Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2006/01/20/06-511/public-television-station-digital-transition-grant-program
Timestamp: 2016-07-23 21:11:40
Document Index: 356200201

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 1794', 'art 1740', 'ART 1740', '§ 1740', '§ 1740', '§ 1740', '§ 1740', '§ 1740', '§ 1740', '§ 1740', '§ 1740', '§ 1740']

Federal Register | Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Program
Dates: This rule is effective January 20, 2006. Written comments must be received by the Agency or bear a postmark of equivalent not later than March 21, 2006.
-3209 (5 pages)
Document Number: 06-511
Shorter URL: https://federalregister.gov/a/06-511 Action
The Rural Utilities Service (the Agency) is issuing a new rule to allow the Agency to make grants to enable Public Television Stations in rural areas to replace current analog television broadcasting equipment with digital television broadcasting equipment as part of the national transition to digital television service.
List of Subjects in 7 CFR 1740
Subpart A— Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Program
Subpart A—Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Program
Submit your comments by any of the following methods:
Agency Web site: http://www. usda.gov/rus/index2.Comments.htm. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
E-mail: RUSComments@usda.gov. Include in the subject line of the message “7 CFR 1740.”
Mail: Addressed to Richard C. Annan, Director, Program Development and Regulatory Analysis, Rural Utilities Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue, STOP 1522, Washington, DC 20250-1522.
Hand Delivery/Courier: Addressed to Richard C. Annan, Director, Program Development and Regulatory Analysis, Rural Utilities Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 5168-S, Washington, DC 20250-1522.
Instructions: RUS requests a signed original and three copies of all written comments (7 CFR 1700.4). Comments may also be submitted by e-mail at RUSComments@usda.gov and must contain the phrase “Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Program” in the subject line. All comments received must identify the name of the individual (and the name of the entity, if applicable) who is submitting the comment. All comments received will be posted without changes to http://www.usda.gov.rus.index2.Comments.htm, including any personal information provided. All comments will also be available for public inspection during regular business hours (7 CFR 1.27(b)).
Agency Response to Comments Back to Top
RUS intends to address public comments received regarding this interim final rule at a later date in a Confirmation of an Interim Final Rule as a Final Rule which will be published in the Federal Register.
This interim final rule has been determined to be not significant for purposes of Executive Order 12866, and therefore has not been reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
This final rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12988, Civil Justice Reform. RUS has determined that this interim final rule meets the applicable standards provided in section 3 of the Executive Order. In addition, all state and local laws and regulations that are in conflict with this rule will be preempted, no retroactive effect will be given to this rule, and, in accordance with Section 212(e) of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6912(e)), administrative appeal procedures, if any, must be exhausted before an action against the Department or its agencies may be initiated.
Executive Order 13132 Federalism Back to Top
The policies contained in this interim final rule do not have any substantial direct effect on states, on the relationship between the national government and the states, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government. Nor does this final rule impose substantial direct compliance costs on state and local governments. Therefore, consultation with states is not required.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(2), this interim final rule related to grants is exempt from the rulemaking requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 551 et seq.), including the requirement to provide prior notice and an opportunity for public comment. Because this interim final rule is not subject to a requirement to provide prior notice and an opportunity for public comment 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.
This interim final rule contains no Federal mandates (under the regulatory provision of Title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995) for State, local, and tribal governments or the private sector. Therefore, this interim final rule is not subject to the requirements of sections 202 and 205 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995.
This interim final rule has been examined under RUS environmental regulations at 7 CFR part 1794. The RUS Administrator has determined that this action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the environment. Therefore, in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an Environmental Impact Statement or Assessment is not required.
This interim rule contains no new reporting or recordkeeping burdens under OMB control number 0572-0134 that would require approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).
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. Recognizing the need to support the digital transition of public television stations serving rural areas, Congress appropriated $15 million in grant funds through the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program. See Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003, Pub. L. 108-7. On July 18, 2003, RUS published a Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) in the Federal Register (68 FR 42680) to announce the new grant program to finance the conversion of television service from analog to digital broadcasting for public television station serving rural areas. For Fiscal Year (FY) 2003, $15 million in grants were made available through a national competition to enable public television stations which serve substantial rural populations to continue serving their coverage areas. On February 20, 2004, RUS announced the selection of 16 rural public television stations in 13 states which were to receive all $15 million in grant funds to convert to digital broadcasting. For FY 2004, Congress appropriated an additional $14 million in grant funds for this purpose. See Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2004, Pub. L. 108-199. On March 11, 2004, the RUS published a Notice in the Federal Register (69 FR 11593) stating that the money would be used for unfunded applications received under the prior NOFA, and on April 20, 2004, an additional 18 grants were awarded to recipients in 16 states.
As of August 2005, 40 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 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.
Congress has authorized additional purposes which were specifically excluded in the 2003 NOFA. This regulation incorporates those new statutory requirements and updates this competitive grant program for FY 2006 under regulation rather than by NOFA.
The broadcast of digital signals requires the installation of special antennae, transmitters and/or translators, and new digital program management facilities, consisting of processing and storage systems. If public television stations are to perform program origination functions, as most do, digital cameras, editing, and mastering equipment are also required. Moreover, studio-to-tower site communications links may be required to transport the digital broadcast signal to each transmitter and translator. Broadcasting in high definition, multicasting, and datacasting are inherent to digital television, and require additional facilities at the transmitter and studio level. Lastly, in order to comply with the FCC transition deadlines, some rural public television stations initially began digital broadcasting using low-cost, low-power transmitters. However, these transmitters did not replicate the station's analog coverage area (an FCC objective of the transition), and power upgrades are needed to cover the shortfall, which is often in the most rural of rural areas.
In designing a national competition for the distribution of these grant funds, priority has been given to public television stations serving those areas that would most likely be unable to transition without a grant. Because funding for stations generally comes from public and business contributions, rural public television stations unquestionably receive fewer contributions due to smaller populations and fewer businesses. Therefore, rurality becomes a prime indicator of the need for grant funding. In addition, some rural areas have income levels much lower than the national average, and public television stations covering these areas in particular are likely to have difficulty funding the digital transition. As a result, the consideration of the income of a public television station's coverage area is a secondary indicator of the need for grant funding. Lastly, some public television stations may have, or may meet, critical needs in their communities, and a third scoring factor for critical need has been added. This scoring category will also recognize that some transition purchases are more essential than others, so that applications for first transmitter capability and transmitter power upgrades that extend coverage into rural-only areas will both receive scoring advantages. Master control facilities which tailor programming to local needs will also be recognized in this category.
List of Subjects in 7 CFR 1740 Back to Top
Grant programs—Digital television; Communications; Rural areas; Television
For reasons set forth in the preamble, RUS amends Chapter XVII of title 7 of the Code of Regulations by adding part 1740 as follows:
PART 1740—PUBLIC TELEVISION STATION DIGITAL TRANSITION GRANT PROGRAM Back to Top
1740.1 Purpose.
1740.2 Definitions.
1740.3 Applicant eligibility.
1740.4 Maximum amounts of grants.
1740.5 Matching funds.
1740.6 Eligible purposes of grants.
1740.7 Ineligible purposes.
1740.8 Scoring criteria for the grant competition.
1740.9 Grant application.
1740.10 Grant documents.
1740.11 Request for funds.
Subpart A—Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Program Back to Top
§ 1740.1 Purpose.
The purpose of the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Program (Grant Program) is to enable public television stations serving rural areas to transition from broadcasting in analog to digital, as required under the Federal Communications Commission rules, by awarding grants through a competitive process.
§ 1740.2 Definitions.
Grant Program means this Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Program.
§ 1740.3 Applicant eligibility.
Eligibility for grants is limited to public television stations that serve rural areas, regardless of whether urban areas are additionally served.
§ 1740.4 Maximum amounts of grants.
The maximum grant amount shall be announced in each fiscal year's Notice of Funds Availability.
§ 1740.5 Matching funds.
No matching funds are required in this program.
§ 1740.6 Eligible purposes of grants.
(a) Grant funds shall not be used to fund ongoing operations or for facilities that will not be owned by the applicant, except for leased facilities as provided in § 1740.6.
(b)(1)(i) Scoring in this program is based on a simplified representation of the project's digital coverage area. To find a transmitter's simplified coverage area, go to the FCC TV Query Web site (http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/audio/tvq.html) and access the station Service Contour Map. This map shows coverage at the appropriate field strength in dBμ, overlaid on a Census Tiger Map. The map also shows counties covered. The core coverage area is the set of counties that are either entirely within the appropriate coverage contour, or are at least seventy-five percent (75%) within the contour. For contours where counties are very large with respect to coverage, as might be the case for some western states and for most translators, there may be only one county within the coverage contour. In such cases, this county is the station's core coverage area. Every transmitter and translator must have a core coverage area consisting of one or more counties.
(ii) In the case of translators, where a coverage contour area does not exist, the applicant shall define a coverage contour area and explain how coverage was estimated. This estimated coverage contour area is subject to acceptance by RUS. (2) When an application covers more than one transmitter or translator, the core coverage area of the application is the sum of the core coverage areas of all transmitters and translators included in the application.
(1) The rural population of a core coverage area must be calculated. The rural population of a county is calculated by subtracting the county's urban population(s) from the total county population. If the core coverage area consists of multiple counties, the rural population is the sum of all included counties' rural populations. Urban area and county populations may be found at the American Factfinder Web site http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en).
(2) The Rurality score is computed by multiplying the rural population for the core coverage area by one hundred (100), and subtracting fifty (50) from it. If this calculation results in a negative number, the Rurality score is zero. The formula is:
§ 1740.9 Grant application.
(e) A coverage contour map showing the digital television coverage area of the applicant. 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 in § 1740.8 (c)(1)). 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 RUS.
[FR Doc. 06-511 Filed 1-19-06; 8:45 am]