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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  NEWS  MEDIA  CONTACT: 
 January  31,  2005  Jordan  Goldstein:  (202)  418-  2000 
 STATEMENT  OF  COMMISSIONER  MICHAEL  J.  COPPS  ON  APTS/  NCTA  DIGITAL  TV  CARRIAGE  AGREEMENT 


 I  commend  cable  operators  and  the  public  television  stations  for  reaching  an  agreement  to  guarantee  cable  subscribers  access  to  all  of  their  local  digital  public  television  programming.  Public 
 television  serves  the  public  interest.  It  is  about  sustaining  the  virtues  of  education,  civic  involvement  and  American  democracy.  Although  the  Commission  still  must  do  its  part  to  address  a  number  of 
 issues  related  to  the  digital  transition,  this  agreement  ensures  that  the  future  of  public  television  shines  brighter  than  ever  with  digital  broadcasting  and  the  opportunity  for  new  educational  and  public  affairs 
 programming. 
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