STATEMENT OF 
COMMISSIONER MICHAEL J. COPPS
Re In the Matter of Reallocation of Channel 2 from Jackson, Wyoming to 
Wilmington, Delaware; Reallocation of Channel 3 from Ely, Nevada to 
Middletown Township, New Jersey
Given the history of New Jersey and Delaware citizens being underserved by media 
outlets time and time again, I closely weighed both the legal arguments and the policy 
considerations raised by this matter. In the end, after much deliberation, I believe we 
arrive at the correct decision as a matter of law. But it leaves me less than fully satisfied 
that underlying policy issues have not, in my opinion, yet received their full due at the 
Commission. These need to be clarified for the road ahead. And we must always be 
clear that licensees pay full attention to their communities of license. I hope there will be 
a sharp focus on this imperative as broadcast license renewals come up. Likewise, the 
Commission must be ever-mindful of its responsibility to states and local communities so 
their needs are addressed. My hope is that in the near future we will take meaningful 
steps to address the concerns of the residents of New Jersey and Delaware, which should 
be, of course, the concerns of us all. Finally, it is important to recognize the impact the
DTV transition has had on the current media environment, and we need to take that into 
account as we interpret and implement Congressional statutes.