Good Morning Mr. Shapiro:
 
As owner and operator of KMCE-lp, Monterey-Salinas, California, and member of the Board of Directors of the National Translator Association, I take strong exception to your remarks in your speech yesterday to the Media Institute in Washington.
 
KMCE is the local affilliate of the Azteca America television network which delivers Mexican-based Hispanic programming to this heavily Hispanic region.  Most of our 240,000 Telivision households receive our signal on smaller sets with "rod" antennas over the air.  Less than half of our households are cable households or satellite households, yet we are carried on Comcast, Charter and Dish.  Our households need converter boxes which will pass analog signals seamlessly, with little more than a push of a botton to view our signals after February 17, 2009.  NTIA has been irresponsible for approving converters for reimbursement which lack this capability.
 
The National Translator Associatin represents over 4,700 television translators which bring over-the-air television to rural America.  Our organization also strongly suggests all converters be analog capable to avoid the end of television reception in February of 2009.
 
Please be advised neither KMCE, a CBA member, or the NTA is trying to slow the transition to digital television.  Rather, we embrace the new technology, and look forward to a smooth transition to an improved broadcast television system across the United States. 
 
Sincerly,
 
Martin Jackson
President
KMCE Azteca 43
831-768-8668
marty@mar-com.com