*Pages 1--1 from  Microsoft Word - 12090.doc*
 STATEMENT  OF  MICHAEL  K.  POWELL,  CHAIRMAN 
 Re:  Report  and  Order  in  MM  Docket  No.  98-  203—  In  the  Matter  of  Ancillary  or  Supplemental 
 Use  of  Digital  Television  Capacity  by  Noncommercial  Licensees 


 The  Report  and  Order  we  adopt  today  will  help  bring  public  television  into  the  digital 
 age. 


 First,  we  enhance  the  benefits  of  public  television  by  providing  stations  with  the 
 flexibility  to  fulfill  their  mission  through  innovative  uses  of  digital  technology.  Public  television 
 is  on  the  cutting  edge  of  some  of  the  most  exciting  new  digital  programming  and  I  am  pleased 
 that  the  Order  we  adopt  today  supports  their  continued  exploration  of  this  new  medium. 


 Second,  we  provide  a  limited  but  critical  additional  funding  source  that  can  facilitate  the 
 transition  of  public  TV  stations  to  digital  television.  These  stations  have  expended  1.7  billion 
 dollars  to  date  on  the  transition,  but  only  11%  of  them  have  completed  the  required  DTV  build-out. 
 Additional  revenue  streams,  beyond  those  employed  today,  have  become  essential  for 
 public  television  to  successfully  make  the  transition  to  digital  television. 


 Third,  the  Order  has  established  strong  safeguards  to  insure  that  the  fundamental  nature 
 of  public  broadcasting  will  not  suffer.  However,  I  am  of  the  strong  belief  that  regardless  of  any 
 regulatory  safeguards,  public  television  will  continue  to  do  in  the  digital  age  what  it  has  done  so 
 well  in  the  past;  serve  the  public  interest  by  producing  superb,  noncommercial  educational 
 programming. 
1