Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Craig Thomas, Mike Enzi and Representative Barbara Cubin, all R-Wyo., are pleased Jackson area residents will continue to receive community and regional information from their local television service provider.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has ordered Corban Telecommunications, Inc., to continue to provide microwave television service from Pocatello, Idaho to KJWY-TV in Jackson until January 25, 2003. The September 27 order extended service for 120 days, giving the FCC time to evaluate the availability of alternative service arrangements. The order also allows for the time period to be further extended if a reasonable substitute from another carrier cannot be found.

"KJWY is pivotal in providing Jackson area residents with many community services like the local news and weather reports. We are pleased the FCC has taken our objections and those voiced by community members seriously and is concerned about alternatives that will continue to provide these services to the Jackson area," Wyoming's delegation said. "The FCC had Jackson's best interests in mind when they issued this order."

Corban, the only microwave delivery system available to provide NBC network and syndicated programming to Jackson, filed an application with the FCC in August requesting the authority to discontinue providing select microwave transmission services, including those to KJWY. Service was expected to end by October 19.

In a September 12 letter to the FCC, Wyoming's delegation urged the commission to deny Corban's application. The delegation said KJWY-TV is the only full power, over the air signal in the Jackson region and the loss of service, provided since 1991, would be detrimental to the community and expensive to replace.

The delegation said they would continue to monitor efforts being taken to provide lasting broadcast service to the Jackson community now and beyond the expiration of the FCC order.