PTV Application Guide

Rural Public Television
Digital Transition
Grant Program
Application Guide
Fiscal Year 2010
Rural Utilities Service
Rural Development
United States Department of Agriculture

Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Application Guide – FY 2010

Contents:
General Information ......................................................................2
Applying for a Grant .....................................................................7
Completing the Grant Application ................................................9
Putting It All Together ................................................................24

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Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Application Guide – FY 2010

Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Program
This Grant Program provides funding to assist Public Television Stations serving
substantial rural populations in implementing the Federal Communications
Commission’s mandated transition from analog to digital broadcast television
transmission. Grant funds may be used to acquire, by purchase or lease, and install
facilities and software necessary for the transition. Grant funds may also be used
for associated engineering and environmental studies necessary for this purpose.
The Grant Program can also fund equipment to facilitate local origination and
management of programming.
All forms, samples and certifications can be found in the “toolkit” -- a separate
PDF document. Please obtain this document and use it in conjunction with this
application guide to assemble your application. In addition, please review the
program regulation (7 CFR 1740). Copies of this guide, the toolkit, the regulation
and the announcement of the application window (Notice of Funds Availability)
are all available at the Agency Web site: http://www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/publictv.htm

Before You Get Started
Please read the Regulation published in the Federal Register on
January 20, 2006 (Interim Final Rule) and August 7, 2007
(Final Rule). A copy is available at the Agency Web site:
http://www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/public-tv.htm
This Application Guide is intended to provide practical stepby-step help to assist applicants through the process. However,
should anything in this guide appear to conflict with the
Regulation, the Regulation takes precedence.

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Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Application Guide – FY 2010

General Information
When and Where to Submit Your Application
The application deadline is

June 25, 2010
An original and two copies of a completed application must either be handdelivered to the Agency by this deadline, or carry evidence of having been shipped
to the Agency on or before this deadline.
Submit your Application to:
Chief, Universal Services Branch
Advanced Services Division
Room 2844
Mail Stop 1550
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20250-1550
Hand Delivered Applications
Hand-delivered applications will be accepted daily between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30
p.m. (Eastern Standard Time), except Saturdays, Sundays and Federal holidays.
Individuals delivering applications must provide proper identification to enter the
building.
Shipped Applications
Applications must show proof of shipping by the deadline consisting of one of the
following:
1. A legible U.S. Postal Service (USPS) postmark;
2. A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the USPS; or
3. A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial carrier.

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Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Application Guide – FY 2010

Applicants should note that the USPS does not uniformly provide a dated
postmark. Before relying on this method, an applicant should check with the post
office. For applications sent through the USPS, neither of the following is
acceptable as proof of mailing:
1. A private metered postmark; or
2. Any other receipt not dated by the USPS.
Electronic Applications
We accept electronic applications submitted by the deadline though we may
request original signatures on paper later. Use the Federal government’s e-grants
Web site (Grants.gov):
www.grants.gov
If you want to submit an application on-line, please obtain all the necessary signups, credentials and authorizations well in advance of the deadline. You will need
a Central Contractor Registry (CCR) registration before you can submit
electronically. In addition, Grants.gov requires some one-time credentialing and
online authentication procedures. These procedures may take several business days
to complete. Please ensure that your credentials and authorizations are up to date if
you went through the process within the last year. Some or all of Grants.gov’s
requirements require an annual update.
Applicants to other Agency grant programs have experienced difficulty in
submitting their applications through Grants.gov, due to unanticipated server
downtime. We strongly encourage you to have a back-up plan to ship the required
number of copies to us by the deadline, if Grants.gov does not accept your
application.
Please follow the instructions at Grants.gov. If you experience a technical problem
retrieving or submitting an electronic application, make the Grants.gov customer
support resources your first stop (click the “Customer Support” tab on any page of
Grants.gov to get started). Agency staffers do not control the technical aspects of
Grants.gov and won’t be able to help you if you experience a problem. However,
we are happy to answer questions about the Program and the contents of an
application.
Applications not received or shipped by the deadline will not be
considered for funding and will be returned.
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Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Application Guide – FY 2010

Key Definitions
Please refer to the Regulation (7 CFR 1740) for all defined terms.
Core coverage area is the set of counties fully covered, or at least 75% covered, by
a digital television transmitter or translator.
Coverage contour area is the area estimated to receive a digital television signal
from a transmitter or translator of 41 dBµ for UHF signals, 36 dBµ for channel 713 signals, or 28 dBµ for channel 2-6 signals, as shown on the public television
station’s Service Contour Area filed with the FCC.
Digital television, or DTV, means the digital television system the FCC has
adopted to replace the analog system.
Digital transition means the transition from analog television broadcasting to
digital television broadcasting.
Distance learning means any digital public television broadcast to a school,
library, home, or other end-user site located in a rural area, for the purpose of
providing educational and cultural programming.
Grant Program means this Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant
Program.
High definition television, or HDTV, means an enhanced television service which
is authorized by the FCC as part of the digital television standard.
Public television station means a noncommercial educational television broadcast
station that serves rural areas and is qualified for Community Service Grants by the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting under section 396(k) of the Communications
Act of 1934.
Rural area means any area of the United States not included within the boundaries
of any incorporated or unincorporated city, village, or borough having a population
in excess of 20,000 inhabitants.
Rural population means the number of people within the core coverage area of a
transmitter who do not live within the boundaries of an incorporated or
unincorporated city, village, or borough having a population in excess of 20,000
inhabitants as calculated pursuant to Section 1740.8(c) (1).

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Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Application Guide – FY 2010

Rural Utilities Service, RUS, or the Agency, is the Rural Development
Telecommunications Program within the United States Department of Agriculture,
which will administer this Grant Program.
Urban area means any area of the United States which is not a rural area.

Contacting the Agency
For additional information concerning this grant program, please contact:
Gary Allan, Chief, Universal Services Branch
Advanced Services Division
1400 Independence Avenue SW Stop 1550 – Room 2844
Washington, DC 20250-1550
Phone
Fax
Email

202-690-4493
202-720-1051
[email protected]

Information about the Agency and its programs, including
downloadable documents such as this application guide and
the toolkit (which includes federal forms)
may be found at:

http://www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/public-tv.htm

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Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Application Guide – FY 2010

Applying for a Grant
Applicant Eligibility
To be eligible, the applicant must be a public television station that serves a rural
area regardless of whether it also serves any urban area. Only stations required by
the Federal Communications Commission to convert from analog to digital
broadcasting are eligible.

Grant Amounts
The maximum grant per public television station is $750,000 in any given funding
year. There is no minimum grant amount.

Eligible Purposes
Grants may be used to install digital television facilities through purchase or lease
(up to 3 years of lease costs may be funded with grant funds); and for associated
engineering and environmental studies. All broadcast facilities acquired under this
program must be capable of delivering both digital television (DTV, sometimes
called standard definition) and high definition television (HDTV) at both the
interim and final channel power authorizations. Grant funds may be used to fund
facilities directly connected to the digital transition of the broadcast signal such as:

♦ Digital transmitters and translators
♦ Transmitting antennas
♦ New towers or improvements to existing towers necessary for antenna
♦
♦
♦
♦

installation
Tower ground infrastructure such as land, buildings, fencing, standby
power, and where commercial power is unreliable, power generation and
conditioning facilities
Studio to transmitter/translator communication links
Power upgrades of existing DTV transmitters and translators to meet FCC
requirements for analog coverage replication
Digital master control equipment to allow local control over digital content
and programming

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Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Application Guide – FY 2010

♦ Digital production equipment
♦ Multicasting and datacasting equipment
♦ Associated engineering and environmental studies necessary to
implementation
♦ Subject to Agency approval, other facilities directly necessary for the digital
transition of the broadcast signal.

Ineligible Purposes
Grants shall not be used:

♦ To fund operations or for facilities not owned by the applicant (except for
♦
♦
♦
♦

certain leased facilities as described in 7 CFR 1740).
To expand a station's coverage area into unserved areas where such
expansion is not part of the digital transition of an existing transmitter or
translator.
For ongoing station operational expenses, including but not limited to
salaries, wages, and employee benefits. Station employees may engineer
and install equipment funded by the grant, and such costs are eligible.
Construction performed or expenditures made or obligated prior to the
application deadline.
For facilities funded under other grants.

Matching Funds
No matching funds are required under this program.

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Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Application Guide – FY 2010

Completing the Grant Application
This section describes all of the information necessary to prepare a complete
application:
A. Application for Federal Assistance, SF-424
B. Evidence of Eligibility
C. Project Description
D. Scoring Documentation

E. FCC Authorization
F. Compliance with Other
Federal Statutes and Regulations
G. Environmental Impact and
Historic Preservation

A. Application for Federal Assistance, SF-424
Complete this form and attach a resolution of the board of the directors (or
governing body) of the public television station. A copy of Standard Form 424 is
provided in the toolkit.

B. Evidence of Eligibility
The Applicant must provide evidence demonstrating that it meets the definition of
a public television station. For the purpose of this Program, a public television
station must meet both 1 and either 2a or 2b:
1. Qualifies for Federal funding under Section 396(k) of the Public Broadcasting
Act of 1967.
2. And which is either:
a. Under the rules and regulations of the Federal Communications
Commission in effect on November 2, 1978, eligible to be licensed as
a noncommercial educational broadcast station and which is owned
and operated by a public agency or nonprofit private foundation,
corporation, or association; or
b. Owned and operated by a municipality and which transmits only
noncommercial programs for education purposes

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Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Application Guide – FY 2010

C. Project Description
The applicant shall provide a description of
the project including:
•
•
•
•

Executive Summary
Project Cost Spreadsheet
Project Coverage Maps
Complete Narrative Description

1. Executive Summary -- This provides a brief description of the entire project and
should not exceed two pages.
2. Project Cost Spreadsheet -- This spreadsheet details all the estimated costs
associated with the project and the source of the funding (including all other
funding such as station funds and other Federal funds) so that the Agency can
determine that all costs financed with Program Grant funds are for eligible
purposes. The following Sample Budget is a simplified example of a project cost
spreadsheet. It is illustrative of one approach, not a required format.
Total Project Cost
Item
Suchet Industries DTV1 Transmitter
Nighy Broadcast Antenna
Thaw HD Digital Camera
Brett-Hardwicke Digital Editing Console
Tower
Installation of studio equipment
Installation of transmitter and antenna
Studio to Transmitter Cable & Tower Site Power Feed
Total Project Cost

Description

Materials & Installation
Install Trans.& Antenna
Furnish and Install

Cost
$ 14.50
22.48
5.00
37.00
125.70
24.50
39.87
16.50
$285.55

3. Project Core Coverage Area Map(s) -- These maps show the core coverage
area(s) which are included in the grant project and how they were determined from
the applicant's proposed digital coverage contour area(s). Rurality and Economic
Need scores are derived from statistical data for the counties included in the core
coverage area for only those transmitters/translators included for funding in the
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Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Application Guide – FY 2010

application. The core coverage area is derived from the station's coverage contour
area, which is available from the FCC TV Query Web site
(http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/audio/tvq.html). This map shows coverage at the
appropriate field strength in dBµ, overlaid on a Census Tiger Map. The map also
shows counties. The core coverage area is the set of counties that are either entirely
within the appropriate coverage contour, or are at least 75% (by area) within the
contour. For counties where the coverage area is close to 75%, please explain
method by which you determined the exact percentage. 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. If the only coverage contour area on file is the analog contour,
that analog coverage contour area may be used because digital coverage should
replicate the analog coverage.
For translators, the coverage contour area may be based on the first available of the
following: a computer-generated contour of the proposed digital translator, the
coverage of the analog translator, or another mechanism. If the applicant uses
another mechanism, it should explain that estimate in the application. The Agency
reserves the right to accept or modify an applicant's estimated coverage contour
area for a translator.
4. Complete Narrative Description -- This describes the entire digital transition
project in detail. Among the details to include are:
a. A description of facilities and equipment to be purchased and
constructed.
b. A timeline showing the introduction of digital service and the
phase-out of analog service, if applicable.
c. Any explanations necessary for understanding the cost spreadsheet
and maps.

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Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Application Guide – FY 2010

D. Scoring Documentation
All complete applications from eligible applicants that meet the application
deadline will be scored in a competitive process to determine which projects are
funded. There are three scoring categories. The first is rurality, a measure of the
rural character of the applicant’s digital television coverage area. Up to 50 points
can be earned in this category. The second category is a measure of the economic
need of the people in the applicant’s coverage area. This category earns up to 25
points. Finally, up to 25 points can be awarded based on critical need.
Three Scoring Categories Totaling 100 Points
• Rurality up to 50 Points
• Economic Need up to 25 Points
• Critical Need up to 25 Points
1. Rurality -- Applicants shall calculate their rurality score and provide
supporting documentation for evaluation by the Agency. The supporting
documentation shall include maps and worksheets showing the core
coverage area and the parts of that area that are considered urban in this
program (i.e., with population over 20,000). The applicant shall provide the
population of the core coverage area broken into rural and urban totals. For
transmitters and translators that cover more than one county, this is based on
simple sums of all included counties' total and urban populations. For
applications where there is more than one translator or transmitter, the core
coverage area is the sum of the core coverage areas of all transmitters and
translators included in the application. The applicant should calculate the
rurality score based on simple sums of all included counties total and urban
populations (but avoid double counting any areas that occur more than
once). Also, if any of this information is prepared by or with the assistance
of people not directly employed by the applicant (such as a consultant), the
applicant shall state the details of this assistance.
The formula for finding the rurality score is:
100 x ((total population – urban population)/ total population) – 50
Population data is as of the 2000 Census, and may be found at
www.census.gov/main/www/cen2000.html

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Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Application Guide – FY 2010

Urban areas that straddle the boundary of a coverage contour boundary for a
transmitter are considered fringe service areas and are excluded from the
core coverage area. Urban areas outside the coverage contour area are also
excluded, even if the county they are within becomes part of the core coverage
area because over 75% of its area is within the coverage contour.
A core coverage area that includes no urban areas will receive a score of 50 points.
A core coverage area with a total population of 20,000 or less cannot possibly
contain an urban area, so it receives a score of 50 points. Here are some examples
of hypothetical computations:
Core Coverage Area Populations

Score

Total Population

Urban Population

72,000

21,000

20.8

148,000

64,000

6.8

100,000

57,000

0

145,000

22,000

34.8

51,000

No Urban

50

260,000

20,001

42.3

2. Economic Need -- The economic need of the project is found by averaging the
National School Lunch Program eligibility percentage rates of all school districts
within core coverage area of the project. For purposes of this program, the NSLP
percentage reflects the percentage of students eligible for reduced-price or free
lunches for each area served by an end-user site, not the percentage of actual
participation.
The NSLP is a Federally-assisted program that provides nutritionally balanced,
low-cost or free lunches to millions of children in thousands of schools and
childcare institutions. School districts and independent schools in the program
receive cash subsidies and donated commodities from USDA for each meal they
serve. In return, they must serve lunches that meet Federal requirements and they
must offer reduced-price or free lunches to eligible children. The Food and
Nutrition Service of USDA administers the program at the Federal level. At the
State level, state education agencies and local school districts usually administer
the NSLP.

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Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Application Guide – FY 2010

Applicants must document each school district’s NSLP percentage with a
certification from the organization that administers the NSLP in your area that the
data is accurate and the most recent available (for example a letter from the school
district). Some official NSLP data is posted on state and/or local governmental
websites. If so, you may provide printouts from these official sites. The official
website from which those printouts are obtained must be provided either on the
printout or on a cover page, so that we can verify the information. If you provide
only a web address, with no data, you have not documented your data and your
application is incomplete. Printouts without evidence of source are considered
incomplete. Finally, data from unofficial sites, such as commercial websites that
report information about schools for many states, are frequently out-of-date and/or
unreliable, so they are not acceptable.
To find the NSLP average, the applicant needs to obtain the NSLP eligibility
percentage for every school district that is represented within the counties in the
core coverage area. Once a percentage has been obtained for each school district,
the Economic Need score is based on the simple average of these NSLP
percentages. Remember, an urban area outside of the coverage contour or on the
boundary of a coverage contour area is disregarded for rurality scoring purposes,
and it is disregarded for economic need scoring as well.
For applications where there is more than one translator or transmitter, the core
coverage area is the sum of the core coverage areas of all transmitters and
translators included in the application. The applicant should calculate the NSLP
average based on percentages for every school district that is represented in the
sum of the core coverage areas (and avoid double counting any school districts that
occur more than once).
The formula for finding the NSLP score is:
If only one school district: (NSLP % * 100 – 25)/2 = Economic Need Score
If more than one school district: (average NSLP % * 100 – 25)/2 = Economic Need
Score
You may obtain the NSLP percentage from the state or local organization that
administers the program. That organization must certify the percentage as
correct. The application must contain both that certification and contact
information for the source or you may instead provide a link to the specific
website source.
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Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Application Guide – FY 2010

Transmitter Example

Below is a sample calculation that demonstrates how to calculate the rurality and
economic need calculations. Real-world calculations are likely to be more
complicated but the concept is unchanged.
Imagine a transmitter covering Rogers City in Pledge County, and surrounding
areas. The coverage contour area (http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/audio/tvq.html) is
shown by the blue line. The service area includes parts of ten counties and contains
two areas with population in excess of 20,000. The rural population is the
difference between the total population and the urban population in an area.
First, Austin City, since it straddles the coverage contour area boundary, is
disregarded from the rurality and economic need computations. Rogers City has a
population of 24,000. Five of the ten counties clearly are not 75% covered by the

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Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Application Guide – FY 2010

Rogers City transmitter. The remaining 5 counties are about 75% or more covered
by the transmitter and this five county area is defined as the core coverage area.
To find the rurality score, visit the American Factfinder Web site and look up the
Factsheets for the five counties. Find also the Factsheet for the urban area, Rogers
City.
Pledge County population:
Langton County population
Hampshire County population
Thomas County population
Dalgliesh County population

79,000
54,000
48,000
82,000
56,000

Therefore, the total population of the core coverage area is 319,000.
The total urban population, which can also be called the total of urban populations,
is 24,000. There is only one urban town in the core coverage area, Rogers City.
There are several towns in the core coverage area that have populations of 20,000
or less. Cumulatively, these towns may have a total population of well over 20,000.
But for a town to be considered urban it must have a population of over 20,000.
The rurality score for this project is 100*((319,000 – 24,000)/319,000) – 50 = 42.5
There are six school districts in the core coverage area. Each county has a county
school district, and Rogers City has one. Again, the school district serving Austin
City is disregarded because its city limits intersect the coverage contour area
boundary and we thus consider it a fringe coverage area. Here are the school
district NSLP eligibility scores:
Pledge County NSLP
Langton County NSLP
Hampshire County NSLP
Thomas County NSLP
Dalgliesh County NSLP
Rogers City NSLP
The average NSLP is

47%
39%
63%
58%
42%
46%
49.2%

The economic need score for this project is (49.2%*100 – 25)/2 = 12.1.

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Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Application Guide – FY 2010

Translator Example

Calculating the rurality and economic need scores for a translator is similar to that
of a transmitter, once the core coverage area has been defined.
Starting with the service contour map at the TVQuery site (http://www.fcc.gov/fccbin/audio/tvq.html), determine the counties served by the translator. It is possible
that 75% of no county is served by a translator. At least one county must be
designated as the translator's core coverage area. Generally, translators cover one
or more clusters of population, which may be in more than one county. The core
coverage area must include the primary community served by the translator. If the
primary community of service is located in two counties, both counties must be

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Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Application Guide – FY 2010

included in the core coverage area. If the translator is located between two
communities in different counties and was placed so as to cover both, both
counties should be represented in the core coverage area.
Let's consider a hypothetical translator located in Duke County that serves the
town of McNeil, which is in Buckley County. The translator service contour map
shows that the translator serves a very small portion of Duke County. The core
coverage area for the McNeil translator is Buckley County. If McNeil spreads
more than marginally into Duke County, Duke County would also be included in
the core coverage area.
The population of Buckley County is 64,000. McNeil has a population of 2,800.
The rurality score for this application is 50.
There are two school districts in the core coverage area, Buckley County School
District and the McNeil School District. Their NSLP eligibility percentages are:
Buckley County NSLP
McNeil District NSLP

45%
65%

The economic need score for the McNeil translator is (55%*100 – 25)/2 = 15.

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Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Application Guide – FY 2010

Example for more than one Transmitter or Translator
The regulation states that 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. The following
example illustrates how to calculate scores in such cases.

Rurality Score (more than one translator or transmitter)
To calculate the rurality score, list all of the transmitters and translators in a table
along with the counties that make up their coverage area. Fill in the population
and urban population for each county. Counties that occur more than once should
not be double counted, so for these there should be a note as shown below.
Transmitter/Translator

Counties

Population

Transmitter A

Smith
Hampshire
Johnson
Monroe

Translator 1

Johnson
Waverly
Napa

see note
8,000
7,488

see note

Waverly
Winchester
Grant

see note
14,755
9,045

see note

Translator 2

Totals

11,500
15,000
30,000
12,370

Urban

108,158

0
0
21,000
0

0
0

0
0
21,000

Note: These counties were already counted in a previous transmitter or
translator. They should not be double counted.

The totals from this table are the numbers that should be used in the formula to
calculate the rurality score:
Total population: 108,158

Urban population: 21,000

Rurality formula: (100*(108,158 – 21,000)/108,158) – 50 = 30.58
The rurality score for this example is 30.58

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Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Application Guide – FY 2010

Economic Need Score (more than one translators or transmitter)
To calculate the economic need score, list all of the transmitters and translators in a
table along with the counties and all of the school districts that make up their
coverage area. In this example, the counties and school districts are exactly the
same. There may be examples where counties do not equal the school districts,
and in those cases all the school districts in a county that has been counted in the
rurality calculation should be listed. School districts that occur more than once
should not be double counted, so for these there should be a note indicating that
they have already been counted.
Transmitter/Translator

School Districts

NSLP

Transmitter A

Smith
Hampshire
Johnson
Monroe

45%
49%
60%
38%

Translator 1

Johnson
Waverly
Napa

see note
47%
55%

Translator 2

Waverly
Winchester
Grant

see note
42%
33%

Average

46%

Note: These school districts were already counted in a previous
transmitter or translator. They should not be double counted.

The percentage average of all school districts should be used in the formula to
calculate the economic need score:
The economic need score for this example is: (46%*100-25)/2 = 10.5
3. Critical Need -- Critical need is a measure of the urgency and importance of the
project to the rural area the applicant serves. This scoring category is intended to
account for factors not covered by other categories and the points are awarded by
the Agency based on information supplied by the applicant.
This scoring category will also recognize that some transition purchases are more
essential than others and that as the transition progresses, what is essential changes.

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Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Application Guide – FY 2010

For example, during the transition from analog to digital transmitters, which
concluded on June 12, 2009, a first time transition of a primary transmitter was the
most essential project that could be undertaken and would have been scored
accordingly. Now that all transmitters have completed the transition to digital, the
focus may shift to some of the other eligible purposes such as translators, studio
and production equipment, and master control equipment. But what equipment
specifically is most essential may vary from station to station.
7 CFR 1740 lists six examples of factors that will be considered in determining the
critical need score. This list is not intended to limit the forms of critical need
presented by applicants. Applicants should also note that the order in which the
examples are given has no particular significance – an application demonstrating
the existence of the first example of critical need would not necessarily score more
points than an application demonstrating the existence of the sixth example.
Examples of critical need presented in the regulation are:
(1) Geographic or coverage characteristics of the public television station's digital
television coverage area that makes the digital transition unusually expensive. This
could occur when a station covers areas separated by areas of uninhabitable land
(or water) that require multiple transmitters or translators for reasonable population
coverage;
(2) A severe lack of specialized human resources (such as teachers) for which
digital educational television will compensate. An example of this would be
communities so small that they cannot sustain reasonably-staffed schools;
(3) Geographic isolation of communities which will be overcome with public
television station services. This situation could occur in a remote mountainous area
where public television might be the only terrestrial television service;
(4) Non-traditional community needs (such as adult vocational retraining) that may
be met only with digital public television station broadcast capabilities. A
community that has recently lost its industrial base and where perhaps a language
barrier prevents a large segment from obtaining job training;
(5) Historical events that have placed the public television station in severe
financial stress. A station that has recently replaced its tower due to a severe
weather event would be an example of this critical need; and
(6) The degree to which the project purposes will specifically benefit the rural
public. Some types of projects, such as transmitter power upgrades, will
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Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Application Guide – FY 2010

specifically benefit rural residents, and might not at all benefit urban residents, in a
core coverage area to a degree not captured by the area's rurality score.

E. Federal Communications Commission Authorization
The applicant shall provide evidence that the Federal Communications
Commission has authorized the initiation of digital broadcasting at each of the
applicant’s transmitter and translator sites. In the event that a Federal
Communications Commission construction permit has not been issued for one or
more sites, the Agency may include those sites in the grant, and make advance of
funds for that site conditional upon the submission of a construction permit.

F. Compliance with other Federal Statutes and Regulations
The applicant is required to submit evidence that it is in compliance with other
Federal statutes and regulations as follows:
1. E.O. 11246, Equal Employment Opportunity, as amended by E.O. 11375 and as
supplemented by regulations contained in 41 CFR part 60.
2. Architectural barriers.
3. Flood hazard area precautions.
4. Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of
1970.
5. Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1998 (41 U.S.C. 701).
6. E.O.s 12549 and 12689, Debarment and Suspension; (See 7 CFR 3017.510).
7. Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment (31 U.S.C. 1352). If the applicant is engaged
in lobbying activities, the applicant must submit a completed disclosure form,
“Disclosure of Lobbying Activities” (See 7 CFR Part 3018).
8. Federal Obligations Certification on Delinquent Debt.
9. Compliance with 41 USC §§ 10a-10d, “Buy American” procurement provisions.

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Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Application Guide – FY 2010

G. Environmental Impact and Historic Preservation
The applicant must provide details of the digital transition's impact on the
environment and historic preservation, and comply with 7 CFR 1794, which
contains the Agency’s policies and procedures for implementing a variety of
federal statutes, regulations, and executive orders generally pertaining to the
protection of the quality of the human environment.
The application shall contain a separate section entitled "Environmental Impact of
the Digital Transition." This shall include the Environmental Questionnaire &
Certification (see the toolkit), on which the applicant describes the impact of its
digital transition. Submission of the Environmental Questionnaire & Certification
does not constitute compliance with 7 CFR 1794.
For a digital transition project that only involves internal modifications or
equipment additions to buildings or other structures, the environmental
information normally required includes a description of the internal modifications
or equipment additions, the size of the site in hectares, and the general nature of the
proposed use of the facilities once the project is completed, including any
hazardous materials to be used, created or discharged, any substantial amount of
air emissions, wastewater discharge, or solid waste that will be generated.

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Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Application Guide – FY 2010

Putting It All Together
The grant application should be assembled and tabbed in the following order:
Numbered attachments have been provided in the toolkit for your use. Remember
that additional blank forms are available at the Agency Web site
(http://www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/public-tv.htm). Please use only the applicable
attachments listed below.

Item
No.

Description

Toolkit
Number

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

1
2

19
20
21

Completed Application for Federal Assistance, Std. Form 424
Summary Worksheet
Evidence of Eligibility
Executive Summary
Project Cost Spreadsheet
Broadcast Coverage Maps
Complete Narrative Description
Applicant’s estimated Rurality Scoring
Applicant’s estimated Economic Need Scoring
Critical Need Information
Federal Communications Commission Authorization
E.O. 11246, Equal Employment Opportunity, as amended by E.O.
11375 and as supplemented by regulations contained in 41 CFR
part 60
Certificate Regarding Architectural Barriers
Certificate Regarding Flood Hazard Area Precautions
Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition
Policies Act of 1970 Certification
Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace Requirements
E.O.s 12549 and 12689, Debarment and Suspension; (See 7 CFR
3017.510)
Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment (31 U.S.C. 1352). If the applicant
is engaged in lobbying activities, the applicant must submit a
completed disclosure form, “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities”
(See 7 CFR Part 3018)
Federal Obligations Certification on Delinquent Debt
Environmental Impact and Historic Preservation
Buy American Certification

22

Supplemental Information (If Any)

13
14
15
16
17
18

3

4
5
6
7
8
9

10
11
12

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Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Application Guide – FY 2010
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not
required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB
control number for this information collection is 0572-0134. The time required to complete this information
collection is estimated to average 23 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching
existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of
information.
The United States Department of Agriculture prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color,
National origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, and marital or family status. (Not all bases apply to all
programs.)
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communications of program information (Braille, large
print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center on (202) 720-1127 (TDD).
USDA is an equal opportunity employer.

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