[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 44 (Wednesday, March 7, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10172-10173]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-4017]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

[Docket No. 0612242656-7046-01]


Public Telecommunications Facilities Program: Closing Date

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
(NTIA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Revised Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 
2007, P. L. 110-5, 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; (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), April 6, 2007, (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 
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 FY 2007 
grant cycle is available through www.Grants.gov or by contacting the 
PTFP office at the address noted above.

Funding Availability

    The Congress has appropriated $20 million for FY 2007 PTFP awards. 
For FY 2006, NTIA awarded $19.2 million in PTFP funds to 94 projects, 
including 49 radio awards, 40 television awards and 5 nonbroadcast 
awards. The radio awards ranged from $8,000 to $902,393. The television 
awards ranged from $48,712 to $1,000,000. The nonbroadcast awards 
ranged from $67,455 to $253,782.

Statutory and Regulatory Authority

    The Public Telecommunications Facilities Program is authorized by 
the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. Sec. Sec.  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 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.

[[Page 10173]]

    (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 
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 percent of the eligible project 
costs. NTIA has established a policy of funding most new public 
broadcasting station activation projects at a 75 percent federal share, 
and most other television, radio and nonbroadcast projects at a 50 
percent federal share. NTIA can fund planning applications up to 100% 
of the eligible project costs, but has established a policy of funding 
planning applications at a 75 percent. 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's 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 December 30, 2004, (69 FR 78389) 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.

Bernadette McGuire-Rivera,
Associate Administrator, Office of Telecommunications and Information 
Applications.
[FR Doc. E7-4017 Filed 3-6-07; 8:45 am]
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