' 73 Fed. Reg. 74,709 (NTIA Dec. 9, 2008)(notice of amended 
closing date), available at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/otiahome/ptfp/pdfForms/ NOA-PTFP-AMEND-FY09.pdf.
    \5\ Digital Television Distributed Transmission System 
Technologies, Report and Order, MB Docket No. 05-312, 2008 FCC LEXIS 
7698, FCC 08-256 (rel., Nov. 7, 2008) (DTS Report and Order).
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    Applications for replacement digital television translator projects 
will utilize the same forms, and undergo the same review and evaluation 
process contained in the PTFP Closing Date Notice of October 20, 
2008.\6\
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    \6\ ``Public Telecommunications Facilities Program: Closing 
Date,'' 73 Fed. Reg. 62,258 (NTIA Oct. 20, 2008)(notice), available 
at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ otiahome/ptfp/pdfForms/PTFP_Closing- 
Dte_FY09.pdf.

    Dated: January 26, 2009.
Dr. Bernadette McGuire-Rivera,
Associate Administrator, Office of Telecommunications and Information 
Applications.
[FR Doc. E9-1961 Filed 1-29-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-60-S