Radio Gets $7 Million-Plus in PTFP Grants for FY05

Public Telecommunications Facilities Program grants for fiscal year 2005 are now public, totaling some $21.4 million for 123 projects.
There are 73 radio awards totaling nearly $7.4 million.
Of those, there are nine digital radio conversion grants awarding $1 million and 64 radio service expansion or equipment replacement grants awarding $6.3 million.
Markets receiving digital radio projects include Boston; Columbus, Ohio; Concord, N.H.; Hutchinson, Kan.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Muncie, Ind.; Pittsburgh; and Norfolk and Roanoke, Va.
Eighteen radio projects will extend new public broadcasting service to approximately 400,000 people and provide additional service to almost 700,000.
Two of the equipment replacement projects were awarded on an emergency basis in May. Grants were awarded to WUKY(FM), Lexington, Ky., and to KANZ(FM), Garden City, Kan. so the stations could place transmission equipment at new tower sites and maintain public broadcasting service. Both stations had rented tower space from commercial television stations and were forced to relocate because of the digital conversion plans of the television stations.
Included in the radio and television awards are grants so 22 public radio stations and five public television stations can purchase standby generators to enable the stations to continue public service programming during times of emergency.