December 18, 1997

   STATEMENT OF FCC CHAIRMAN WILLIAM
              KENNARD ON 
   BROADCASTER BUILD-OUT OF DIGITAL
              TELEVISION
                   
     The true potential of the digital television
revolution will only be realized when broadcasters
build DTV stations and provide all Americans with
free-over-the-air-digital television and with access to
the vast array of new ancillary or supplementary
services that are the subject of today's DTV
proceeding.

     The Commission has set a staggered schedule
for broadcasters to build DTV stations and commence
DTV broadcasting. Some broadcasters have
voluntarily begun building their DTV stations, and I
applaud these voluntary initiatives. I will continue to
monitor the broadcasters' progress over the next year
in meeting the FCC's build-out dates for DTV. 

     Today the FCC launched a new proceeding to
implement the Congressional requirement in the 1996
Telecommunications Act that provides that
broadcasters using their DTV channels for any pay-
TV or subscription services that are not supported by
advertisers pay a fee to the government for their fee-
based uses of the public spectrum. This proceeding
will provide guidance to broadcasters as they
continue to build-out their DTV stations

     The FCC's order in April made it clear that
broadcasters have to include at least one free over-
the-air channel of traditional broadcasting in their
DTV service.  Today's action does not alter that rule,
and no fee will be assessed on free over-the-air
broadcasts.

               - FCC -