Federal Communications Commission FCC 11-110
STATEMENT OF
COMMISSIONER MICHAEL J. COPPS
Re: Amendment of Parts 73 and 74 of the Commission’s Rules to Establish Rules for Digital 
Low Power Television, Television Translator, and Television Booster Stations and to 
Amend Rules for Digital Class A Television Stations, (MB Docket No. 03-185).
The clearest lesson learned from the Full Power DTV transition is the amount of 
preparation that is needed in advance in order to best educate the impacted citizens and to be 
ready to respond to the unpredictable and the unexpected.  It is evident from the Second Report 
and Order that we are not taking the Low Power transition lightly. But it’s a long road and we 
need to be constantly vigilant and consistently active. I am grateful that we are determining a 
clear path forward with sufficient time for the remaining stations to transition and that we are also 
beginning to form strategies for consumer outreach.
We recognize that this transition will be unique as readily a large majority of LPTVs do 
not originate programming and therefore may not be able to alert their viewers of an impending 
transition.  But that does not make the alert any less essential-it makes smart planning essential. 
Hopefully by crafting regional strategies and implementing creative outreach efforts, coordinating 
with civic groups, faith centers, and utilizing local government infrastructure that proved so 
successful in the Full Power transition, we will minimize the disruption to the communities who 
rely upon LPTV. The value of LPTV is especially important to consider as decisions are made 
about spectrum and the benefits of having local programming that serve local needs in the future.