NTIA's Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP) supports the expansion and improvement of public telecommunications services by providing matching grants for facilities that disseminate noncommercial educational and cultural programs to the American public.
PTFP assists in the planning and construction of public telecommunications facilities in order to: a) extend delivery of services to as many citizens as possible by the most cost-effective means, including use of broadcast as well as nonbroadcast technologies: b) increase public telecommunications services and facilities available to, operated by and controlled by minorities and women; c) stregthen the capability of existing public TV and radio stations to provide public telecommunications services to the public.
Eligible applicants must be: a) a public broadcast station; b) a noncommercial telecommunications entity; c) a system of public telecommunications entities; d) a non-profit foundation, corporation, institution, or assocation organized primarily for educational or cultural purposes; e) a State of local government, or a political or special purpose subdivision of a State. The PTFP Rules provide specific information about funding criteria and program regulations.
The 1995 Notice was published on December 4, 1994, announcing $29 million in available funds. The filing dealine for applicants was February 15, and later in April, we will publish a list of applications that were accepted for review. We anticipate that awards will be announced in September.
In FY 1994, 324 applications were received. NTIA awarded $21.2 million in grants to 140 projects (61 to public television, 50 to public radio and 29 to nonbroadcast distance learning) in 42 states, American Samoa, the Northern Marianas, and the District of Columbia. The grants ranged from $4,102 to $850,000. Twenty of the public broadcasting grants, NTIA estimates, will result in the extension of public radio and television signals to more than 1.8 million presently unserved persons.
The grants will enable public broadcasting organizations, as well as many nonbroadcast operations, to buy equipment to activate new services, extend the range of present services, and improve existing facilities. The list of 1994 Grant Awards is available on-line. Information on past PTFP Funding is also available.
Public Telecommunications Facilities Program Office of Telecommunications and Information Applications National Telecommunications and Information Administration U.S. Department of Commerce 14th and Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room 4625 Washington, DC 20230
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