Sinclair Petitions the FCC for Specificity in the DTV Tuner Mandate and Asks for Indu

[Gregg Lengling]

BALTIMORE, Nov. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBGI) announced today that it has
filed a Petition with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for partial
reconsideration of the recently mandated DTV tuner rule that requires the
inclusion of such tuners, on a phased-in basis, in all future consumer
television sets.  While Sinclair applauds the Commission's efforts to enable
future DTV receivers with an over the air tuner, it also believes the FCC did
not go far enough to ensure that such receivers will perform well enough to
meet consumers' expectations.  The Petition requests that the FCC define the
mandated DTV tuner in sufficient detail that would insure that consumers can
"adequately" receive and view over-the-air DTV transmissions.
    The rule the FCC adopted is silent on how the mandated DTV tuners must
perform and Sinclair believes that the FCC has an obligation to be more
specific in terms of the tuner's required performance.
    In its Petition, Sinclair urges the FCC to adopt requirements for DTV
sensitivity, dynamic range, selectivity, and multipath tolerance.  The
Petition also offers suggestions as to how the FCC can proceed to determine
such values.
    Sinclair's action in submitting this Petition is motivated by the recent
pronouncements from leaders of the consumer electronics industry who have
stated that over-the-air reception is not important to them, as well as, their
actions to try and reverse the FCC's mandate in court.  Additionally, Sinclair
notes that the FCC has defined tuner specifications several times in the past
under the All Channel Receiver Act and needs to do so again to insure the
success of DTV.
    Mr. Nat Ostroff, Vice President of New Technology for Sinclair stated that
he invites all broadcasters to contact the FCC and join in supporting this
Petition.  Mr. Ostroff explains, "This Petition asks the FCC to take the
necessary steps to insure that free over-the-air television survives in the
digital age.  I implore all broadcasters to join us in this request for
specificity in the DTV tuner mandate."
    For information concerning this Petition, please contact Nat Ostroff at
(410) 568-1569.  To support this Petition, please contact the FCC and refer to
"MM Docket No. 00-39 - Review of the Commission's Rules and Policies Affecting
the Conversion to Digital Television."  The FCC's address is 445 12th Street,
S.W., Washington, DC 20554.

    Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc., one of the largest and most diversified
television broadcasting companies, owns and operates, programs or provides
sales services to 62 television stations in 39 markets.  Sinclair's television
group includes FOX, WB, ABC, CBS, NBC, and UPN affiliates and reaches
approximately 24.0% of all U.S. television households.  For more information,
please visit Sinclair's website at http://www.sbgi.net.