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 Remarks  of  FCC  Chairman  Kevin  J.  Martin  Capitol  Hill  Day  2006 
 Association  of  Public  Television  Stations  Washington,  DC 
 February  14,  2006  As  Prepared  for  Delivery 


 Thank  you  for  that  kind  introduction.  I  am  honored  to  receive  this  award  –  it  means  a  lot  to  me  to  be  recognized  for  the  hard  work  of  the  Commission  during  one  of 
 the  worst  natural  disasters  in  our  nation’s  history.  As  we  all  know,  Hurricane  Katrina  devastated  the  Gulf  Coast.  People  lost  their  homes,  their  businesses,  and  –  most  tragic  of 
 all  –  their  loved  ones.  Our  hearts  go  out  to  all  the  survivors  who  continue  the  process  of  putting  their  lives  back  together. 


 The  degree  of  destruction  to  broadcast  facilities  in  the  region  was  unprecedented.  We  estimate  that  over  100  broadcast  stations  were  knocked  off  the  air  after  Katrina  alone, 
 leaving  hundreds  of  thousands  of  area  residents  without  critical  news  and  emergency  information. 


 As  we  just  saw,  public  television  stations  were  among  the  resourceful  and  courageous  who  defied  the  odds  to  maintain  operations  during  the  storm  and  to  restore 
 broadcast  service  quickly  thereafter.  Just  two  days  after  the  hurricane  struck,  stations  were  back  on  the  air  informing  storm  victims  where  to  find  shelter,  food,  and  water;  what 
 numbers  to  call  for  emergency  medical  attention;  and  how  to  contact  missing  family  and  friends.  Broadcasters  also  provided  information  to  rescue  workers  that  proved  critical  to 
 successful  rooftop  rescues. 
 Louisiana  Public  Television  and  other  noncommercial  licensees  shared  their  facilities  with  local  commercial  broadcasters  whose  transmitters  or  antennas  were  gone. 
 For  instance,  Louisiana  Public  Broadcasting  Network  made  its  Baton  Rouge  facility  available  to  WWL,  the  CBS  affiliate  in  New  Orleans.  This  enabled  WWL  to  remain  on 
 the  air  continuously  throughout  Katrina  and  its  aftermath.  As  a  result,  people  in  the  stricken  Gulf  Coast  region  received  newscasts  and  storm  coverage  from  broadcasters  who 
 otherwise  would  have  been  silenced. 
 In  addition,  one  APTS  member,  Houston  Station  KUHT,  is  a  shining  example  of  the  valuable  role  broadcasters  play  in  public  emergencies.  KUHT  provided  critical 
 information  to  the  storm’s  evacuees  and  even  took  in  the  New  Orleans  public  station’s  staff  when  they  had  no  station  to  return  to.  KUHT  continues  to  play  an  important  role  in 
 the  region’s  recovery,  and  I  would  like  to  express  my  gratitude  for  their  efforts. 
 Within  hours  after  the  storm,  APTS  requested  a  waiver  from  the  FCC  to  permit  every  one  of  its  member  stations  to  air  fundraisers  for  hurricane  relief.  We  were  pleased 
 to  grant  it  quickly  –  because  we  know  that  public  stations  know  how  to  do  quality  on-  air  fundraising  drives  for  worthy  causes. 
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 For  our  part,  the  Commission  took  quick  and  decisive  action  to  assist  in  the  preservation  and  restoration  of  broadcast  service  to  areas  in  Katrina’s  path.  Even  before 
 the  hurricane  struck,  the  FCC’s  Media  Bureau  established  special  procedures  to  expedite  emergency  authorizations  and  assistance,  and  issued  public  notices  to  inform 
 broadcasters  in  the  area  how  to  seek  the  Commission’s  help. 
 We  granted  stations  more  than  70  special  temporary  authorizations  and  granted  more  than  100  temporary  frequency  authorizations  to  permit  emergency  workers,  relief 
 organizations,  and  companies  to  provide  communications  and  broadcast  service  in  the  affected  areas  and  to  shelters  around  the  country.  In  most  cases,  these  requests  were 
 granted  within  four  hours  of  receipt,  and  all  requests  were  processed  within  24  hours. 
 The  Commission  was  open  seven  days  a  week  for  extended  hours  following  the  hurricanes  to  assist  consumers,  broadcasters  and  other  federal  agencies  with  emergency 
 services.  I  am  extremely  proud  of  the  efforts  and  dedication  of  the  FCC  staff  that  helped  us  during  that  time. 


 Now  the  Commission’s  responsibility  is  to  examine  lessons  learned  during  Katrina,  Rita,  and  Wilma  so  that  we  can  improve  our  response  in  the  event  of  future 
 emergencies.  An  independent  panel  we  created  to  review  the  impact  of  Hurricane  Katrina  on  communications  networks  recently  held  its  first  meeting  and  will  submit  a 
 final  report  to  the  Commission  by  June. 
 There  is  much  left  to  be  done,  but  I  commend  public  television  on  its  extraordinary  service  during  this  time  of  great  need.  Public  television’s  role  in  this 
 disaster  was  one  of  critical  importance,  and  you  have  proved  that  you  will  be  there  when  your  viewers  and  neighbors  need  you  the  most.  We  know  that  we  can  count  on  public 
 broadcasters  to  work  together  with  the  FCC  whenever  emergencies  arise. 
 Thank  you. 
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