Commerce Department Grants $22.45 million to Public Broadcasters for Radio, Television, and Nonbroadcast Projects

The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), on September 19, 2007, announced the award of $22.45 million in funding from the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP) to assist public radio, public television and nonbroadcast (distance learning) projects across the country.

Just over $15 million of the $22.45 million awarded by PTFP went to 48 grantees to assist in the digital conversion of public television facilities.

Radio projects were awarded $4.4 million for 57 grants. Sixteen of the grants, for $2.2 million, were awarded to construct new radio stations or extend the service areas of existing stations. Sixteen other grants awarded a total of $802,604 for digital conversion of public radio stations. Twenty-five grants were awarded to replace urgently needed equipment at radio stations. One radio grant, totaling $220,725 was issued on an emergency basis so a public radio station in Cedar Falls, Iowa, could replace a tower, an antenna, and associated equipment destroyed in an ice storm.

Other PTFP grants include $2.2 million for eight television equipment replacement grants. One of these grants was made on an emergency basis to restore a microwave path that will be blocked by a building under construction in Champaign, Illinois. Four nonbroadcast (distance learning) grants were made for $274,900, and one grant was awarded to the University of Hawaii for $499,351 for the PEACESAT (Pan-Pacific Educational and Cultural Experiments by Satellite) project.

Included in the above radio and television awards are twenty-four grants so eighteen public radio stations and six public television stations can purchase standby generators to enable the stations to continue public service programming during times of emergency.

The total amount awarded by PTFP in FY 2007 is $22,450,416 for 118 grants. More information and a complete list of the FY 2007 PTFP grant awards are available on the PTFP web site at www.ntia.doc.gov/otiahome/ptfp/Projects/2007/ptfpfactsheet_2007.htm