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 Federal  Communications  Commission  DA  02-  2074 
 Before  the  Federal  Communications  Commission 
 Washington,  D.  C.  20554 


 In  the  matter  of 
 Request  for  Extension  of  Time  to  Construct  Digital  Facilities 
 WTJR-  DT,  Quincy,  Illinois 


 )  ) 
 )  ) 
 )  File  No.  BEPCDT-  20020424ABP  ID  No.  4593 


 MEMORANDUM  OPINION  AND  ORDER 
 Adopted:  August  22,  2002  Released:  August  26,  2002 
 By  the  Chief,  Media  Bureau: 
 1.  The  Media  Bureau  (the  “Bureau”)  has  before  it  a  petition  filed  by  Believers  Broadcasting  Corporation  (“  BBC”)  seeking  reconsideration  of  the  Bureau’s  June  3,  2002,  letter  denying  its  request  for 
 an  extension  of  time  to  construct  the  digital  facilities  for  WTJR-  DT  and  admonishing  BBC  for  failing  to  meet  the  May  1,  2002,  construction  deadline  for  DTV  facilities.  For  the  reasons  stated  below,  we  deny 
 the  petition. 
 2.  In  its  petition,  BBC  argues  that  the  Bureau  erred  by  not  allowing  it  to  follow  the  same  time  table  for  construction  as  noncommercial  educational  broadcasters.  See  47  C.  F.  R.  73.624(  d).  BBC  states 
 that  it  is  classified  as  a  tax  exempt  religious  and  educational  organization  and  argues,  without  any  supporting  authority,  that  it  should  therefore  be  treated  the  same  as  a  noncommercial  educational 
 television  operator.  We  disagree.  BBC  operates  on  a  nonreserved  commercial  channel  and  it  never  has  requested  to  have  the  channel  allocated  as  a  reserved  noncommercial  channel.  See  47  C.  F.  R.  §  73.606(  a). 
 Consequently,  BBC  must  comply  with  the  digital  conversion  time  table  established  for  commercial  television  broadcast  stations. 


 3.  ACCORDINGLY,  IT  IS  ORDERED,  THAT  the  petition  filed  by  Believers  Broadcasting  Corporation  seeking  reconsideration  of  the  Bureau’s  June  3,  2002,  letter  denying  its  request  for  an 
 extension  of  time  to  construct  the  digital  facilities  for  WTJR-  DT  and  admonishing  Believers  Broadcasting  Corporation  for  failing  to  meet  the  May  1,  2002,  construction  deadline  for  DTV  facilities  IS  DENIED. 


 FEDERAL  COMMUNICATIONS  COMMISSION 


 W.  Kenneth  Ferree  Chief,  Media  Bureau 
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