Title: CBA 2003
1CBA 2004
KEITH.LARSON_at_fcc.gov FCC Media Bureau
(202) 418-2607
2 HELLO BROADCASTERS!
3Todays Topics
- Brief DTV Update
- Digital LPTV Report and Order (non- technical
aspects)
Interference analysis and other technical
elements covered tomorrow morning
41600
Total DTV Stations On Air
(out of 1688 paired DTV channels)
1400
1200
Currently 1445 stations (794 with STA)
1000
800
600
400
200
0
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
9/04
(est.)
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Source FCC Video Division, Sept. 2004
5 The Digital Transition
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2nd Periodic Review Report Order (August 4,
2004)
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DTV Channel Election
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7Filing Freeze (Announced August 3, 2004)
- Rule making petitions for
- DTV channel changes and new allotments
- NTSC channel allotments or changes in community
of license - Applications to maximize DTV or NTSC broadcast
facilities
8Filing FreezeClass A and Class A-eligible
LPTV stations
- Displacement applications
- Stations facing imminent disruption of service
may request an STA to permit continued operation - Facilities modifications that would extend
coverage contour in any direction
9DTV Channel Election Milestones
- (1) Certification of intent to replicate or
maximize already-authorized facilities
November, 2004 - (2) 1st round elections - December, 2004
- stations with in-core DTV and NTSC channels
select one or negotiate a channel swap with
another licensee - Stations with a single DTV or NTSC in-core
channel select it or release it and request
another channel in round two -
10- (3) Interference conflict resolution of first
round elections Complete by February, 2005 - (4) 2nd round elections stations with two
out-of-core channels and stations from 1st round
that wish to be treated like them request a
channel or ask FCC to select one July, 2005 - (5) Conflict resolution of second round elections
Complete by September, 2005
11- (6) Third (final) round election channel
preference of stations not yet accommodated
January, 2006 - (7) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposing a
post-transition DTV Table of Allotments August,
2006
12Digital LPTV Is Coming!
13Our FCC Home
New Digital LPTV Service Rules
Report and Order (MB Docket No. 03185) Adopted
September 9, 2004 Released
September 30, 2004
14Goals
Analog TV
Digital TV
- Hasten transition to digital service
- Minimize disruption to existing service
15(No Transcript)
16What is a digital low power TV station?
17- A station in the LPTV service that
-
- may retransmit the programs and signals of a DTV
broadcast station, may originate programming in
any amount greater than 30 seconds per hour for
the purpose of providing digital television (DTV)
reception to the general public, and subject to a
minimum video program service requirement, may
offer services of an ancillary or supplementary
nature, including subscription-based services.
74.701 (k)
18What digital service is required?
19- Whenever operating, must transmit a free off-air
video programming service of at least analog TV
technical quality - Intended for reception by the general public
using receivers based on the FCC transmission
standard (i.e., 8-VSB modulation)
20Video Program Service Examples
- TV or DTV signal rebroadcasts
- Need consent of station licensee
- May arrange carry only portion of DTV bit stream
- Satellite video program service retransmission
- Local program origination (of the kind aired by
analog LPTV stations)
21Public Interest Obligations
- Generally apply the obligations applicable to
analog LPTV stations - Examples
- broadcasts by candidates for political office
- sponsorship identification
- closed captioning
- Future proceeding will address public interest
obligations for LPTV and Class A station
multi-casts
22What digital service is permitted?
23Dynamic Bit Allocation Options (19.38
megabits/sec)
24Ancillary and Supplementary Services
Pay TV
Examples Data sent to TV or computer,
subscription video, downstream internet, paging
Can partner with outside service providers
Annual fee of 5 of gross revenues from feeable
services
25How do I convert to digital
operation ?
26 Option 1
Flashcut analog channel to digital
(i.e., cease analog transmissions on authorized
channel and begin transmitting a digital signal)
27 Pro Run only one station at a time
Con If done prematurely, lose audience that
cannot receive a digital signal
28May file for digital conversion of your analog
station at any time on a 1st come basis (minor
change application on FCC Form 346)
Digitally converted station protected contour
Analog station protected contour
29Option 2
Seek digital companion channel for transitional
dual analog digital station operations
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Pro Offer digital service without losing
audience receiving analog service
Cons (1) Economics of running analog and
digital station and (2) initial digital audience
may possibly be small
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31Digital Companion Channel Window
- Auction window procedures
- Eligibility limited to permittees and licensees
of LPTV, TV translator and Class A stations - Class A station licensees will be filing for a
digital LPTV stations - Third DTV periodic review proceeding will
consider how and when to permit Class A licensees
to seek digital companion channels with Class A
primary status or to convert LPTV companion
channel to Class A status.
32Digital Companion Channel Window
- No geographic filing restrictions
- Single digital companion channel for each
existing analog station (paired analog/digital
license) - Same community of license as analog station
- At a time to be determined later, must return one
of the paired channels to the Commission
33First-Come-First Serve Application Filing
Option 3 (begins some time after the companion
channel window)
- Will be announced by public notice
- Not limited to incumbents
-
34How will mutually exclusive applications be
handled?
- Digital LPTV or TV translator applications that
are mutually exclusive with each other or analog
station applications will be subject to the
auction process - opportunity to resolve by settlement or
engineering solutions
35- Mutually exclusive digital Class A applications
(e.g., on-channel conversion) are exempt from
auction - Provide opportunity for resolution of mutual
exclusivity by engineering solution or settlement
- Dismiss applications if mutual exclusivity not
resolved
36What are the priorities with respect to
displacement relief applications?
- Analog and digital displacement relief
applications have priority over applications for
new or modified digital facilities, including
digital conversion applications - May file for a replacement channel and on-channel
digital conversion in the same application
37What are the priorities with respect to
displacement relief applications?
- Digital displacement applications have priority
over analog displacement applications - When mutually exclusive, the lower priority
application will be dismissed
38Three years for digitally converted analog
stations and new digital stations
How much time will I have to build a digital
station?
39Extensions of Time
- Apply DTV extension policies and procedures,
rather than tolling of permit - Demonstration of construction delays due to
circumstances beyond permittees control and that
all reasonable steps were taken to overcome
delays - May base extension on financial hardship
- Media Bureau may grant two six-month extensions
requests for additional extensions referred for
Commission action
40What TV channels are available for digital LPTV
service?
41Channels 52-59
- Not available for further applications for analog
stations, except those related to channel
displacement relief - Available for
- digital conversion of existing analog stations
- digital companion channels, if no suitable
in-core channel is available
42Channels 52-59
- Must notify in writing potentially affected
co-channel and adjacent channel commercial
wireless licensees within 30 days of filing FCC
Form 346 - May continue to operate without technically
conflicting with the operations of a wireless
licensee
43Channels 52-59
- Existing or future wireless licensee may serve
notice of potential conflict within 120 days of
commencing new or modified operation
44Channels 52-59
- LPTV or translator station must cease operating
within 120 days of receiving notice unless - start of wireless service is delayed
- agreement is reached with wireless licensee or
- FCC request for stay is granted
45Channels 60-69
-
- By law, channels 60-69 must be vacated by end of
the full-service DTV transition - Channels 63,64,68 69 are allocated for public
safety use
46Channels 60-69
- Not available for further applications for analog
stations, except those related to displacement
relief - Available only for digital conversion of existing
analog stations (not as a digital companion
channel)
47Channels 60-69
- Must notify in writing potentially affected
co-channel and adjacent channel commercial
wireless licensees and adjacent channel public
safety entities within 30 days of filing FCC Form
346 - Same conflict resolution procedure with
commercial licensees as for channels 52-59
48Channels 60-69
- Must secure coordinated use agreement with public
safety frequency administrators before filing
application - Regional Planning Committee(s)
- State Interoperability Executive Committee(s)
- Must cease operating if station causes
interference to public safety operations
49- If and when must Class A, LPTV, and TV
translators convert to digital and cease analog
transmissions?
50Findings
- Class A, LPTV and TV translator stations must
ultimately convert to digital - FCC has discretion to set separate analog
transmission end-date for these stations - Less disruptive to set date some fixed time after
the deadline for full-service stations - Cant set that date until certain full-service
transition issues are resolved
51End of Full-Service DTV Transition
December 31, 2006 or when 85 of homes in a
market can receive DTV signals
52DTV transition extended for any requesting
station in any market if the FCC finds that -
- Major network station (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC)
justifiably not broadcasting in DTV signal or - Digital-to-analog converter technology not
generally available or otherwise, - 15 or more of the TV households in a market do
not have the capability to receive the digital
signals of the TV stations licensed in that
market.
53LPTV/Class A Transition Deadline Deferred
- Will consider in the FCCs 3rd DTV periodic
review proceeding - - establishing a deadline and/or other criteria
for the digital conversion of LPTV, TV
translator, and Class A stations
54Goal
- We seek to hasten their transition to digital
service and will work toward the goal of
achieving an end-date at, or soon after, the
end-date of the full-service transition.
55What happens next?
- Publish summary of digital LPTV Report and Order
in the Federal Register (F.R.) - Digital LPTV service rules become effective 60
days after publication in the F.R. - Obtain OMB approval of revised FCC Forms 346 and
301-CA (information collection-related rules
become effective) - Develop CDBS to accommodate digital LPTV
- Develop interference software (OET 69 methods
tailored for LPTV)
56When can digital conversion minor change
applications be filed?
57When will the digital companion channel window
take place?
58Your Path to DTV
Rules Adopted!
Authorization
On-the-Air
Watch Digital Community TV
Consumer Reception Acceptance
59Thanks for listening !
Questions?
60- To obtain FCC documents go to www.fcc.gov
- For digital LPTV Report and Order
- On the FCC home page, scroll to headlines for
9/30/04 and click on FCC Establishes Rules for
Digital Low Power and Television Translator
Stations - Also check out FCC web site www.dtv.gov
61CBA 2004
KEITH.LARSON_at_fcc.gov FCC Media Bureau
(202) 418-2607