Digital Radio Conversion Update

CPB Digital Grants Administration
Public Radio Engineering Conference
April 21-22, 2006

Digital Conversion Grants

CPB has awarded 457 digital conversion grants since June 03

159 digitally converted public radio transmitters are on-air with HD Radio

FY 06 Grant Round expects 150 to 200 grant applications by the end of May for $13M pool

Digital Grant Program

Objective: Convert as many station transmitters to digital radio as possible

Eligibility: all CPB-qualified grantees

Competitive priorities:

Minority and rural stations can receive 80% of eligible costs, up to $85,000

All other stations can receive 70% of eligible costs, up to $75,000

CPB-determined Hardship Status may provide for 85% of station's eligible costs, up to $110,000

Project costs average $120,000 to $130,000

Digital Grant Guidelines

Deadline: 5PM EDT Friday, May 26

Timeline: Projects typically completed within 12 months of execution of grant agreement

Applicants submitting multiple applications must rank their priority of each project

Retroactive funding is not available

After conversion complete, station must commence IBOC HD Radio broadcast and maintain on-going digital service

Stations must time-align their analog and digital broadcasts

iBiquity Agreement Remains

CPB's Preferred iBiquity Agreement remains in effect for FY 06

Under agreement stations enjoy favorable terms and a one time main channel license fee of $5,000

Under agreement CPB pre-pays the main channel fee on behalf of qualifying station

Stations still must execute an individual Station License Agreement (SLA) with iBiquity

Due to CPB's pre-payment of license fees stations' cash awards are reduced by $5,000

Stations enjoy favorable royalty terms

These reduced prices and favorable terms remain available as long as:

New Eligible, Same Ineligible

Eligible/Ineligible Equipment: Largely the same for FY 06

Newly Eligible for FY 06: Importers/Exporters as necessary to implement HD Multicast function

Not Eligible for FY 06: HD Translators

Still Ineligible for FY 06: Transmitters that have already received Digital Radio Conversion Funding

New Hardship Consideration

A licensee unable to complete project at standard funding level may apply for Hardship Status

Status intended for licensee whose financial match is a disproportionately high percentage of station's total revenue

To apply: Check Hardship Status box on application

Submit with standard application a detailed narrative explaining why standard funding is insufficient

Must include total station revenue (TSR) for each of the past three years

Hardship determinations are case by case at CPB's sole discretion

Media Tech Digital Grants Team

Lynn Chadwick, Senior Director

Alexis Dobbins, Technology Initiatives Officer

Brian Gibbons, Radio Digital Grants Manager

Michelle Ranger, TV Digital Grants Manager

Jerrod Sharpe, Digital Grants Coordinator

Doug Vernier, Program's Engineering Consultant

Bruce Theriault, Program's Policy Consultant

Other Digital Radio Projects

Special Assistance Program: SAP

Digital Radio Coverage and Interference Analysis Project: DRCIA

Program Associated Data: PAD

NPR:

PRI:

Digital Transition Fund Future

As always our future is uncertain pending Congressional action.

CPB's FY 07 digital funding request is $40M.

Actual FY 07 digital funding will not be known until Congress finalizes budget.

Date, Detail, and Contact

Deadline: Friday, May 26th at 5pm EDT

2006 Digital Radio Conversion Fund Web site.

Questions about this fund can be directed to digitalradiogrants@cpb.org.

Separate multiple e-mail addresses with commas.