U.S. Information Agency, Office of Contracts, 301 4TH STREET SW, Room M27, Washington, DC 20547

Y -- OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF FACILITIES SOL IA0307-S8234781 DUE 051498 POC Edward S. Pritchard, Contracting Officer, (202) 205-8411; Fax: (202) 205-5466 The International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) requires personnel services to operate and maintain a radio transmitting facility located on the island of Tinian, a member of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. This facility shall be operated in accordance with the policy and procedures established by the IBB Office of Engineering and Technical Operations. The Tinian Relay Station is now in the process of construction and is expected to be partially operational in early 1999. The station will eventually be equipped with six 500 KW shortwave transmitters along with six curtain antennas, each configured as a high-low pair. The initial configuration will include only three transmitters and four antenna pairs. Additional equipment is expected to be installed within the first six months of operation. The transmitters slated for installation are ABB model 55 C3-2P. While the station may operate on commercial power at some point in the future, it is anticipated that commercial power will not be available when the station first comes on line in 1999. The station design includes a power plant capable of operating at least three transmitters at full output, or six transmitters at 50% power. An expanded power plant, capable of providing 100% power is under consideration at the time of this writing. The station power plant will be utilized until reliable commercial power is available at a competitive rate, and as a back-up thereafter. The broadcast schedule is expected to amount to an average of 18 hours per day per transmitter, All programming will originate in Washington, DC and will be delivered to the station via a satellite system. The contractor is responsible for ensuring that the program feeds are routed to the proper transmitter as specified by the program schedule. This schedule is developed by Frequency Division of IBB Engineering in Washington. It is imperative that the transmitters be operated on the proper frequencies, power outputs, antenna assignments, and broadcast times as specified in the schedule. The broadcast schedule undergoes major changes twice a year (Spring and Fall), and may be modified on very short notice at other times as the needs arise. The contractor shall assume total responsibility for station operations, including equipment operation and maintenance, buildings and grounds maintenance, security, logistics and property management, power plant operation and maintenance, report generation, and routine equipment repair. The contractor shall receive on-site guidance from a government representative, and day to day technical directives from IBB headquarters in Washington, DC. An option is included to operate a second broadcast facility on the Island of Saipan that Radio Free Asia (RFA) is considering for purchase. In the event of RFA's successful acquisition of this facility, the government may exercise the option to have the contractor assume operational responsibility for this facility. The Saipan station is located on a 7.75 acre plot at Agingan Point, which is situated in the southeastern portion of the island. In its current configuration the station consists of two 100 kW Continental 418E transmitters, three Technology for Communications International (TCI) model 611 antennas, a 100kW dummy load, a 750 kW standby diesel generator, a 4.75 meter satellite receiving system, and associated ancillary equipment. Additional equipment may be installed. Each transmitter is expected to carry about 15 hours of daily broadcasts. This station shall be operated in a similar manner to the Tinian facility. The Duration of the base contract is two years, with options to extend up to three additional years. The estimated cost range for the entire contract, including all options is $4.5 to 7 million. To be considered, interested parties must have demonstrated prior experience operating similar facilities. The USIA intends to use a solicitation document (RFP) for this negotiated firm-fixed-price procurement with a proposal response date of 45 calendar days after RFP issuance. Qualified offerors may request a copy of the forthcoming solicitation by submitting a written request to the USIA Contracting Officer at the above-listed address accompanied by a check for $25.00 payable to the U.S. Information Agency. All responsible sources may submit a proposal in response to the forthcoming solicitation document, and all proposals shall be considered by the agency. This notice is not a RFP. ***** (0072)

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