[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 233 (Tuesday, December 3, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 64045-64046]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-30838]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR PART 1

[MM Docket No. 87-268, FCC 96-465]


Technical Standards for Digital Television

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: This Public Notice provides an opportunity for public comment 
on the appended agreement submitted to the Commission on November 27, 
1996, by a number of parties representing a diverse range of interests 
concerning technical standards for digital Television (DTV). The 
agreement addresses issues raised in the Fifth Further Notice of 
Proposed Rule Making in this proceeding. Copies of this agreement are 
available for public inspection in the docket file in the Commission's 
Public Reference Room, room 239, 1919 M Street, NW., Washington, DC, 
and on the Commission's internet site accessed at ``www.fcc.gov.'' 
Interested parties are invited to submit comments on this proposal by 
Friday, December 6, 1996. The Commission contemplates action on the 
issue by end of 1996.

DATES: Comments are due on or before December 6, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Roger Holberg, (202) 418-2130, Gordon Godfrey (202) 418-2900, or Saul 
Shapiro (202) 418-2600.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

[MM Docket No. 87-268]

The Commission Seeks Comment on Digital TV Standards Agreement

Technical Standards for Digital Television

    On November 27, 1996, a number of parties representing a diverse 
range of interests submitted to the Commission the attached agreement 
on the issue of technical standards for digital television (DTV). The 
agreement addresses issues raised in the Fifth Further Notice of 
Proposed Rule Making in MM Docket No. 87-268, 61 FR 26864 (May 29, 
1996). Copies of the agreement are available for public inspection in 
the docket file in the Commission's Public Reference Room, room 239, 
1919 M St. NW., Washington, DC, and on the Commission's internet site 
accessed at ``www.fcc.gov.'' Interested parties are invited to submit 
comments on this proposal by Friday, December 6, 1996. This public 
notice elicits comment only on matters concerning the elements of the 
ATSC digital television standard. The Commission does not contemplate 
any extension on the comment period, and there will be no reply comment 
filing period. The Commission contemplates action on the issue of 
technical standards for DTV by the end of 1996.

Federal Communication Commission.
William F. Caton,
Acting Secretary.
November 27, 1996.
The Honorable Susan Ness,
Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission, 1919 M Street, 
N.W., Room 832, Washington, D.C. 20554.

    Dear Commissioner Ness: As we reported to you yesterday, 
broadcasters, computer

[[Page 64046]]

industry representatives (``CICATS''), receiver manufacturers, and 
the Film Coalition have engaged in lengthy and numerous discussions 
over the past four weeks concerning the proposed DTV standard. The 
first three of these groups have reached the following agreement:
    (1) The FCC should adopt no later than December 31, 1996, the 
voluntary ATSC DTV Standard (A/53), except for the video format 
constraints described in Table 3, including the aspect ratios (``the 
FCC standard''). The ATSC DTV Standard, including the Table 3 video 
format constraints, remains unchanged.
    (2) The FCC's Report and Order adopting the FCC standard should 
include language clarifying that data broadcasting is a permitted 
use under the standard. Data broadcasting is defined as the 
transmission of any type of data other than real-time video and 
audio programming.
    (3) The parties agree that the FCC standard provides for 
extensibility of services and that this extensibility feature can be 
used as long as such services comply with the FCC standard. Video 
and audio services may be enhanced by providing augmentation data in 
the manner described in ATSC ``Guide to the Use of the ATSC Digital 
Television Standard,'' A/54, Section 8.1.1.3. See Attachment A 
hereto.
    (4) Subject to applicable legal restrictions, if any, neither 
CICATS nor its member companies nor their representatives will 
directly or indirectly seek to oppose or delay--before the FCC, by 
judicial review, legislatively or otherwise--final adoption of the 
positions urged by broadcasters and consumer electronics 
manufacturers in MM Docket No. 87-268 to the extent such positions 
are not inconsistent with this letter. Nor will they support efforts 
in Congress or elsewhere for auctioning of spectrum allocated or to 
be allocated for digital television in MM Docket No. 87-268 or other 
proceedings related to the launch of digital television. After 
December 31, 1997, CICATS and its member companies may address other 
spectrum issues, provided that they do not support efforts for the 
auctioning of spectrum MM Docket NO. 87-268 or other proceedings 
related to the launch of digital television. The purpose of this 
understanding is to further the common goal of expeditious launch of 
digital television and is not intended to impose restrictions with 
respect to future regulatory or legislative issues.
    In addition, consistent with the target date recognized in your 
letter to us, the parties will no longer be bound by this agreement 
if the FCC standard is not adopted by the FCC by December 31, 1996.
    The parties agreed beforehand to maintain the confidentiality of 
the positions taken by them in the discussions, if not agreed to as 
part of a final resolution of the DTV standard issue. All parties 
continue to be bound by that agreement.

      Respectfully submitted,
Broadcasters Caucus,
Michael J. Sherlock (NBC),
Chairman.

Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association,

Gary J. Shapiro,
President.

Computer Industry Coalition on Advanced Television Service,

Paul E. Misener,
Intel Corporation.
cc: Chairman Reed E. Hundt
Commissioner James H. Quello
Commissioner Rachelle B. Chong
Honorable Larry Irving
Secretary, FCC (for filing in MM Docket No. 87-268)

Attachment A

    Because there will be possibilities for future services that we 
cannot anticipate today, it is extremely important that the 
transport architecture provide open-ended extensibility of services. 
New elementary bit streams could be handled at the transport layer 
without hardware modification by assigning new packet IDs (``PIDs'') 
at the transmitter and filtering out these new PIDs in the bit 
stream at the receiver. Backward compatibility is assured when new 
bit streams are introduced into the transport system as existing 
decoders will automatically ignore new PIDs.
[FR Doc. 96-30838 Filed 11-29-96; 10:54 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-M