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 Federal  Communications  Commission  DA  03-  774 
 1 
 Before  the  Federal  Communications  Commission 
 Washington,  D.  C.  20554 


 In  the  Matter  of 
 Request  for  Extension  of  Time  to  Construct  Digital  Facilities 
 WMMP-  DT,  Charleston,  South  Carolina 


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 File  No.  BEPCDT-  20020301ALT  ID  No.  9015 


 MEMORANDUM  OPINION  AND  ORDER 
 Adopted:  March  12,  2003  Released:  March  13,  2003 
 By  the  Chief,  Media  Bureau: 
 1.  The  Media  Bureau  (the  “Bureau”)  has  before  it  a  petition  for  reconsideration  filed  by  WMMP  Licensee,  L.  P.  (WMMP),  licensee  of  WMMP-  DT,  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  seeking 
 reconsideration  of  the  Media  Bureau’s  letter  of  June  5,  2002,  denying  its  request  for  an  extension  of  time  to  construct  the  digital  facilities  for  WMMP-  DT  and  admonishing  WMMP  for  failing  to  meet  the  May  1,  2002, 
 construction  deadline  for  DTV  facilities.  For  the  reasons  stated  below,  we  grant  the  petition. 
 2.  WMMP’s  petition  contains  a  detailed  timeline  providing  additional  information  concerning  the  disputes  between  the  owner  of  its  planned  tower  and  the  tower  engineer  regarding  the 
 need  to  modify  the  structure.  WWMP  also  points  out  that  this  same  controversy  warranted  a  grant  of  the  extension  of  time  requests  of  two  other  DTV  permittees.  This  information  demonstrates  that  WMMP’s 
 delays  were  the  result  of  circumstances  beyond  its  control.  In  addition,  on  November  15,  2002,  WMMP-DT  was  granted  Special  Temporary  Authority  to  provide  a  low-  power  DTV  service  to  its  community  of 
 license.  Based  on  the  information  now  before  us,  we  conclude  that  WMMP’s  request  for  an  extension  of  time  to  construct  its  digital  facilities  is  justified. 


 3.  ACCORDINGLY,  IT  IS  ORDERED,  THAT  the  petition  for  reconsideration  filed  by  WMMP  Licensee,  L.  P.  IS  GRANTED. 
 FEDERAL  COMMUNICATIONS  COMMISSION 


 W.  Kenneth  Ferree  Chief,  Media  Bureau 
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