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 NEWS  News  media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Fax-  On-  Demand  202  /  418-  2830  T  TY  202/  418-  2555  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  ftp.  fcc.  gov  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974). 
 For  Immediate  Release  NEWS  MEDIA  CONTACTS: 
 January  19,  2001  David  Fiske  (202)  418-  0513 


 FCC  GRANTS  “MUST  CARRY”  STATUS  TO  DIGITAL-  ONLY  TV  STATION 
 Washington,  DC  –  The  Federal  Communications  Commission  (FCC)  today  ruled  that 
 WHDT-  DT,  channel  59  of  Stuart,  Florida,  a  digital-  only  television  station,  is  entitled  to  mandatory 
 carriage  rights  on  cable  systems  in  its  local  area.  The  FCC  determined  that  the  licensing  and 
 impending  operation  of  WHDT  advances  the  digital  transition  and  that  guaranteeing  cable  carriage 
 to  digital-  only  stations  will  encourage  other  broadcasters  to  commence  digital  television  service  in  a 
 more  rapid  manner. 


 In  June  2000,  Guenter  Marksteiner,  permittee  of  WHDT-  DT,  filed  a  Petition  for  Declaratory 
 Ruling  asking  the  FCC  to  issue  a  ruling  that  a  new  digital-  only  (“  DTV”)  television  station,  which 
 seeks  carriage  of  only  a  single  channel  of  video  programming,  is  entitled  to  mandatory  carriage  under 
 the  must  carry  provisions  of  the  Communications  Act.  WHDT’s  construction  permit  was  granted  on 
 April  25,  2000  and  it  intends  to  provide  viewers  in  the  West  Palm  Beach-  Ft.  Pierce  television 
 market  with  digital  television  service.  Recognizing  that  not  many  television  households  have  yet 
 purchased  digital  television  receivers,  WHDT  explained  that  it  would  provide  at  its  own  expense  to 
 each  cable  operator,  equipment  to  allow  cable  operators  to  carry  the  station’s  signal  in  an  analog 
 format. 


 Today’s  Memorandum  Opinion  and  Order  finds  that  after  it  commences  broadcasting, 
 WHDT  is  entitled  to  carriage  on  local  cable  systems  under  Section  614(  a)  of  the  Act.  Consistent 
 with  the  FCC’s  Report  and  Order  and  Further  Notice  of  Proposed  Rulemaking  on  cable  carriage  of 
 digital  broadcast  signals  (“  DTV  Order  and  FNPRM”)  also  released  today,  the  FCC  is  permitting 
 WHDT,  as  a  transitional  measure,  to  elect  whether  its  signal  will  be  carried  as  a  digital  or  converted 
 analog  signal.  If  WHDT  is  carried  in  an  analog  format,  the  Order  states  that  the  analog  must  carry 
 requirements  in  Part  76  of  the  Commission’s  rules  must  be  followed.  If  WHDT’s  signal  is  carried 
 in  a  digital  format,  the  Order  finds  that  the  DTV  Order  and  FNPRM  should  resolve  the  issues 
 related  to  the  mechanics  of  carriage  raised  by  WHDT’s  petition.  The  status  and  duration  of  any  such 
 converted  analog  carriage  agreement  would  be  subject  to  review  after  2003  as  the  progress  of  the 
 digital  transition  is  considered. 


 Action  by  the  Commission,  January  19,  2001,  by  Memorandum  Opinion  and  Order  (FCC 
 01-  23).  Chairman  Kennard,  Commissioners  Ness,  Furchtgott-  Roth,  Powell  and  Tristani. 


 --  FCC  -- 
 Cable  Services  Bureau  contact:  Steven  Broeckaert,  Sonia  Greenaway  at  (202)  418-  7200. 
 TTY:  (202)  418-  7172 
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