*Pages 1--1 from  Microsoft Word - 46856.doc*
 STATEMENT  OF  COMMISSIONER  MICHAEL  J.  COPPS 
 Re:  Second  Periodic  Review  of  the  Commission’s  Rules  and  Policies  Affecting  the  Conversion  to  Digital  Television 
 Today  the  Commission  takes  another  step  to  advance  the  digital  transition.  As  I  have  before,  so  will  I  commend  again  today  my  colleagues’  commitment  to  move  the 
 transition  forward.  I  will  vote  to  approve  the  item. 
 But  I  want  to  focus  for  a  moment  on  what  is  missing  here.  I  want  to  focus,  again,  on  what  is  missing  in  our  work  to  advance  the  digital  transition.  When  we  launched  this 
 second  periodic  review  a  year  and  a  half  ago,  we  asked  questions  about  the  public  interest  obligations  of  DTV  broadcasters  and  committed  to  address  these  issues  promptly.  And, 
 remember  please,  it’s  not  that  we  were  just  beginning  last  year  to  consider  how  the  digital  migration  will  serve  the  public  interest.  Rather,  we  were  refreshing  a  record  in 
 Commission  proceedings  that  dates  back  to  1999—  five  years  ago.  Yet,  today,  we  move  forward  to  consider  issues  from  the  second  periodic—  and  still  no  action  on  the  public 
 interest. 
 The  vast  majority  of  television  stations  are  already  beginning  to  broadcast  in  digital  and  hundreds  of  stations  across  the  country  are  multicasting.  And  yet,  those 
 broadcasters  do  not  know  what  they  must  do  to  discharge  their  public  interest  obligations  on  their  new  channels.  Worse,  viewers  are  equally  in  the  dark.  We  really  can’t  delay  any 
 longer  in  bringing  some  certainty  for  both  broadcasters  and  the  public. 
 The  digital  transition  holds  the  promise  of  reinventing  free,  over-  the-  air  television  by  providing  consumers  new  and  valuable  services  and  offering  broadcasters  new  and 
 valuable  business  opportunities.  High  definition  programming,  multicasting  and  datacasting  will  transform  the  television  experience.  There  is  a  potential  for  this  new 
 digital  reality  to  be  a  real  boost  for  localism,  competition  and  diversity.  But  if  the  American  people  are  to  realize  the  full  benefits  of  DTV,  we  have  to  call  the  public 
 interest  issues  forward  and  accord  them  the  high  priority  they  deserve.  I  urge  the  Commission  to  work  together  to  complete  action  on  these  important  public  interest  issues 
 just  as  we  have  worked  together  on  the  mechanics  of  the  digital  transition. 
1