SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- SPECIALIZED
- Notice Date
- 5/9/2002
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- Broadcasting Board of Governors, Associate Director for Management, Office of Contracts (M/CON), 330 C Street, SW, Room 2500, Washington, DC, 20237
- ZIP Code
- 20237
- Solicitation Number
- CON-02-205-0205
- Response Due
- 5/24/2002
- Archive Date
- 6/8/2002
- Point of Contact
- Jim Sullivan, Senior Procurement Executive, Phone 202-619-3448, Fax 202-260-0855,
- E-Mail Address
-
sullivan@ibb.gov
- Description
- The Broadcasting Board of Governors' (BBG) International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB), has a requirement for a contractor to provide specialized and timely non-personal "advisory and assistance" services, including analytical services, to the BBG in developing unique radio programming for the BBG's newly established Middle East Radio Network (MERN), under the direction of the MERN Program Office (MERN-PO) in Washington, DC and its forthcoming Middle East Program Center (MEPC) being established in the region. The proposed work will focus on the contractor's providing technical and business advice, assistance, and analysis to the BBG during the BBG's development and implementation of its plans and techniques for both Frequency Modulation (FM) and Medium Wave (MW) broadcasting of radio programs specifically targeted for young Arabic-speaking audiences located throughout the Middle East region. The contractor, in coordination with MERN-PO and MEPC staffs, shall perform a broad analysis for, and with resultant written recommendations to, the BEG on both FM and MW radio programming opportunities, plans, and techniques to be used by the MERN. Such analysis shall focus on, but is not limited to, the following nine (9) radio programming areas: Design of the MERN's overall cross-cultural music, entertainment, news, and features programming; (2) Use of "Powergold" music programming software to maximize the effectiveness of mixed Western and non-Western (Arabic) music, interfacing Powergold with computerized automation software (i.e., IDAPS); (3) Developing innovative methods for integrating and networking the MERN Pan-Arabic stream with other streams targeted at specific Middle East areas and audiences; (4) Music research, including interfacing with research companies selected by the BBG to recommend parameters for testing, interpretation of research results, and implementation of specific programming techniques based on the research results; (5) Branding (i.e. applying American radio programming expertise to such areas as sectioning of station and program names, positioning slogans, and promotional spots for music, news, and public affairs programming); (6) Marketing, including station launch strategies, publicity techniques, and applying American and cross-cultural radio techniques to develop effective new ways of interacting with the Middle East target youth audience both on and off the air; (7) Broadcast operations, including application of American radio techniques to MERN radio station staffing, internal organization, and planning using Microsoft software; (8) Training MEPC personnel in American commercial radio broadcasting techniques; and (9) Developing innovative methods for achieving MERN's public diplomacy objectives in ways that are attractive to the Middle East target youth audience. The contract "deliverables", resulting from the contractor's specialized "advisory and Assistance" services and analysis work, shall consist of the following tangible end-products to be provided by the contractor to the BBG's MERN-PO: (a) A complete set of written "design parameters", and in some cases as determined by the MERN-PO, the actual design of MERN's overall cross-cultural music, entertainment, news, and features programming and/or specified elements of such programming; (b) Performance of day-to-day coordination and interaction with, and technical and business support of, the MERN-PO and MEPC staffs, primarily in Washington, DC, but as necessary on-site throughout the Middle East region as determined by the MERN-PO, and including active participation in BBG, MERN-PO, and MEPC meetings pertaining to the nine above-stated MERN programming areas; and (c) Submission of written quarterly reports to the MERN-PO on the progress and problems observed by the contractor during the overall development and implementation of the MERN programming effort, including specific recommendations to the MERN-PO and/or MEPC for the solution of identified problems and/or improvements to the overall development and implementation of the MERN programming effort. These quarterly reports shall include, but are not limited to, the contractor's specific comments and recommendations on the technical, research, personnel staffing, and budgeting aspects of the overall MERN programming effort. Because of the specialized nature (i.e., special technical, cultural, logistical, business, and political considerations) and the necessary timeliness of the contractor's performance of the above-stated "advisory and assistance" services in support of the BBG's MERN-PO and MEPC during their development and implementation of the MERN programming effort, the BBG intends to non-competitively award a negotiated firm-fixed-price contract to Bert Kleinman Programming, Inc. (BKP) of Pacific Palisades, CA for this specialized work on the basis of BKP's unique technical qualifications and direct pertinent and current experience in Middle East radio programming for Arabic youth audiences, and BKP's known capability to meet the BBG's overall time schedule for the MERN programming effort. BKP is the only responsible source known to the BBG that has demonstrated in-depth specialized technical knowledge and current experience with Arabic youth audience programming that is critical to the contractor's ability the perform the above-summarized work in a high quality and timely manner that is critical to making the MERN an effective broadcasting network. Such unique BKP capability is due, in part, to BKP's experience in dealing with Middle East region programming development and implementation issues with the appropriate Ministries of Information and/or Communications in several important countries of the Middle East region. The Statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition that is applicable to this proposed procurement is the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 6.302-1(a)(2), 41 U.S.C. 253 (c)(l), which states: "When the supplies or services required by the agency are available from only one responsible source and no other type of supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements, full and open competition need not be provided for." This Public Notice of the BBG's intent to non-competitively procure BKP's advisory and assistance services is NOT a request for competitive price quotations or proposals. However, other interested firms or individuals may express to the U.S. Government their interest in and capability to perform the above-stated specialized advisory and assistance services. Any such written expressions of interest AND statements of capabilities must be received by the Government Contracting Officer within fifteen (15) calendar days of publication of this Public Notice in order to be considered. Oral or incomplete submissions will not be accepted by the Government. A final determination by the Government not to compete this proposed procurement, based upon any responses to this Public Notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government. Any information received from interested firms or persons responding to this Public Notice will be considered by the Government solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Any submissions or questions regarding this Public Notice shall be submitted in writing to the BBG Contracting Officer, Jim Sullivan, via facsimile at (202) 619-1775 or E-mail at sullivan@ibb.gov. This Public Notice is not a RFQ, RFP, or an IFB.
- Record
- SN00074179-W 20020511/020509213025 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
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