*Pages 1--1 from Microsoft Word - 44115.doc* STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER MICHAEL J. COPPS DISSENTING Re: Channel, L. L. C., Assignee, and Price Broadcasting, Inc. Assignee For Consent to Assign the Construction Permit for New Television Station, Channel 3, Price, Utah; and Logan 12, Inc. For License to Cover the Construction Permit for New Television Station KUTH( TV), Channel 12, Logan, Utah; And TV 6, L. L. C. For License to Cover the Construction Permit for New Television Station KBCJ( TV), Channel 6, Vernal, Utah In the transaction before us, one company sought to acquire three television stations whose contours overlap notwithstanding that the Commission’s media consolidation rules prohibit one company from owning three stations in a market. While this application was pending, the company sought to modify the construction permit for one station to reduce the station’s coverage, thereby avoiding a technical violation of our ownership rules. The Commission has previously stated its concerns about proposed modifications designed solely to avoid overlap problems under our media concentration protections, particularly when a modification would result in less than maximum use of the facilities. Yet, here, the Bureau granted the modification without any analysis and apparently without even investigating whether the modification was designed to circumvent our media ownership limits. I therefore dissent. 1