Paxson Communications Signs FCC Petition

Paxson Communications Corporation announced today that it has signed Sinclair Broadcast Group's petition to the Federal Communications Commission requesting that the Commission permit broadcasters to transmit their digital television signals using COFDM technology.As the largest operator of broadcast television stations, Paxson's filing with FCC represents 72 licensees in which Paxson owns or has an economic interest. If the FCC modifies existing rules for digital modulation, broadcasters would be able to transmit their digital signals using either COFDM or 8-VSB, currently the only standard supported by the FCC. Paxson along with fifteen other broadcast groups in support of the COFDM petition represent approximately 30 percent of all commercial television stations backing this superior digital television standard.Commenting on Paxson's digital television transmission strategy, company Chairman Lowell W. Paxson said, ""If permitted to operate using COFDM technology, broadcasters will be able to offer more reliable over-the-air television service to a greater portion of the US television viewers. Utilizing this standard, we will be able to provide digital services to the public on every Paxson owned and operated station much earlier than we could utilizing the competing standard.""PAX TV President Dean Goodman added, ""With COFDM, broadcasters can overcome the complex multipath conditions which hamper DTV reception under the 8-VSB standard, and provide a more reliable and robust over-the-air digital television service to viewers using simple antennas. COFDM also allows us to offer consumers a variety of mobile and portable video services.""Source: The HDTV Magazine