Federal Communications Commission  FCC 07-70
STATEMENT OF
COMMISSIONER MICHAEL J. COPPS 
Re: Third Periodic Review of the Commission’s Rules and Policies Affecting the Conversion to 
Digital Television (MB Docket No. 07-91)
We are now less than two years from the end of the digital television transition on February 17, 
2009. Unlike the previous “85% test,” this is a hard deadline. There are no exceptions, no second 
chances. We have one opportunity to get this right.
The stakes could not be higher for everyone with an interest in the DTV transition – consumers 
readying themselves for the end of analog broadcasting; public safety authorities counting the minutes 
until they can use their spectrum; advanced wireless providers preparing to bid in the 700 MHz auction; 
consumer electronics manufacturers and retailers projecting consumer equipment needs; and broadcasters 
hoping to launch themselves into the digital future.
With so much hinging on the DTV transition staying on schedule, one would think that the 
switchover would be a national priority. Well—not yet. I was involved in the planning for Y2K, so I 
know what it looks like when an issue is taken seriously. Compared to Y2K, the transition to digital 
television is a stealth operation.
Broadly speaking, two things have to happen for the transition to succeed: broadcasters have to 
be ready to transmit digital signals, and consumers have to be ready to receive them.
 Much of the initial focus has rightly been on consumers – how to make them aware that the 
transition is coming and what they need to do to prepare themselves. We’re way behind the curve in this 
regard. According to a recent survey by the Association of Public Television Stations, 61% of consumers 
said they had “No Idea” that the DTV transition was taking place, and another 10% expressed only 
“Limited Awareness.” NTIA will spend $5 million for consumer education. As anyone who has 
conducted a national campaign knows, that is far from what is needed to get this job done. The hope is 
apparently that industry will take up the slack. We shall see.
The second part of getting consumers ready is ensuring that they don’t wake up to a blank screen 
on February 18, 2009. That involves the converter box subsidy program for over-the-air viewers and 
ensuring that our mandatory carriage rules are updated to protect cable and satellite subscribers from 
losing access to broadcast signals.
This item, however, is about getting broadcasters ready for the switchover date. I think this 
problem is often overlooked because people see the number of stations broadcasting in digital and it 
sounds pretty good. But the fact of the matter is that most stations need to take significant action between 
now and the end of the transition. Over 600 stations will be moving to different channels than they are 
operating on now, and hundreds more are operating at low power and will need to ramp up. It means the 
possibility of hundreds of new transmitters, antennas, filters, exciters, and other types of equipment. It 
means the construction of new towers. It means scheduling tower crews and coordinating with other 
stations. It means lining up financing, zoning approvals, and international coordination. It means getting 
Commission applications on file and granted. And it means doing it all in less than two years in a country 
in which construction is impossible in numerous areas for much of the year. 
That’s why I’m pleased that the Commission adopted the proposal to require every broadcast 
station in the U.S. to file a DTV Transition Plan with the FCC. First, the stations will tell us where they 
are today. Second, stations will tell us what they need to do by February 17, 2009 – the equipment they 
need, the construction that needs to take place, the regulatory and other hurdles they need to clear. Third, 
 Federal Communications Commission  FCC 07-70
stations will provide us with a timeline for how they plan to be ready by the switchover date. Finally, 
these plans will be available on our website so everyone can review them. I thank the Chairman and my 
colleagues for working with me on this. 
 Might things still go wrong? Sadly, yes. Even if we closely monitor what’s going on and try to 
address problems as they arise, there is no guarantee of success. But our odds are infinitely better than if 
we sit back and hope for the best. I recognize this effort may absorb substantial Commission time and 
resources over the next two years. Given the other pressing issues before us, I do not take that prospect 
lightly. But the effort is worth it. This is not a drill—it’s the real deal.