Federal Communications Commission FCC 08-193 
STATEMENT OF 
COMMISSIONER JONATHAN S. ADELSTEIN
Re:  Carriage of Digital Television Broadcast Signals: Amendment to Part 76 of the  
Commission’s Rules, CS Docket 98-120
After nearly one year since this Commission clarified the obligations of major 
cable systems after the digital TV transition, we are finally clarifying the obligations of 
small, capacity-constrained cable systems.  Last year, it was eminently clear that the 
waiver process we adopted for small cable systems in the Third Report and Order would 
not have been adequate.  I am pleased that the Commission has realized its previous 
miscalculation, from which I dissented, and is correcting it today. 
While we are granting small cable systems an exemption to our material 
degradation requirement, it is important to point out that no viewer will be disfranchised.  
In today’s Order, we ensure that all cable subscribers will continue to receive a viewable 
signal of all their broadcast channels. However, as we did for the satellite television 
industry, we have considered the technical and resource limitations of small cable 
systems and, accordingly, have provided limited, temporary relief.
I am also pleased that we clarify in this Order that major cable operators are not 
required to carry a standard definition digital version and an analog version because there 
is “no perceivable difference between the two versions.” 
For these reasons, I support this Order.