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 NEWS  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).  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE  MEDIA  CONTACT:  December  19,  2002  Stacy  Robinson  at  (202)  418-  2533 
 Email:  srobinso@  fcc.  gov 


 ABERNATHY  APPLAUDS  CABLE  AND  CONSUMER  ELECTRONIC  INDUSTRIES  FOR  WORKING  TOGETHER  TOWARD  OFFERING  “PLUG  AND  PLAY”  DIGITAL 
 TV  SETS  TO  CONSUMERS 
 Commissioner  Kathleen  Q.  Abernathy  today  thanked  the  cable  and  consumer  electronics  industries  for  working  together  to  give  consumers  access  to  digital  cable  services  through  a 
 digital  television  set  without  the  need  for  a  set-  top  box.  “This  agreement  will  allow  consumers  who  purchase  a  digital  television  set  to  experience  the  same  easy  access  to  HDTV  and  other 
 digital  services  that  they  currently  have  for  their  analog  programming,”  Abernathy  said.  “By  making  the  benefits  of  digital  television  more  accessible  to  consumers,  these  two  industries  have 
 made  significant  strides  in  furthering  the  digital  transition,”  stated  Abernathy.  “I  understand  that  there  are  issues  for  the  FCC  to  resolve  before  this  agreement  can  be  implemented  and  I  look 
 forward  to  doing  so  expeditiously  after  all  interested  parties  have  had  an  opportunity  to  comment,”  Abernathy  added. 


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