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:
- First service to areas without HD public radio
- Compelling advancement of public service
- CSG-qualified Minority and Rural stations
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:
- CPB meets pre-payment schedule
- 100 CPB-qualified stations convert annually
- Converted stations execute SLA, complete digital conversion, broadcast time-aligned IBOC HD Radio
- CPB pre-payment funds remain available
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
- Additional engineering and grant management support
Digital Radio Coverage and Interference Analysis Project: DRCIA
- Technical analysis of Public Radio's HD coverage problems and the loss of analog and digital coverage due to interference from co- or adjacent channel HD stations
Program Associated Data: PAD
NPR:
- Technical Standards;
- How PAD technology will work
- How it's operated
- What's the investment
PRI:
- System Processes;
- What PAD Content will be
- Who creates the content
- What are its costs
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.