February 20, 2002

Digital Television Transition

FCC Speaks 2002The Path to Digital

Broadband Migration

FCC DTV Task Force

Digital TV Transition

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DTV Task Force

Structure Established October 2001 Cross-bureau, cross-disciplinary team

Functions Help coordinate and prioritize FCC

proceedings Facilitate progress among parties on key

issues Single point of contact

Digital Television Service

256 DTV Stations Now Operating

DTV Now Available in Markets Including 76% of U.S. households

Build-out Deadlines and Authorization of ServiceAffiliates of ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX

May 1, 1999 for Markets 1-1038 of 40 stations now

operatingNovember 1, 1999 for Markets 11-30

75 of 79 stations now operating

All remaining commercial TV stationsMay 1, 2002 92 stations now operating

All noncommercial TV stationsMay 1, 2003 51 stations now operating

1462 TV Stations Granted an Initial DTV Authorization (87% of DTV Allotted Stations)

Remaining Initial DTV Applications

Mutually exclusive “area expansion” facilities

Coordination with Canada or MexicoUnresolved interference issuesRelated channel change proceedings

Recent Policy Changes in Periodic Review Proceeding

Permitted graduated approach to DTV service with smaller less expensive stations and later service area expansion

Deferred to next periodic review setting of new dates for post-transition channel election and elimination of protection for unserved portion of service area

Recent Policy Changes in Periodic Review Proceeding

Stations may operate under STA smaller than allotted or authorized facilities Meets buildout requirement Automatically extends construction

permitNow recognize financial hardship as

basis for extension of buildout requirements

Decision Facing Stations With May 1, 2002 Buildout

1. Build and operate station per construction permit OR

2. File request for special temporary authority to operate station at variance from construction permit OR

3. File FCC Form 337 requesting extension of buildout requirement - paper or electronic filing. If paper, courtesy copy can be e-mailed to Video Services Division at DTVEXT@FCC.GOV

DTV STA

Request consists of letter and Form 301 Tech Box

Letter authorization for a maximum 6 month period that can be extended

Coverage area of STA facilities must be subsumed by that of construction permit or allotted facilities

Service areas based on DTV Allotment Table and construction permit continue to be protected during reduced facility operation

Reasons for Extensions

Technical, e.g. equipment delays, unavailability of work crews or tower safety issues

Legal - Delays in obtaining government clearance; e.g., zoning litigation, FAA, pending DTV applications or channel change rulemakings

Other - Floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes and other natural disasters

Financial

Finance Based Extensions

Demonstrate that buildout of minimum DTV facility (STA option) is not feasible

Provide detailed description of financial inability to timely construct: itemized estimates of costs of meeting

minimum buildout requirements (service contour over community of license)

detailed statement exploring why financial condition precludes such an expenditure

Finance Based Extensions

Showing reflecting the particular station’s financial status over an economically significant period of time

All efforts to meet the deadline, including good faith efforts to obtain the requisite financing, and an explanation why those efforts were unsuccessful

Channel 52-69 Band Clearing

Spectrum recovery - a goal of DTV proceeding

Band clearing is voluntaryTwo-way and three-way agreementsDifferences in channel 59-69 and

channel 52-58 band clearing policies

Channel 59-69 Band ClearingRebuttable public interest presumption-based

on demonstration of certain public interest benefits; e.g., provision of

advanced wireless service and avoidance of loss of certain broadcast service; e.g., that of four stations in market with largest audience share

Extended DTV buildout for stations with single channel end of 2005 or beyond if less than 70% DTV

penetration level

Channel 52-58 Band Clearing

Case-by-case public interest determination of band clearing agreements, including impact on DTV transition

Agreements do not extend DTV buildout requirements

Stations left with a single channel must build DTV

Interference Protection

Existing interference standards apply to facilities modifications related to band clearing

NTSC-to-NTSC: minimum distance separations

NTSC-to-DTV: 0.5% population reduction DTV-to-NTSC: 2%/10% population reduction DTV-to-DTV: 2%/10% population reduction

Need Rules for Digital Low Power Operations

TV Translators

TV Boosters

LPTV Stations

Translators & Booster Service

NTSC Grade B Contour

DTV Service Contour

Key Regulatory Issues for Digital Low Power Rule Making

Interference Protection StandardsPermissible OperationsTransmission StandardsApplication Filing Procedures

47 CFR Part 74

Facilitate Industry Cooperation

HoedownsCopy ProtectionCable Compatibility

Carriage of Broadcast Programming Over Cable Systems

Petitions for ReconsiderationIssues from the Further Notice

Digital TV Transition

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