Page 1 of2 INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING NETWORK From: INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING NETWORK <[email protected]> To: Steven Smith <[email protected]> Cc: <[email protected]>; <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, September 24, 2001 2: 13 PM Subject: KLTV and KTRE sep~ber24,2001 Mr. Steven Smith, Vice President Cosmos Broadcasting Corporation Dear Mr. Smith, It has now been a full month since Ms. Bedard forwarded to you IBN's e-mail of August 24. We are stili awaiting your response. Moreover, it has been nearly 17 months since a subsidiary of your company filed petitions and applications Which, if granted, would force three of IBN's stations off the air. Although those petitions and applications were a direct threat to IBN, there was no advance consultation or even notice. Furthermore, our persistent efforts to reach responsible officials within the Cosmos/Civic organization have been unsuccessful. Frankly, we do not understand your company's secrecy and unwillingness to engage in meaningful communication about a matter of such vital importance to us and to the communities we serve. This is a matter of the utmost urgency. We &gain request that you respond without further delay. Paul J. Broyles, President International Broadcasting Network. 5206 FM 1960 West, Suite 105 Post Office Box 691111 Houston, Texes 77269-1111 - Original Message -­ From: To: Cc: , Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2001 5: 11 PM SUbject: Fw: DTV September 20, 2001 DearMr. Smith, On August 24, Artie Bedard forwarded to you our e-mail of the same date. We are stiR awaiting your response. This is 8 matter of great urgency. Please let us hear from you without further delay. Thank you. Paul J. Broyles, President Intemational Broadcasting Network. 5206 FM 1960 West, Suite 105 Post Office Box 691111 Houston , Texas 77269-1111 -- Original Message -­ From: To: Cc: Sent: Friday, August 24, 2001 2:31 PM Subject: RE: DTV 11/26/01 Page 2 01'2 -----Otiginal Message----- From: INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING NETWORK [ sent: Friday, August 24, 2001 2:13 PM To: SUbject: DTV August 24, 2001 Dear Ms. Bedard, Several days ago, we heard that Steve Smith had been In Lufkin to select DTV equipment. Has a decision been made for KLTV and KTRE to go ahead with the UHF channels under the current construction pennits? If so, that would be very good news. Your company's decisions on DTV are extremely important to IBN since three of our stations would be knocked off the air were KLTV and KTRE to switch from their assigned DTV channels to channels 10 and 11. Please share this information with us. Best personal regards. Paul Paul J. Broyles, President Intemational Broadcasting Network 5206 FlY 1960 West, Suite 105 Post Office Box 691111 Houston, Texas 77269-1111 11/26/01 Page 1 of 1 INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING NETWORK From: INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING NETWORK <[email protected]> To: Steven Smith <[email protected]> Cc: <[email protected]>; <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2001 5:32 PM Subject: Re: KLTV and KTRE DTV Septernber26,2001 Mr. Steven Smith, Vice President Cosmos Broadcasting Corporation Dear Mr. Smith, Thank you for your response of yesterday to our messages of August 24, september 20 and september 24. Unfortunately, we regard your response 88 being both misleading and disingenuous. You must think we are incredibly naive and gullible. You have not set the record straight but, rather, you have continued the pattem of obfuscation that has been followed for nearly 17 months. On May 1, 2000, the owners of KL1V and KTRE began a stealth attack on IBN, filing petitions and applications seeking to take channels 10 and 11 away from IBN's stations in Longview and Lufkin. Because of adjacent channel interference considerations, IBN's station in Crockett was endangered as well. This was done with neither advance consultation nor notice to IBN. After we Ieamed of the matter from the FCC's public records, IBN was assured that a mistake had been made and that steps to correct the mistake would be undertaken. Notwithstanding that assurance, the mistake was not COlTeCted and the petitions and applications were not withdrawn. It is quite obvious that your company's strategy has been to ask for patience and forbearance, to hold out bogus hints of possible assistance and to disseminate misinformation while moving aggressively and surreptitiously to achieve its unworthy objectives. In doing so, it appears that responsible officials of your company I\Jve hidden behind local station personnel who may themselves have been misinformed. In this context, and in view of your continued refusal to infonn us ofthe alternative channels you claim to be available, we must reiterate our request that the offending petitions and applications be promptly withdrawn and that there be no further efforts to shut down any of IBN's stations. Paul J. Broyles, President Intemational Broadcasting Network 5206 FM 1960 West. Suite 105 Post Office Box 691111 Houston, Texas 77269-1111 11/26/01 Page 1 of2 INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING NETWORK From: INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING NETWORK <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, June 22, 2001 10:52 AM Subject: Re: KTRE Channel Application June 22, 200 I Dear Ms. Bedard, Thank you for your message. We're looking forward to receiving some good news after your conference call. My telephone number here at the main office is 281-774-9923. I will be in and out ofthe office this afternoon, so e-mail would be the best means of contacting me. I hope you're enjoying Lufkin. It's a great town, and KTRE is a great station. Best regards. Paul Paul J. Broyles, President International Broadcasting Network 5206 FM 1960 West, Suite 105 Post Office Box 691111 Houston, Texas 77269-1111 ---- Original Message ---- From: Artie Bedard < > To: < > Sent: Thursday, June 21,2001 5:36 PM Subject: KTRE Channel Application > > June 21. 2001 > > Dear Mr. Broyles, > > Trying to bring me up to speed, Dean Worley forwarded a copy ofthe your > 6/11 email to me. I was named the new General Manager at KTRE in late April > and he was trying to bring me up to speed on this issue. > > Dean and 1have scheduled a 2:00pm conference call with the Vice-President > ofEngineering tomorrow, June 22, 200I. I hope we will have some news for > you then. > > Please accept my apologies regarding the lack ofresponse. Much ofthe > negotiations have been handled at the headquarter level. > > Please give me a telephone number where you can be reached. > > Again, thanks for your patience. > > Artie Bedard > > 11/26/01 Page 2 of2 > 11/26/01 Page I of 1 INlERNAllONAl BROADCASTING NETWORK From: INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING NETWORK <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2001 1:36 PM SUbject: Re: KTRE Channel Application June 26, 2001 Dear Ms. Bedard, Many thanks for your e-mail of yesterday. We certainly understand that the many issues and problems surrounding OTV have kept Mr. Smith quite busy. Although we don't have to deal with those issues in the same way your company does, it is quite apparent that OTV has been 8 disaster and many in the industry wish it would just go away. From what we've been hearing, many stations are extremely reluctant to build OTV facilities and definitely won't meet the deadline. Just a few days ago, one large group owner began a major lobbying effort to persuade Congress to allow OTV permits to be turned back in. With OTV having been a failure in the markelplaoe, with the technical and legal issues that remain, with the tack of any business model that could sustain OTV operations and with the networks' plans to reduce or eliminate compensation to affiliates, there doesn't seem to be a reason (other than the federal mandate) for OTV transmission systems to be built. From IBN's standpoint, we want to keep all of our stations on the air. We don't sell airtime or commercials, but our mission is very important to us and to our viewers. The loss of our stations in Lufkin, Longview and Crockett would be devastating. From your company's standpoint, perhaps it would be desirable to seek a moratorium on OTV buildout obligations, especially in small and medium-sized markets. Or perhaps you could get approval to build a very Iow-power OTV facility, possibly a hundred watts or so, on the UHF channel that has been assigned. I would think that could be done for Iesa than $250,000, and the operational costs would be negligible. Whatever happens with OTV in the larger markets, it seems certain that it win never be viable in Lufkin or Tyler. Even here in Houston, where OTV has been airing for several years, it has been a dismal failure. Consumers aren't buying it. Without viewers and without revenue, it won't survive. IBN's position has always been that "if it's not good for everyone, it's not good for anyone." Our record at the FCC reflects our Insistence that aU broadcasters be allowed to thrive and that none be burdened with inappropriate or excessive obligations. \n our view, the OTV mandate is inappropriate and excessive. We think it's time for Congress and the FCC to ease the burden by aUowing stations the option to build a minimal OTV facility or none at all. Hopefully, these thoughts are responsive to your request. We do want to help in any way we can. Best regards. Paul Paul J. Broyles, President Intemational Broadcasting Network 5206 FM 1960 West, Suite 105 Post Office Box 691111 Houston, Texas n269-1111 1\/26/01 Page I of2 INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING NETWORK From: INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING NETWORK <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> sent: Thursday, July 05, 2001 2:31 PM Subject: Pending Petitions and Applications July 5,2001 Dear Ms.