Press Release

SpectraRep® and the Association for Public TV Stations Forge Strategic Partnership to Pursue New Digital TV Services for Public Broadcasters

Organizations Expand Efforts to Utilize New Datacasting Technologies for Public Service Applications

Chantilly, VA - August 26, 2003 - SpectraRep®, the leader in digital television data networking solutions, today announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Association for Public Television Stations (APTS) to expand its work towards enabling the use of datacasting technologies and applications by public television stations for homeland security, public safety, education, research, and other public service oriented purposes.

In signing this agreement, SpectraRep® will support APTS’ initiatives in educating its station members as well as leaders in government, business and education about the power of digital television datacasting as a unique and cost effective solution for securely distributing video and data. SpectraRep® will provide strategic guidance and technology expertise to APTS to help public television play a role in meeting public safety, homeland security and distance education challenges. SpectraRep® and APTS will cooperate in conducting demonstrations, pilot projects, and will work together to help public broadcasters secure grants and other forms of funding for these public-service oriented projects.

“SpectraRep’s participation in this effort represents the expansion of an already solid partnership with APTS,” said Rick Ducey, President of SpectraRep®. “Digital television signals are capable of delivering up to 19 Mbps - equivalent to nearly 13 T-1 lines - of any type of content that can be digitized, over a wide geographic area. We are committed to delivering real world successes to public television stations across the country by maximizing their datacasting opportunities and expect continued growth in this area as we work closely alongside APTS.”

John Lawson, APTS, President & CEO stated, “As public television stations offer digital transmissions, they can provide a tremendous amount of information not only to television sets, but also to any computer in the coverage area. This is a vastly untapped, yet growing, resource available to the distance education and homeland security communities. Lawson further commented, “Funding to assist public television stations is critical. One of our key initiatives is to get these public television digital facilities completed nationwide and available for high priority uses such as homeland security and supporting distributed learning.”