Please explain in the area below why an STA is necessary:
As the Commission is aware, on February 9, 2001, while performing an emergency maneuver procedure in the waters off of the Hawaiian Islands designed to bring it rapidly to the surface, the fast-attack submarine USS Greeneville collided with the 190-foot Japanese trawler Ehime Maru. The Ehime Maru immediately sank causing the loss of nine fishing instructors, students and crew members. More recently, a special presidential envoy delivered a letter of apology from President Bush to the Japanese prime minister for the sinking in which he promised America's 'utmost efforts' to raise the sunken ship. The US Navy is now in the process of preparing to raise the vessel.
Nippon Television Network Corporation ('NTV') hereby requests Special Temporary Authority ('STA') to operate a remote transmit unit in and about the Hawaiian Islands in order to communicate with its its 1.8 meter temporary-fixed earth station which will be used to communicate with NTV's facilities in Tokyo, Japan. NTV requests that the Commission grant STA as soon as possible. As indicated in response to question 5, NTV seeks authority to utilize this facility in its coverage of the efforts by the U.S. Navy to raise the Ehime Maru. NTV requires a reliable communications link between the area of the recovery efforts and its satellite uplink facility. NTV is well experienced with the equipment for which it seeks STA and therefore desires to make use of it in this regard. There is, however, no specific allocation in the Commission's rules authorizing the use of the frequencies on which NTV's equipment operates in the manner in which NTV desires. NTV seeks authority to use the frequencies: 774.5 MHz, 783.5 MHz, 792.5 MHz and 801.5 MHz. These frequencies are allocated to Parts 90, 74, 73 and 27. Moveover, because the recovery efforts are expected to be of a relative short term nature, NTV's needs are short term as well. Given that NTV's operation will be short term, grant of STA through this office is particularly appropriate. NTV does not seek STA for the earth station facilities described herein.
NTV seeks expedited action on its request. It has not been entirely clear when and whether the recovery attempts would commence. NTV is now advised that the attempts may commence on or about August 20, 2001. Until whether and when the recovery efforts would begin were clarified, it would have been premature for NTV to seek STA and potentially a waste of the Commission's scarce resources to process such a request.
Good cause exists for grant of this request. As the Commission can understand, the sinking of the Ehime Maru remains front page news in Japan and the eyes of Japan are watching this story for any new information that may explain its losses. NTV is Japan's top-rated commercial broadcaster. As such, millions of Japanese look to NTV for their news and information programming. STA is required so that NTV can meet the needs, interests and demands of its viewers for breaking news in connection with this story and most particularly with regard to efforts to raise the sunken vessel. As indicated in response to question 6, the requested facilities will be used to transmit video from offshore locations to NTV's temporary fixed earth station which will then transmit the information to NTV's facilities in Tokyo.
NTV seeks authority to use its analog and one of its digital systems described more fully below. NTV's preference is to use one of its three digital systems, however, each is committed elsewhere through September 4, 2001. Accordingly, it desires to utilize its analog system until it can be replaced with one of the digital systems. NTV does not intend to operate any more than one transmitting facility at a given time. The system specifications are as follows:
Digital Systems
Model FR8MHz OFDM FPU (Transmitter:FR8M1-Z11, Reciever:FR8M1-Z11)
Maker Hitachi
The country of origin JAPAN
Serial No. Transmitter:FR8M1-Z11:H2219, H2220, H2221
Reciever:FR8M-Z11:H2767, H2768, H2769
Transmitting Frequency 4ch (from 770.00MHz -806.00MHz)
1ch:774.5MHz
2ch:783.5MHz
3ch:792.5MHz
4ch:801.5MHz
Transmitting Power 1W, 0.5W, 0.1W, 5W (with PA)
Occupancy Bandwidth (ch) Within 8.5MHz
The allowance of Frequency Deflection Within ±1.5×10-6
Sprias Intensity Within 25µW
Side Lobe Character Within -20dB at f0±4.5MHz
Within -35dB at f0±9MHz
Analog System
Model 8MHz Analog FPU (Transmitter:ML-8M-2A, Reciever:ML-8M-2A)
Maker NEC
The country of origin JAPAN
Serial No. Transmitter:ML-8M-2A:810
Reciever:ML-8M-2A:813
Transmitting Frequency 4ch (from 770.00MHz -806.00MHz)
1ch:774.5MHz
2ch:783.5MHz
3ch:792.5MHz
4ch:801.5MHz
Transmitting Power 1W, 0.5W, 0.1W, 5W (with PA)
Occupancy Bandwidth (ch) Within 8.5MHz
The allowance of Frequency Deflection Within ±1.5×10-6
Sprias Intensity Within 25µW
Side Lobe Character Within -20dB at f0±4.5MHz
Within -35dB at f0±9MHz
NTV recognizes that the requested channels operate within the boundaries of television channels 64, 66, 67 and 69. NTV notes that only one station licensed to a Hawaii community, KPXO(TV), Kaneohe, channel 66, operates on any of the frequencies. NTV shall take such steps as are necessary to avoid causing interference to the operations of KPXO(TV).
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