NTIA Awards $42.0 Million in Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP) Grants

The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced the award of $42.0 million in Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP) grants to public broadcasting stations across the country.

The grants will be matched by more than $68 million raised by the recipients. Of the 105 grants to be awarded, most of the funds, in 52 awards totaling nearly $35 million, will be used to assist 76 public television stations complete federally-mandated conversions to digital technology. Eleven television awards will help stations replace basic equipment.

“These grants are a significant contribution to public television’s digital conversion efforts,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information Nancy J. Victory. “Public broadcasting stations across the country will benefit from these grants by purchasing new equipment, including towers and antennas, to transmit valuable public services.”

Established in 1962, the PTFP program supports the extension and strengthening of public telecommunications services, and supports the participation of minorities and women in public broadcasting.

This year, NTIA is awarding 63 grants totaling $37.4 million to public television stations; 36 grants totaling $2.7 to public radio stations; five distance learning grants totaling $1.4 million; and one grant to the University of Hawaii for $475,000 for the PEACESAT project (Pan-Pacific Educational and Cultural Experiments by Satellite). More information and a complete list of the FY 2001 PTFP grant awards are available on the PTFP Web site at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/otiahome/ptfp/index.html or by calling NTIA at 202-482-5802.