FCC Speaks 2002 The Path to Digital Broadband Migration

1. FCC Speaks 2002The Path to Digital Broadband Migration Digital Television Transition FCC DTV Task Force February 20, 2002

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3. 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

4. Digital Television Service 256 DTV Stations Now Operating DTV Now Available in Markets Including 76% of U.S. households

5. Build-out Deadlines and Authorization of Service • Affiliates of ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX May 1, 1999 for Markets 1-10 38 of 40 stations now operating November 1, 1999 for Markets 11-30 75 of 79 stations now operating • All remaining commercial TV stations May 1, 200292 stations now operating • All noncommercial TV stations May 1, 200351 stations now operating

6. 1462 TV Stations Granted an Initial DTV Authorization (87% of DTV Allotted Stations)

7. Remaining Initial DTV Applications • Mutually exclusive “area expansion” facilities • Coordination with Canada or Mexico • Unresolved interference issues • Related channel change proceedings

8. 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

9. Recent Policy Changes in Periodic Review Proceeding • Stations may operate under STA smaller than allotted or authorized facilities • Meets buildout requirement • Automatically extends construction permit • Now recognize financial hardship as basis for extension of buildout requirements

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. Channel 52-69 Band Clearing • Spectrum recovery - a goal of DTV proceeding • Band clearing is voluntary • Two-way and three-way agreements • Differences in channel 59-69 and channel 52-58 band clearing policies

16. Channel 59-69 Band Clearing • Rebuttable 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. Need Rules for Digital Low Power Operations TV Translators TV Boosters LPTV Stations

20. DTV Service Contour Translators & Booster Service NTSC Grade B Contour

22. 47 CFR Part 74 Key Regulatory Issues for Digital Low Power Rule Making • Interference Protection Standards • Permissible Operations • Transmission Standards • Application Filing Procedures

23. Facilitate Industry Cooperation • Hoedowns • Copy Protection • Cable Compatibility

24. Carriage of Broadcast Programming Over Cable Systems • Petitions for Reconsideration • Issues from the Further Notice

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